KARLSTROM

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Larry Evert Karlstrom of Bluffton, Alberta.  He left us unexpectedly on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at the age of 76 years, to go and be with his wife Helen once again – the love of his life and best friend – who he missed greatly.  We know they are back together and smiling down on us.  We now have two amazing, loving guardian angels watching over us all.

Larry’s greatest loves of his life were his wife, daughters, son-in-law, and very precious granddaughters – that had grandpa wrapped around their little fingers, and he enjoyed every second.

Larry was born in Rimbey, Alberta on September 15, 1949, to Enid and Evert Karlstrom.  He grew up and lived his whole life on the farm in the Springdale area.  Larry attended school in Bluffton, and upon finishing school he ventured north to the Northwest Territories and operated a CAT during the winter.

Larry married the love of his life, Helen Simpson, in 1973.  They were married for almost 51 years when she was taken too early in 2024.  In Helen’s words, “we had an amazing life together,” which Larry agreed with… missing her every day until he joined her again.

After they were married, Larry bought a gravel truck and started hauling gravel.  They pulled a trailer, that they lived in, behind a gravel truck and travelled around northern Alberta to do gravel-hauling jobs.  Later, Larry, his dad, and his brothers started a gravel-crushing company.

Larry and Helen put a place on his parents’ farm, where they lived together for the rest of their lives.  They had four daughters, which were Larry’s pride and joy.  When people would ask him, “Don’t you wish you had a son?”  Larry’s reply was always, “Nope.”  He loved his daughters dearly, and he was the very best dad they could have asked for.

Larry was a very talented man; he could fix and build anything.  He was a self-taught mechanic, regular and heavy duty, as well as a welder.  Anything that needed fixed, Larry knew or could figure out how to fix it.  He really could do anything… there wasn’t much he couldn’t figure out!  Larry also felt it was important for his girls to know how to change a tire or check and change the oil in their vehicles – a skill they all still possess.  After they graduated, all his daughters had the pleasure of calling their dad their boss, as they also worked on the crusher and operated the equipment.  During this time, they really got to know their dad much better.  Larry taught his daughters how to operate loaders and stockpiling trucks, as well as helping to fix the equipment and crusher.  He was the best boss and dad in the world.

Larry loved to be outdoors; hunting, fishing, and trips to the mountains where he would roll down the window to breathe the fresh mountain air.  His favourite part of Christmas was the Christmas tree and the Christmas tree hunt; something he enjoyed doing with his daughters, and when they were old enough, his granddaughters too.  They would head out into the bush and find an amazing Christmas tree and each morning when he got up, Larry would turn on the lights on the tree.

Larry and Helen also went to all their daughters’ sports tournaments while they were in school, and when their girls got older, they attended all their ball games and tournaments.  They were their daughters’ biggest fans and were always there to support and cheer them on no matter what the girls were doing.  Larry loved to listen to music and whistle along, and in the last few months he enjoyed drumming along to the music, especially BTO (Bachman–Turner Overdrive).

Larry was always there to help his family whenever they needed it.  In the words of his youngest brother, “Larry was a great husband, dad, grandpa, and brother.”  No truer words can be said to describe him.  He didn’t say much, but those who got the chance to know and love him were very lucky. Larry is already greatly missed by his daughters, son-in-law, very precious granddaughters, and his brothers.  He was predeceased by his wife Helen in 2024.

With respect for Larry’s wishes, there will be no service.  Thoughts and messages to the family may be shared through the condolence area located at the bottom of this page.

Arrangements for the late Larry Evert Karlstrom entrusted to the care of