Alfred Lawrence "Bud" Larsen's Obituary
Alfred Lawrence Larsen, affectionately known as “Bud” Larsen, of Shamrock, TX, passed away Friday, March 22, 2024 in Amarillo, TX at the age of 94 years, 4 months and 3 days.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday, May 18, 2024 at First Baptist Church in Shamrock, TX, with Rev. Mark Howard officiating. Inurnment with military honors will follow at Shamrock Cemetery.
Cremation and Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Shamrock.
Bud was born November 19, 1929, in a ranch house near Tiffany, Colorado. He grew up in southwest Colorado in the same area near the towns of Ignacio, Bayfield, and Durango. He enlisted in the Air Force in November of 1949 and served 4 years as an airplane mechanic or “crewchief,” last serving at Tyndall AFB in Panama City, Florida. He met his sweetheart, Clara Smith, in Florida and they married on June 27,1952, when they eloped on a 3-day pass from the Air Force in Pascagoula, MS. They went to Mississippi because they were so excited to get married that they didn’t want to wait the time required by Florida law at the time. Bud and Clara had their first child, a daughter, Janice, while still at Tyndall AFB. They would later have two more children, Mike, and Lisa. Bud and Clara decided to get out of the military and he attended Florida State University, while Clara worked for the phone company as an operator. Bud studied geology and got a Master of Science degree, which he utilized as an Exploration Geologist for Chevron and other companies. He interrupted his career in oil exploration and returned to Colorado about 1964, where he farmed and ranched and taught science at Ignacio High School for about 13 years. He and Clara raised their family there in the same area where he grew up. They decided to sell their ranch in Colorado and moved to Amarillo, TX about 1980, where he resumed his career as a Geologist, until he retired from J.M. Huber in 1993. He and Clara bought a weekend get-away place near Shamrock, TX in 1988 where they later moved when he retired. Sadly, Clara passed away in 1993, early in their retirement. Bud would later re-marry Ruby Lee Bush. They were married until her passing in 2014. Bud continued to live on his ranch near Shamrock until he fell and broke his femur in June of 2023. He made the VA hospital his home and was happy to call many nurses his family until his passing.
He was preceded in death by wife Clara, second wife Lee, parents Albert and Tennie Larsen and siblings Alice, Alberta, Mary, Ray, and John Rex.
Bud is survived by a sister, Joyce Wick, daughters Janice Peterson and Lisa Clifford, son Mike Larsen, and stepchildren Jim Bush, John Bush, and Becky Copeland. Also 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by wife Clara, second wife Lee, parents Albert and Tennie Larsen and siblings Alice, Alberta, Mary, Ray, and John Rex.
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