‘A Beautiful Caring Person’: Nina Larson, 24, Remembered by Mother

Nina Larson was a beautiful, talented, kind and generous person, according to her mother, Matilde Larson.

Nina Larson. Photo courtesy of her family

A lifelong singer who loved music and the theater, Nina “spent four years at New Canaan High School dedicated to the musical theater program” prior to graduating in 2015, Larson said. 

“She was in all their shows, either onstage or backstage,” she told NewCanaanite.com. “She was so talented, not only as a singer. She painted. She tried to support herself during COVID by painting and selling her paintings on Etsy. She fostered cats. She worked with a group called Pets Bring Joy Rescue and she worked with cats. And they always gave her the most difficult cases, babies who needed to be bottle-fed or older cats in their final days.”

Eventually, Nina adopted a street cat, Elsa, who is living down in Washington, D.C. and will come up to Connecticut to live with her mom, she said.

Nina Larson died last Saturday as a result of being struck by a car. She was 24.

Nina Larson. Photo courtesy of her family

Born June 30, 1997 in Stamford, Conn., she was daughter of Matilde Larson of New Canaan, and Peter Larson.

She grew up in New Canaan, attending East School, Saxe Middle School and New Canaan High School before going on to American University in Washington, D.C., where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music.

Nina sang “all her young life,” her mom said, in the children’s choir and later, adult choir, at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church and with the NCHS Madrigals.

“She had the most beautiful voice and she just was so beautiful on the inside and outside,” Matilde Larson said. “She loved so deeply. She loved her brother so very much, and she loved her friends. She had such close friends from New Canaan since her preschool days at the Little Owns Preschool at the Y. So much talent, so much joy. So joyful.”

An aspiring opera singer, Nina had been working as a waitress at Mintwood Place in Washington, D.C. while studying. The restaurant closed for two days after she died, and memorials have been held in Washington every night. Nina was a popular member of the staff there, singing “Happy Birthday” in an operatic voice to those celebrating at the restaurant, Matilde Larson said.

In addition to her parents, Nina is survived by her brother P.J. Larson and his wife, Anya, of West Hartford. She was predeceased by her grandparents, Georgiana and Albert Cesarelli. 

“She was so kind and generous to so many people,” Matilde Larson said. “I am so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from her friends from New Canaan, her friends from American University.”

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Aloysius Church. A reception will follow at the Country Club of New Canaan. 

NewCanaanite.com will update this article with details about arrangements as they are firmed up.