Matthew (Mats) Larson

Growing up in Ljusvattnet in the frigid winter of northern Sweden and stuffing grass in your shoes to keep warm is not most people’s idea of an ordinary childhood. Neither is picking kilos of wild blueberries in the summers to pay for your first car. Matthew (Mats) Larson – recently passed away after 75 years – did both, testaments of his early pragmatism and work ethic. Mats was born to Alexander and Marianne Larsson on 9 April 1941, the eldest of three boys and two girls. Many hours of his youth were spent reading old western novels, and he craved adventure and a new life in the “frontier country”. He met Solveig when they were teenagers at the Bygdegarden dance hall in Bodbysund. They married in 1965 and two months later immigrated to California to pursue their dreams – finally settling in Petaluma where they raised their two children, Maria and Erik. “He and Solveig were two peas in a pod and their love for each other was obvious for all of us to see,” said Lorentz, his lifelong friend who had moved to the U.S. a year earlier. “They typified what it means to achieve and live The American Dream.” Mats developed a successful and well-respected career in hospital administration, which culminated in serving 22 years as Chief Financial Officer at Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa. He was generous and offered valued advice to colleagues, family, and friends – many appreciated his reassuring patience. He adeptly balanced his demanding work life with family camping and backpacking trips, and loved to frequent the mountains, rivers, and lakes of the western states. An avid self-learner and perfectionist, he advanced his skills in fishing, hunting, skiing, birding, rafting, and photography. One of his greatest passions was finding productive trout waters, and many of his happy retirement years were spent fly-fishing. Sitting on the deck of his Yreka home – glass of red wine in hand, and the sun breaking embers over the slopes of Mt. Shasta – he would often quote the ending words in Norman Maclean’s well-loved novel: “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it… I am haunted by waters.”

Matthew (Mats) Larson

April 9, 1941 - May 18, 2016