SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Charles Thomas Lauritsen, 78, died unexpectedly on Oct. 3, 2026, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Tom was born on Aug. 31, 1948, in Santa Monica, Calif.
Tom was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, a master carpenter and builder, a politician and environmentalist, and a resolute pacifist.
Tom and Kathleen co-founded Studio Time and Space in downtown Springfield, a nonprofit community space for yoga, meditation, and dance.
He is survived by his wife, Kathleen O’Donnell, of Springfield, Vt.; his children, Ramlah Lauritsen, of Springfield, Vt., Mathew Lauritsen, of Portland, Ore., and Seth Lauritsen, of Chester, Vt.; his stepson, Miles O’Donnell; his first wife, Neomi (Meixner) Lauritsen; his son-in-law, Jason Leonard, and daughter-in-law, Melissa Nelson; his grandchildren, Ezra and Asa Leonard, Charles and Mary Chakmakian, and Sophia and Ciaran Lauritsen; and other relatives, chosen family, and many friends, including lifelong family friends Steve and Truddi Greene.
He loved us, and we loved him.
Family and friends will gather at a later date to be announced. Knight Funeral Home in Windsor, Vt., is handling arrangements.