Walter Christian Larsen died Tuesday morning, Oct. 4, 2016, at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster following an extended illness involving his lungs and kidneys. He had recently celebrated his 81st birthday.

Walt was born in Loma Linda on July 10, 1935 as the second child and first son of Walter and Viola (Stringer) Larsen. He graduated from San Pasqual Academy in May 1954 after which he attended La Sierra College for one year and then Riverside Community College for one year as a speech major.

Walt enlisted in the United States Army on Sept. 13, 1956, as a medic and served at the Medical Unit in Fort Detrick, Md. While there, he participated in Operation Whitecoat, a bio defense medical research program carried out by the United States Army between 1954 and 1973 with the stated purpose of defending troops and civilians against biological attacks. Operation Whitecoat volunteers, mostly Seventh-day Adventist conscientious objectors, contributed to the goal of determining appropriate dose responses for biological agents by allowing themselves to be infected with bacteria most likely to be used for a biological attack. They were then treated with antibiotics to cure the infections. He received the Good Conduct Medal.

After completing his two-year enlistment on Sept. 12, 1958, Walt served in the Army Reserves for four years before being honorably discharged on Aug. 31, 1962.

During his time at Ft. Detrick, Walt asked God to find him a wife. Two weeks later, that prayer was answered. He met his wife, Nancy Medvee Larsen, in December 1957, and they married on Feb. 22, 1959 at the Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist church in Takoma Park, Md.

Following his enlistment, Walt worked for the Surgeon General's office for a year before returning to Loma Linda where he worked for the State of California Disability Department. He then moved to Huntington Beach were he worked at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft. In 1968, Walt moved his family to Lancaster where he worked for Lookheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for 25 years before retiring in Tehachapi.

During his career as an aerospace mechanic, Walt worked on many aircraft including the B-2 Bomber, F-22 Advanced Tactical Fighter, TR-1, SR-71, KC-97, KC-135, DC-8, DC-9, L-1011, MD-11,737, 747, P-3, 727 AND THE T-38.

When he wasn't working on aircraft, Walt was an artist, both drawing and painting, a sculptor and a poet. He had his own website where he displayed his art and poems: http://waltsworld.yolasite.com/. He composed more than 3,000 poems and shared them at the Starlite Cafe. He was into CB radio and was a ham radio operator talking to people all over the world. Other interests and hobbies when the kids were growing up were coin collecting, motorcycles, horseback riding and boating. Walt had a beautiful singing voice and lead out in song service and occasionally special music in his church. He was also a member of the Lancaster Seventh-day Adventist Church choir for many years under several choir directors.

Walt leaves behind his wife of 57 years, Nancy Lee Larsen, daughters Donna Marie Larsen Aldrich (son-in-law Jim Edward Aldrich), Pamela Lynn Larsen Dirksen (son-in-law Peter Dirksen), and son Douglas Christian Larsen (daughter-in-law Carolina Larsen), as well as 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was loved by his family, church family, poet (Starlite Cafe) and artist friends he has made over the years, and will be dearly missed.

Walt was preceded in death by his parents Walter Arnold Larsen (1889-1971) from Denmark and Viola Mae Stringer Larsen (1900-1986) from Guthrie Center, Iowa; older sister Elita Lillian Larsen Welter; and first daughter, Debra Sue Larsen, born in Loma Linda on Nov. 17, 1960, who died a few months after birth.

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Services will be held in his honor on Oct. 16, 2016, at 2 p.m., at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Tehachapi where Walt attended church and served in various positions such as deacon and choral leader.