Published in Omaha World-Herald, July 27, 2014

NORTH GRAD WAS 4-STAR ADMIRAL by Paige Yowell, World-Herald Staff Writer

Photo and caption: “Charles R. Larson, The Navy admiral who grew up in Omaha served twice as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.”

(veteran)

The U.S. Naval Academy was one of Adm. Charles R. Larson’s true loves.

It’s where the retired four-star Navy admiral, who grew up in Omaha, met his lifelong friend and former roommate, John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate. Later, the academy is where Larson served as superintendent.

And on Wednesday, it’s where Larson’s funeral will be held.

Larson, 77, died early Saturday in Annapolis, Maryland, after a battle with leukemia, said his nephew, Omaha City Council President Pete Festersen.

“He proudly served his country and had a larger than life career in the Navy,” Festersen said. “For as long as I can remember, he’d been one of my role models in public service.”

Larson was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but grew up in Omaha, graduating from Omaha North High School.

He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958 and later served two tours as the academy’s superintendent, the first from 1983 to 1986 and the second from 1994 to 1998.

“That’s very unusual,” Festersen said. “It took an act of Congress to allow him to come back for a second time.”

Larson served as commanding officer of the nuclear attack submarine USS Halibut from 1973 to 1976. From 1991 to 1994 he served as commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command in Honolulu.

After Larson retired in 1998 he served on several boards of directors, including for Northrop Grumman, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents and as chairman of the board of directors of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation.

He is survived by his wife, Sally of Annapolis; sister Sigrid Festersen of Omaha; Erica Larson Huey and Kirsten Larson Datko.

Services with full military honors will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis.