[This post has been updated with additional information.]

I just received this sad news:

Preston Larson, former American Guild of Organists Hawaii Chapter member, passed away on December 15, 2020 in Phoenix AZ. He was born March 18, 1942 and was Emeritus Professor of Music at Brigham Young University Hawaii, where he taught organ performance and music history for 33 years, and was also organist at the Christian Science Church in Honolulu. Preston was born in St. George UT and received his BA and MA in Music from BYU. He earned his doctorate of music in pipe organ and music history from Arizona State University, and also did graduate studies in music at the University of Arizona.

After Preston retired and moved to Arizona, he enjoyed traveling to Europe where, of course, he sought out organs and concerts. He lived for the last several years in a very nice assisted living facility in Scottsdale. The past couple years, however, his health declined although he still remained in good spirits. His great pleasure was listening to his large collection of classical music cd’s. As his health declined further, he had to move to another more comprehensive facility and, sadly, was recently diagnosed with Covid-19. 

Donations may be made in his memory to the AGO Hawaii Chapter Scholarship Fund, www.agohawaii.org.

We spent many pleasant times with Preston—he never missed a Hawaii Chapter AGO meeting, and we frequently socialized together at AGO conventions on the mainland. For a time I think he also served as AGO Dean. One year we all found ourselves at a Royal College of Canadian Organists convention in Toronto and hung around together all week. After the convention was over, we all (my husband Carl, my son Stephen, myself and Preston) took a road trip to Niagara Falls and had a wonderful time together.

After that trip, for several years, Preston was also a guest at our Thanksgiving dinners. He was a really good friend.

On Preston’s Facebook page was this post from his niece, Melissa Leilani Larson, showing the flowers on his graveside service on December 28, 2020:

My uncle, Preston Larson (1942–2020), passed away early this morning. We found out just a few days ago that he had COVID-19. Portia, one of his nurses, called my dad yesterday because she knew Preston was fading and was worried he would not get to say his good-byes. She gave Dad her personal cell number so that he and his siblings could FaceTime. Preston couldn’t speak, but he could hear everything. Our frontline workers are true heroes; this tiny thing was in reality a great kindness. Thank you, Portia.

Uncle Preston was an incredible musician and professor. He played the organ on Temple Square multiple times, as well as at many other prestigious places around the world. He loved the arts so much. He was a true audiophile with a massive music library. He was a witness at my baby blessing and my baptism. As I was growing up, he often gave me books—books that were always at a higher reading level. He introduced me to Shel Silverstein, whose work still impacts me. Listen to some Bach today in Uncle Preston’s honor. ❤️