Tony Larimer - a Utah actor, director and teacher who died Tuesday at the age of 79 - was a big man with big eyebrows and a bigger heart.

"He was incredibly loving. He was devoted to the arts and education. Those were his major passions in life," his son Tim Larimer told the Tribune's Roxana Orellana.

Larimer appeared with practically every major theater troupe in Utah, and in every genre. He also appeared in films shot in Utah, including "Baptists at Our Barbecue," "Stalking Santa" and "The Dance." And he taught for 31 years at Rowland Hall-St. Marks.

"He was the kind of presence that allowed you to think about doing important work," Nancy Borgenicht at Salt Lake Acting Company said. "So you could think about giving to the community 'Death of Salesman,' 'The Ride Down Mount Morgan,' 'The Road to Mecca,' 'Hysteria.' It's hard to think about how you would have done plays like that without him. We all would have been less for it."

A service of remembrance will be held at St. Mark's Cathedral, 231 E. 100 South, Salt Lake City, at 1 p.m. Saturday - followed by a party at the church, to celebrate Larimer's life.

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