Karen Benedicte Larsen

Karen Benedicte Larsen, a devoted mother of three and talented physician, passed away unexpectedly in St. Paul on Monday, March 9, 2026, at the age of 60.

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 4, 1966, to Karl and Ellen Larsen, Karen moved with her family to the United States shortly after her birth. Her father’s engineering career led to numerous relocations across the country and back to Switzerland during her childhood. Recognized early for her keen intelligence, she pursued a career in medicine while raising three children who remained her greatest source of pride. A pathologist by training, she specialized in hematology after earning her medical degree from the University of Minnesota in 1997, having previously received an undergraduate degree in psychology from the same institution. She had returned to the United States from Switzerland in 1983.

Beyond medicine, Karen was an expressive and creative woman who found deep joy in the arts, gardening, and the study of ancient and medieval history, with a particular fascination for Near Eastern archaeology and the early days of Christianity. For twenty years she tended a striking rock garden of native plants and flowers at her St. Anthony Park home, a living expression of her passion and creativity that brought quiet beauty to her neighborhood.

Karen was preceded in death by her mother, Ellen, in 2013. She is survived by her husband, David; her children, Alex, Fiona, and Ian; her father, Karl; her sister, Henriette; her brothers, Chris (Debbie), Erik, and Morten; and numerous relatives in Norway.