Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

1937-2023

Toby Block Larsson, age 85, passed peacefully, February 06, 2023, in the company of family, and the caring staff at the Long-Term Care in Plains, Montana.

Toby was born December 15, 1937, to Maurice and Jean Drake Block in Bay Shore, New York. They were Ashkenazi Jew. After her completion of High School, her family moved to south Florida in the Ft. Lauderdale area.

In Ft. Lauderdale she met and married Frederick Franklin Lisenby, in December 1959. With this union she and "Fred" had two children, Arlene and Lance.

Toby moved to Gainesville in 1978 to be near her mother Jean. She attended the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College, where she received her bachelor's degree in nursing. She worked at Shand's as an operating room nurse in organ transplants. She also worked at the VA as a nurse. She was an RN.

Toby's heart had always yearned for an adventure in Montana. In 2010 her dream became a reality and she moved to Thompson Falls, with her niece Nikki Larsson and a small zoo of animals.

Toby wanted to share with her daughter Arlene the beauty she found here in Thompson Falls. So, in the summer of 2012 Arlene came for a vacation, and the following year she and her family moved to Montana to be with her and able to assist her.

In 2019 Toby experienced a severe stroke. After the blockage had been found, her right side had been affected by the stroke. After this she had several falls and eventually broke her left foot. She was sent for rehabilitation again, this time in Polson where she contracted COVID-19. This started Toby on a path of dementia.

Toby has remained in the care of the Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains since January 2021.

Toby has always had a special love, and wanted protection for our Native Americans, and the United States American Veterans. Another love of Toby's was animals. She'd save every animal if she could. She also loved wolves and wanted to protect them.

I first met Toby Larsson in 1977. I had started dating her daughter Arlene Larsson, not long after our family moved to Hollywood, Florida from Arkansas. I was raised by a very abusive stepfather. I would be beat-up, bruised, or bloody on most days. I never had an advocate before as I was growing up, but when I met Toby, she was strong, and fierce. I had never met a woman before that was so strong yet loving. She knew what I was going through and told me not to return home. I felt I had no choice but to go home, and again she reassured me that I'd be okay. She wouldn't let anything happen to me. From that day forward she protected me and saved me. – Matthew Lindsay, son-in-law. She was my hero.

Toby was preceded in death by both her parents, Maurice and Jean Block; her two older brothers, Albert, and Leonard Block. No other siblings.

Toby is survived by her

daughter, Arlene, and Matthew Lindsay of Thompson Falls; her son

Lance Larsson of Lakeland, Florida; her

granddaughters Rachel

(Wes) Hedahl of Thompson Falls and Nikki Larsson of Lakeland, Florida; and a grandson Zackary Lefleur of Lakeland, Florida. She also has two great-grandchildren, Jayden Anderson and Cadence Hedahl, both of Thompson Falls; and Ty and Johnny Hedahl, also of Thompson Falls.

Our family wants to thank the entire Long-Term Care staff for their love, care, dignity, and respect that was provided over the last 2 years for our mother. The care received was above and beyond expectations.