[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, May 17th, 2024]— This week, the curling community was saddened to learn of the passing of builder, competitor, and pioneer Jerome Larson.

Jerome served on the Board of USA Curling and was a founder of the Mountain Pacific Curling Association (MOPAC). In 2013, he was inducted into the USA Curling Hall of Fame.

After discovering the game in Fargo, ND, Jerome took his passion for it with him when he moved West. He helped establish clubs, cobbled together stones and equipment, trained first-timers, and most of all, shared his upbeat nature with all who discovered the sport.

“Whenever you ended a conversation with Jerome, you felt better about things than you did when it started,” noted Dean Gemmell, CEO of USA Curling. “He was unfailingly positive, and was always working to bring people together for the good of the game.”

Without a doubt, there are countless people who are curling today because of the efforts of Jerome. In addition to introducing the sport to areas of the country where it was not yet established, he served as a statistician at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympic Games, and worked at numerous World Curling events.

This evening, we invite you to join our friends at MOPAC, the regional association he helped found, and raise a glass in his honor. Rest easy, Jerome.