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December 07, 2004
Coach Donavon Larson dies of heart attack
Former head Hamline football coach Donavon Larson died of a heart attack at his home early Sunday morning, three weeks after retiring from his position. He was 57 years old.
Larson had planned on attending his team's banquet in the Klas Center, scheduled for 2 p.m. the same day. The banquet was still held, where players mourned and Larson's jersey number 43, from his days playing for the Pipers in the late '60s, was retired.
Players said Larson was a coach with a resolute enthusiasm for football, but was also dedicated to making his team feel like one big family.
Larson gave 36 years of his life to coaching football.
"Your education provides you with the means on how to make a living, but football helps you learn how to live and be a citizen," he said in late November of this year.
Before taking over the Piper program in 2000, he coached for 14 seasons at North Dakota State
University, where he served as the defensive line coach. During his time there, he tallied a 128-36-1 record. Prior to his North Dakota job, Larson coached high school football teams for 18 years.
Hamline was Larson's alma mater, and during his collegiate days he was a four-year letterman in football.
He was a starting running back on the Pipers' 8-1 MIAC championship team in 1966, and in 1968, he was
team captain, MVP, and Jerry Smith Memorial Award winner as Hamline finished 8-1 in conference play.
When Larson retired, he left his players a phrase he gave to all of his graduating seniors, a phrase he held dear to himself: "once a Piper, always a Piper."
Larson is survived by his wife, Cindy Werges Larson, three children, daughters Heidi (Ken) Clark of Minneapolis, Molly (John) Giovinco of Chanhassen and son Adam (Melissa), of Mahtomedi, and his parents, Harvey and Loris Larson of Chisago City.
The funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. this Thursday, Dec. 9. The location is St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Rd., Mahtomedi, Minn. There will be a one hour visitation before the funeral services.
Visitation will be held at Mueller Lake Mortuary, 4738 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake, Minn. on Wednesday. Dec. 8 from 5-8 p.m.
From now until Thursday afternoon, the Oracle will accept letters from anyone who wishes to write about his or her memories of Coach Donavon Larson. These letters will be published in the Dec. 14 Oracle print version. So that we have room to publish every letter we receive, please limit submissions to 400 words or less. Slide typed letters under the Oracle office door in Drew Science 106, or e-mail them to oracle@gw.hamline.edu
Posted by msveum at December 7, 2004 11:33 AM