Jim Larson (July 31, 1928 – October 7, 2020) was a man of many talents, from work to his generosity of time with many civic organizations both in Marshalltown and Clear Lake.  Many of our yacht club family was involved with him with his many undertakings here.

In Clear Lake, Larson, at age 68, began a second career as an artist, creating paintings and drawings, many of the lake area which had become their home. In Clear Lake, Larson was a member and past president of Rotary, a founding director of the Clear Lake and Ventura Area Community Foundation, past Commodore of the Clear Lake Yacht Club, a director of Opportunity Village now Vision One, a director of Clear Lake Arts Council where he was instrumental in establishing a new facility for the arts, the Clear Lake Arts Center, of which he was also a board member for many years and a volunteer instructor. In his later years he reactivated a fifty year absence from participation in instrumental music and began playing in the Clear Lake Municipal Band, Mason City New Horizons Band, NIACC North Iowa Concert Band and then organized and directed a fourteen piece swing/jazz ensemble, the NONSEMBLE, at Clear Lake Arts Center.

When I was asked to do the Clear Lake Yacht Club annual Yearbook, more years than not I asked Jim to do the cover of the yearbook.  He would always ask me what I wanted, and I would go in the direction of the coming regatta to the lake.  Often I would give him a few pictures of current boats, and off he would go creating our cover.

So if you are a “saver” not “hoarder” you probably have all the yearbooks with his paintings cover as a keepsake of our lake personalized by our artist sailor past Commodore Jim Larson.  What a gift he has given us all.

Denni Sue Erickson
Past Commodore