Randall Larson

Randall D. Larson, 52, of Forest City, passed away unexpectedly on July 26, 2024. Funeral services were held on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at the Community Chapel in Lakota. The burial was held in Forest Home Cemetery in Leland.

Randall Dawson Larson (Randy) was born on June 14, 1972, in Kenai, Alaska. Randy lived in Forest City with his wife Kandyce (Hillesland) Larson and their three children, Isabella (7), Mikayla (5), and Noah (3). Randy and Kandyce lived in the Greater Los Angeles area, including Marina Del Rey, as well as a quiet outer suburb of Chicago (Hawthorn Woods) for many years prior to moving back to north central Iowa. Randy worked in management positions in Human Relations for the healthcare company DaVita and Discover Financial Services. He continued to work remotely for Discover after he and his family moved to Forest City. Randy was a source of inspiration to many colleagues over his career. He impacted many in his workplace with his kindness and extraordinary personal relationship skills. 

Randy spent his childhood in Buffalo Center, where he was known for his sense of humor and entrepreneurial spirit. One example is when he canvassed his entire neighborhood to sell chestnuts, including the woman who owned the tree from which the chestnuts were harvested.

Randy was a big brother to four siblings (Becky, Chris, Christy, and Dan). He was a bicycling enthusiast all of his life. He started in childhood with the trick of riding two bikes simultaneously, and as a teenager, Randy enjoyed sneaking out of the house for midnight rides to Wesley.  His love of bicycling later included competing in a number of cross-country cycling competitions for his former employer (DaVita) as well as training and riding bicycles across whatever countryside was nearby.

Randy married the love of his life, Kandyce, in 2000 before moving out of Iowa for about two decades. The couple moved back to Iowa and settled in Forest City to be closer to family including Randy’s two sets of parents, Beverly and Dale Frerichs as well as Tom and Cheri Larson, plus Kandyce’s parents, Jon and Marcia Hillesland.

Randy was a devoted father who loved spending time with his children. Randy was an extraordinary dad who actively participated in every detail of the care and well-being of his children.  He particularly liked taking the children to play at a variety of local parks and drove long distances so the kids could play somewhere new. In the winter, Randy often took the children snow sledding at Jon and Marcia Hillesland’s family farm east of Leland. He also enjoyed taking his kids to Pammel Park in Forest City to ice skate. Skates strapped on, Randy always took the lead in showing the children how to navigate the ice.

In the summer, Randy liked leading the kids on long walks across farm fields, which included hiking to the top of a large pasture hill at the rural Leland farm. Additionally, he loved taking his entire family to Crystal Lake for walks and family fun. Crystal Lake is also where he and Kandyce struck up their courtship by enjoying a street dance during Bullhead Days.

Randy is survived by his wife, Kandyce; children, Isabella, Mikayla, and Noah; parents Bev and Dale Frerichs and Tom and Cheri Larson; parents-in-law, Jon and Marcia Hillesland; siblings Becky (Chris) Muench, Chris (Brittany) Frerichs, Christy Nason-Frerichs, Dan (Kate) Frerichs, and Brittany Larson; siblings-in-law, Rob Hillesland, Kent (Melissa) Hillesland and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Preceding Randy in death are grandparents Adah and Art Larson, and Glendon and Marion Nason.

He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.