Recent Obituaries

Eric Harold Francis Larson was born July 29, 1961, in Ronan MT to Floyd and Barbara (Johnson-Kidder) Larson. Eric spent his early years in Kalispell, where his dad was on the staff of the Daily Interlake newspaper. The family was transferred to Manchester CT for several years and then to Pullman WA, where his father was editor of the Pullman Herald and where Erick graduated from high school and attended Washington State University. He added the “K” to his first name to honor his Scandinavian heritage, and the “Francis” was the saint’s name taken in confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church. He identified with St. Francis’s kindness for all of God’s creation.

At Washington State University, Erick was a DJ and Summer Manager for KZUU-FM, the WSU student radio station (His DJ name was Ray Savage!). He moved from Pullman to the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle and started his career in the film industry with Alpha Cine Film Labs, finishing it with Multi-Media (DVD) authoring at Victory Studios.

Erick met Dee Cheshier early in 1992 via the Seattle Weekly want ads. Their relationship continued until Erick’s passing in May 2025. Erick easily brought Dee into his family and his circle of friends, of which she is forever a part. The celebration of their love and life together was held May 3rd, for which he was fully present. He fell asleep with a contented smile that evening and peacefully passed in his sleep on May 8th.

Erick’s love for film, especially film history, was ignited early on. At ten, he would hold the attention of his older siblings by recounting for hours the plots of all the black and white horror films he’d seen. Over his lifetime, he amassed an amazing collection of over 450 historic 16mm films from D. W. Griffith to Charlie Chaplin to Betty Boop and Georges Méliès. That library is intact and preserved by two Washington film archivists. His library of film books was extensive, and he left much of that to the University of Washington film studies library. He donated his collection of antique lantern slide projectors and 16mm cameras to the Spark Museum of Electrical Invention in Bellingham, WA, one of his favorite institutions.

Erick is especially well-remembered for his contribution to the Seattle film scene through Shining Moment Productions, the trade name for his film exhibition service. He presented films in numerous venues throughout the city, including the Jewel Box Theatre (a 50-seat theatre inside the Rendezvous Restaurant), The Speakeasy Cafe, The Weathered Wall, Rm 608, the Experimental Cinema Festival, Occupied Seattle, The Belltown Theatre Center, the Seattle Art Museum, and Bumbershoot among other indoor and outdoor locations. Erick often presented silent films with live music featuring various acclaimed Seattle-based musicians. If the venue was close to home, it wasn’t unusual to see Erick carrying film canisters and one or two projectors along the street, straining his arms for the good of the city’s film culture.

Erick loved Seattle and loved to take visiting friends and family on miles-long walks to show off his city and all his favorite haunts. Friends remember him for his mischievous wit and intellect and his phenomenal memory of film facts, from leading actors to the minor roles, from directors to film scorers.

Erick started experiencing symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis from about 2000 with ongoing fatigue. As his left leg started dragging, his quick city-paced gait slowed to a limp. He was officially diagnosed in early 2008, but preferred not to be defined by this disease. As years passed, he was able to slow its progression with medications until 2020 when the COVID pandemic hit and he could no longer seek nor continue treatment. His increasing weakness gradually decreased his abilities to fully participate in life, but he tried for all his worth.

Erick passed away peacefully on May 8th, 2025, due to complications from MS. He was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Barbara Larson, and his beloved niece Gretchen DeBree. He is survived by his intended Dee Cheshier; his sister Su DeBree; his brothers Bruce and Tom Kidder; his dear cousins; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and friends.