May 22, 1930 – April 22, 2020
Lars Johnsen slipped away from this life peacefully on April 22, 2020, just one month shy of his 90th birthday, at the home of his daughter, Tina, in Blaine, Washington.
Lars was born to Klaus and Klara (Tollevik) Johnsen in Bømlo, Norway on May 22, 1930. He grew up in a modest home near the northern city of Tromsø. At the tender age of 5, Lars and his younger brother, Knut, lost their mother unexpectedly after the birth of their sister, Klara. Their father later remarried, giving the family three more sisters, Aud, Karin and Solbjørg.
In 1952, Lars emigrated to Canada along with the family of his sweetheart, Solveig Martinsen. Lars and Solveig were married from 1953 to 1961 and they had three children together, Evelyn, David, and Irene. Later, in 1963, Lars moved to Portland, Oregon where he met his soulmate, Ingrid Rudy. They were married in 1966 and had one child together, Tina.
Because of the Nazi occupation of his Norwegian hometown during WWII, Lars was unable to complete his formal education. But, he was a life-long learner filled with an insatiable curiosity. As an adult, he became a certified boilermaker and worked hard throughout his career to become one of the best in his trade. He worked his trade for many years, both in the United States as well as in Europe, in settings such as shipyards, boxcar yards, deep sea oil rigs, and the old Trojan Nuclear Power Plant.
Lars was also a skilled home designer and builder. He built his first family home as a young adult in Merritt, BC. He later built homes for his family in Portland, OR, Milwaukie, OR, Brush Prairie, WA, and finally, in his 80s, in Blaine, WA. He was also always willing to share his talents and knowledge with friends and family in their home-building projects.
Spending time in nature was one of Lars’ favorite forms of recreation, whether it was snow skiing, water skiing, windsurfing, bicycling, or hiking. In retirement, Lars and Ingrid also enjoyed traveling in Europe, Australia, and North America. Lars is remembered as one of a kind, polite, friendly, loyal, and hard-working. He loved to share his knowledge, as well as his strong opinions about politics and society. Family was very important to Lars, and in 2004 he and Ingrid decided to make their final residence in Blaine to be closer to all of their children.
Lars is survived by his wife of 53 years Ingrid Johnsen, his children Evelyn Johnsen, David Johnsen, Irene (Tim) Sylvester, and Tina (Dan) Padilla, as well as 12 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild. He is also survived by his siblings in Norway Knut Johnsen, Klara Tollevik, Karin Kristiansen, Aud Johnsen, and Solbjørg Aasbakk along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
You may share memories with the family at www.molesfarewelltributes.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you join in their support of the Whatcom Hospice Foundation which provided exceptional care and support for Lars in his final days.
