Heroic firefighter laid to rest after decades of service
HUNTLEY — In a solemn ceremony that united not just the Huntley community, hundreds of people gathered on Oct. 16 and Oct. 17 to lay a beloved local firefighter to rest, honoring a life of bravery, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication.
Lieutenant Kenneth “Ken” Larsen, a 21.5-year veteran of the Huntley Fire Protection District, passed away on Oct. 9 at the age of 54, after an arduous battle against occupational cancer.
“Firefighter cancer is a real thing we have been dealing with for years. We’re so much better at reducing the risks than we were even 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago. We’re doing so much better but it’s out there. It’s one of the risks of the job,” Larsen told Kenosha News back in 2023.
According to the Huntley Fire Protection District, Larsen first began his career as a firefighter/paramedic with the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District in 1987 until 2008. He started his service with the Huntley FPD in May 2002 until his health issues forced him to retire back in November 2023. Larsen was also an active member of the Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Fire Department.
In addition to his fire service roles, Larsen was a member of the Illinois Task Force 1 (IL-TF1), where he served as the Division 5 Hazardous Materials Technician (HazMat) Assistant Team Lead and assisted with the deployment during Hurricane Ida in 2021. He also earned the certification of Illinois Chief Fire Officer and completed the National Fire Academy’s Managing Fire Officer Program, reflecting his unwavering commitment to learning and leadership in the fire service, stated the Huntley FPD.
A visitation and fire service walk-through for Larsen was held at the Derrick Funeral Home (800 Park Drive, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin) on Oct. 16. The funeral Mass was held on Oct. 17 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church (312 Lincoln Avenue, Woodstock).
“Lt. Larsen’s true passion and calling in life was the fire service from his start at Woodstock Fire to Huntley Fire then to Lake Geneva his world revolved around all of it. It was stated many times that it was his calming presence that made everything just work right,” Larsen’s obituary read. “Never getting overly excited and always the voice of reason, if Lt. Larsen was there, you knew that you were under good leadership and that everyone would be going home.”
Larsen is survived by his wife, Karen, his parents Ralph and Joanne, his two siblings and their spouses, Bob and Michelle Larsen and Michael and Mary Beth Larsen. Hundreds of brothers and sisters in the fire service will survive and remember him as well.
Larsen’s legacy will live on not only through the lives he saved and the fires he extinguished, but through the hearts of his community who will forever remember his bravery.
