Lynwood J. Larson

Lynwood Jerome Larson, age 93, a longtime resident of Covenant Living at Windsor Park in Carol Stream, Illinois, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Saturday, July 18, 2026.

Lynwood was born July 14, 1933, in Whitehall, Michigan, to Dr. Ernest S. Larson and Frances Norman Larson. His early years were spent in Whitehall; McPherson, Kansas; and the South Side of Chicago, where his father served as a pastor for Swedish Evangelical Covenant Church congregations. The family moved to Wheaton, Illinois, in 1946, when his father joined the Wheaton College faculty as a professor of history. Lyn attended Wheaton Academy, where he met the love of his life, Marilyn Geurkink. He graduated with honors from Wheaton College in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and was designated a Distinguished Military Graduate of the ROTC program.

Upon graduating, Lynwood received a commission from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant, and the newly married couple moved to Washington, D.C., where he was stationed for two years. In 1957, the couple returned to Illinois, where Lyn began his career in business. After a year of working for his father-in-law as a commodity trader, he took a position as an investment banker at Continental Illinois Bank in downtown Chicago. Early in his career, he attended night school at the University of Chicago and received his MBA in 1964. In 1988, he moved to Northern Trust Bank, where he worked as a manager of the Personal Investment Division in the Chicago office and later as Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager in the Illinois West Region’s Oak Brook office until his retirement in 1998.

Lynwood was an avid sports fan. During high school and college, he played varsity basketball and football, as well as many intramural sports. After college, he became a passionate tennis player and golfer. He played both sports with his friends well into his mid-80s before eventually trading his tennis racket for a pickleball paddle. Throughout his life, Lyn loved watching sports of all kinds and was a devoted fan of the Cubs, the Bulls, the Bears, and the Wheaton Thunder. He also enjoyed photography, reading, and anything related to cars.

Lynwood and Marilyn shared a spirit of adventure. They camped with their family around the country and took trips around the world. They especially treasured visits to the countries of their forebears—Sweden and Holland—as well as travels throughout Europe, China, Southeast Asia, South America, and Israel. Lyn was exceptionally fond of a church-sponsored trip he took to Ecuador to help build a school there.

Lynwood was a natural leader throughout college, during his career, and at Hinsdale Evangelical Covenant Church, where he and Marilyn were active members for nearly 70 years. Gregarious and full of fun, Lyn made friends everywhere he went, from the tennis court and golf course to his later home at Covenant Living at Windsor Park. He was widely admired for his quick sense of humor and loved nothing more than sharing a good laugh with others. Music was another lifelong passion; after picking up the ukulele in his thirties, he led decades of family campfire sing-alongs and spent his later years playing his “uke” for Marilyn.

Lynwood was a deeply devoted husband to Marilyn over their seven decades of marriage. During Marilyn’s last ten years, Lyn took on an increasingly challenging role caring for her as her memory faded. When she moved into long-term care, he visited her daily, singing with her and taking her to every program he knew she would enjoy. His steadfast dedication was inspirational to all—a true love story for the ages.

Lynwood is survived by his grateful children: Karin (Doug Erickson), Scott (Sylvia), and Todd; his cherished grandchildren, who knew him as “Bompa”: Erik and Nathaniel, Mia and Zoe, and Iona and Aiden; and his devoted younger sister, Lolita (Donald) Holt. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 70 years, Marilyn (in January 2026), and his revered older brother, Norman Keith Larson (in January 2015).

A visitation will be held at Hinsdale Covenant Church, 412 S. Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the memorial service at 11:00 a.m. The family invites you to a light luncheon following the service. A private burial will take place at Ridgewood Memorial Park in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Hinsdale Covenant Church or the Benevolent Care Fund at Covenant Living at Windsor Park.