John P. “Phil” Larson, who served as a Fresno County supervisor and Fresno County Farm Bureau President after serving in the Marines,  has died at the age of 92.

In a remembrance, the farm bureau recognized Mr. Larson’s contribution to Fresno County ag.

Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen said Mr. Larson fought the water battle in California years before it came to a head.

“Just a remarkable man. A man of faith, a man of family, he definitely did an incredible amount for not just agriculture, but our local region here,” Jacobsen said.

Mr. Larson is survived by his wife Joyce, his son Tim, his daughter Lisa, and three grandchildren.

Larson Stepped into Water Fight Years Before SGMA

Born in 1933, Mr. Larson served as a Marine during the Korean War, according to a commemoration from Fresno State. After returning from the conflict, he went on to work for the Wilbur Ellis Company — an ag products distributor — for nearly four decades before taking on the world of politics.

As supervisor, he served western Fresno County from 2002 until 2014, earning reelection in 2006 and 2010.

Health problems spurred his decision to leave the role, endorsing current Supervisor Brian Pacheco to take the seat.

“I was honored to know John “Phil” Larson. He was both a mentor and a friend,” Pacheco said. “For the people who didn’t know Phil, he was a kind and gentle family man and a man of faith. I want to express my sympathies to Joyce, his wife of 68 years, their children, and extended family.”

Pacheco said Phil brought the West Fresno Regional Center to southwest Fresno to give residents in that area — many of whom do not drive — walkable access to benefits and services within their own neighborhood.

He also said Phil helped secure library improvements in Mendota and Tranquillity and worked with the West Hills Community College District to integrate the county library with the new Firebaugh college campus.

He noted that Phil served on the Board of Supervisors during a period of tight county budgets following the 2008 recession but still focused on incremental quality-of-life improvements for residents, quoting him as saying, “We are doing things – they’re not flashy, but they’re serving people.”

The Fight for Water

Jacobsen said Mr. Larson led the fight for water before most people knew it would become an issue.

“He was the water guy. He was in the water fights before they became a common terminology for most around here because he represented the west side and was very much a big part of those discussions,” Jacobsen said.

SGMA — the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act — was passed by state lawmakers in 2014 to address the rapid depletion of California’s groundwater resources, which had become increasingly evident on the Valley’s westside as the ground subsided.

The law is designed to achieve a sustainable equilibrium between pumping and recharge in the state’s aquifers by 2042.

Mr. Larson also was a key player in the development of Veteran’s Boulevard that now connects residents west of Highway 99 with the rest of Fresno.