Larsen Kent Bowker

Larsen departed this life on May 30, 2026 surrounded by his family. Graveside Service will be at 11:00 A.M., Saturday, July 11, 2026, at Greenwood Cemetery in Trumbull, NE, with Pastor Lance Caly officiating. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home & Cremation Center is serving the family.

Born and raised in that unusual part of Nebraska that has more hills, trees and rivers, a place which his father’s quiet mystery and his mother’s passion for stories made it a place of Arcadian legend and myth.

He was educated at Kearny State College (now University of Nebraska, Kearney), University of Wyoming, and the University of Rhode Island, where he earned a Ph.D in English Literature. Teaching was his passion and a unique talent which he demonstrated in many forms. He taught Literature and was the Varsity Tennis coach at Virginia Tech for twenty-four years. Previously, he taught at the University of Rhode Island, Hastings College and Cozad High School.

As the Virginia Tech tennis coach, his passion for excellence, eye for talent, and “Hate To Lose” mentality helped him recruit and develop the best scholar-athletes the program had seen to date. With dogged perseverance and athletic discipline, the team grew to be nationally competitive. His passion for the sport and the university program was instrumental in the development and fundraising for the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center. The first indoor tennis courts in Southwest Virginia. For his contributions and record of achievements, Larsen was inducted into the Virginia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in September 2024.

As a tennis player he won the Mid-Atlantic Tennis Association's championship for men under 45. He was inducted into the MATA Hall of Fame in 2023.

While Larsen’s natural athletic ability was often described as “poetry in motion” on the court, he was also a well-published poet. His poetry has been described by critics as:

“His poems seek to reclaim something of that slow drama and texture of lives lived before speed took away their individuality.”“..reading his poems makes you feel as if you are walking in radiant grace of afternoon light in autumn”

Larsen reveled in the “middle child’s freedom” to explore and invent himself: a poet, tennis player, music aficionado, and wine connoisseur. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Jeanette, his children, Dane and Michelle, sons-in-law Joe and Doug, and grandchildren Sam and Sara.