Obituary: John Irving Larkin, 92, Of Greenwich

Courtesy of Fred D. Knapp Funeral Home

John (Jack or Jake) Irving Larkin of Greenwich died on December 10, 2023 at age 92 in Redding, CT. Born on May 27, 1931 to Irving Ellsworth Larkin and Ethel Mae Palmer Larkin, Jack was raised in Poughkeepsie, New York and graduated as valedictorian of his class from Poughkeepsie High School. He attended, and was a strong supporter of, both Union College and Albany Medical College. Early on in medical school, he married Margaret (Peggy) Gardner, whom he’d known from high school. During his internship at Albany Hospital, he found his calling in pediatrics. He went on to complete his residency at Buffalo Children’s Hospital.

Jack served in the Army Medical Corps from 1959-1964. Stationed on Okinawa between the Korean and Vietnam Wars, he practiced at Ryukyu Army Hospital. His family joined him on Okinawa and made great connections that have lasted over the years. Once back in the States, Jack and his family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut. He joined a pediatric practice and went on to co-found the Children’s Medical Group of Greenwich with Dr. Ed Hecklau. There he cared for generations of kids from 1964 to his retirement in 2000. He also served for a time as chairman of the Pediatrics department at Greenwich Hospital. He particularly enjoyed providing the full spectrum of care from acute to primary to specialty care.

Despite a heavy workload with his pediatric practice, family and friends were very important to Jack. He gave “99% of the credit” to his wife, Peggy, for raising their four children. He traveled frequently with Peggy and friends. Family trips to Skytop Lodge in Pennsylvania gave kids and grandkids a chance to bond over golf, fishing, hiking and fun. Particularly special were the once-in-a-lifetime trips Jack and Peggy took with each of the grandkids - Galapagos, Baja California, London and Paris.

Jack was an avid fly fisherman. Introduced to the sport as a young man by a family friend, he went on to fish for trout, salmon, tarpon and bonefish in the US and around the world. He considered his membership in the Angler’s Club of New York as an honor and served as its President for a term as well as on other committees in his retirement. The Preston Mountain Club, where he also served as President, was his favorite place to spend time away with family and friends - fishing, hunting or relaxing in front of the roaring fire. He gave his kids and some of his grandkids their first fly fishing lessons there.

Active in the life of First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich, Jack is remembered for his service to the community, welcoming greetings and hearty laugh. He particularly enjoyed the camaraderie of his usher team and his special seat up in the balcony.

Jack loved jokes. He had a dry sense of humor (“drier than a drought-parched lawn” one person called it) and often you couldn’t tell whether he was joking or not. Family legend has it that early in his marriage to Peggy, he sometimes had to wear a sign that said “joking” so she could tell the difference. He was known amongst his fishing buddies as a great joke teller. Later in life, he enjoyed exchanging jokes with friends via email.

Jack was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Margaret Gardner Larkin, and his three siblings, Harold Larkin, Florence Rollinson and Joyce Defandorf. He will be greatly missed by his four children, Stephanie Frost (Arlo), John Larkin (Donna), Julia Price (Mike) and David Larkin (Donna), eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A service for family and friends will be held in the spring of 2024 at First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich, Connecticut. The family would like to thank the staff of Ridge Crest at Meadow Ridge and the Ridgefield VNA hospice team for their care and kindness to Jack and our family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to American Red Cross or donor’s choice.