Klaus Larsen

Klaus Larsen, 71, passed away May 7, 2022 in the comfort of his winter home in Old Town, Florida, after a short diagnosis of aggressive cancer. Born April 10, 1951, in Copenhagen, Denmark to Rigmor and Rudolf Larsen, Klaus is survived by his loving wife, Debbie J. Artrip; his three children, Michael (Maria) Larsen, Christina Larsen and Rasmus (Sussi) Larsen; his three stepchildren, Emily Umbarger, Katie (Brian) Robinson and Michael (Jenny) Artrip; and 16 grandchildren. 

Klaus was a kindhearted man who lived a full and beautiful life. Earlier in his life, he was employed as a master mechanic and information technology technician in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Klaus was a world traveler. It was during one of these trips in 2011 he met his wife for the first time in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. In August 2016, Klaus moved to the USA to be with the love of his life, Debbie, and was married shortly thereafter, September 10, 2016. Klaus and Debbie maintained a summer home in Onaway where they infamously hosted hundreds of national and international visitors into their summer home. Delighting in making new friends and exchanging stories and cultures, Klaus and Debbie embraced their new friends as treasured guests and members of the family. In the winter months, Klaus and Debbie migrated south to Florida. In 2020, they purchased a plot of land in Old Town and spent the last two years turning it into a serene oasis they called the Hygge Hammock Homestead (cozy forest home). 

While kindhearted, quirky and genuine, Klaus had a heart of gold. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for someone he cared about, especially for his wife Debbie. He found joy in the small things of life, and giving to others with selfless acts of service brought him immeasurable happiness. Tinkering in his shop, there was nothing he couldn’t fix, no project too big, and no creative idea out of his reach. Klaus was a talented builder, mechanic, and a wonderfully artistic soul who truly enjoyed creating art out of repurposed materials such as silverware and assorted metals. 

Klaus loved photography and spent a great deal of time exploring the finer details of nature through a macro lens on his camera. He marveled at the minute detail of insects from behind a lens and shared his passion for photography with his friends and loved ones. 

An avid fan of photography, Klaus took his passion one step further with his love of drone-photography, flying his drone high above the land and photographing the world below. Klaus had a special way of seeing not only the smallest details of a tiny insect, but he also inherently understood the beauty in the “big picture” from above, too. 

You could always count on Klaus for

good advice – or at least humorous advice – and a great joke, a warm smile, and a genuine sense of patience. There’s no one that Klaus wouldn’t sit with, crack open a beer, and share stories or simply listen. He was an incredible soul and a wonderful friend. 

To know Klaus is to love him. He will be deeply missed by friends and family around the world. Those that had the great fortune to know Klaus during his life were truly gifted with a special blessing that will be treasured in their hearts forever. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to hospice, at VITAS Community Connection, P.O. Box 645352, Cincinnati, OH 45264-5352, can be made in Klaus’ honor. Klaus’ family will celebrate his life by spreading his ashes in the water and on the land in places that he most loved.