Lars Berglund
November 15, 2015

"So many nice things have been said and written about Lars in the past few days and all of them are true and deserved. What hits me is that I have been hearing these same type of comments about Lars and have witnessed the same level of respect and affection for years. Such unanimity about a person is rare. Lars was a top leader and an incredible asset for Ericsson. Every single characteristics you read about when it comes to great leaders... he had them all: passion, energy, compassion, intelligence, curiosity, dedication, focus, discipline, consistency, ethics and human values. All check marked. A true reference on how to lead and how to live. Thank you Lars for everything, I feel privileged to have known you and have worked closely to you in the past 5 years."

"Lars was a great colleague. He came to Ericsson the US in 1995, where he worked in R&D before I met him when he joined my team back in 2001 . He quickly impressed me with his attention to details, and I have always said he was one of the best Project Managers I have ever worked with! He moved on to bigger roles within the organization and took a Director role for a complete department in CSI, which he ran and grew for many years and where he was appreciated by all of his team. For those of us who had the chance to work with him side by side, we knew that he would always make the right decisions and never back down from what he felt was right. One of his best traits as a leader was his utmost confidence in his team. He expected everyone to give their best no matter what but he would also always back up his team. So I am sure I speak for everyone in Ericsson when I say that you could not wish for a better colleague or manager than Lars. For me he was a lot more than just a colleague, he was a close friend. I always appreciated him for being there for me, to give support when times were tough, but also to celebrate and cheer on when things went well. We grew close over the years we spent in Ericsson together and came to rely a lot on each other. One thing about Lars is that he was never selfish, always true to his beliefs, as an Ericsson employee and as friend. Lars and I had a lot of discussions in our daily job when we would exchange ideas and advice each other, but also about life outside of work. We often talked about photography, which is a hobby we both had a passion for. I have never met anyone with an as impressive lens collection as Lars has. Our heart and thoughts goes out to Lars family in this difficult time but even though we miss him he will live on in our hearts and memory. I know everyone here with us today, who knew Lars, will always remember him for the great person he was, positive, supportive and always full of energy. Finally I want to say a few words in Swedish for his family in Sweden. Till Lars familj I Sverige vill jag säga att han var respekterad och mycket omtyckt av sina kolleger. Ericsson var en stor del av Lars liv och han kommer att vara saknad, av alla de som jobbade med honom och för honom. For mig personligen var han var en av mina bästa och äldsta vänner sedan jag kom till Texas och fick förmånen att lära känna honom. Vi kom att prata om mycket, inte bara om jobbet utan även de hobbies som vi delade, fotografering, bilar och annat. Lars kommer att vara saknad men jag och alla på Ericsson , kommer att minnas honom som den positiva person han var, full av idéer och energi."

"Hello everyone I am Parvin Stiles with my husband Mitch and I am Lars? sister in law. From all of our family we thank you for sharing your stories here and coming today to celebrate Lars. Lars traveled a long way from his home town of Hudiksvall Sweden but as we all like to say he arrived in Texas as soon as he could. We met Lars 18 years ago when Sarah first brought him to a restaurant to introduce him to our family. She was so eager for him to meet the family after a few short weeks of dating. We could tell there was already chemistry and a spark between them. And so it was. He was a man of many talents. He was a dedicated cook. He loved to grill on the outside barbeque, and experimented there with grilled vegetables sautéed with olive oil. Now a family standard. His Swedish meatballs were a holiday staple. He was a man who had resources and could get things done. When we all got together to paint our folks new home in Frisco, he showed up with all this equipment and big tall ladders. Stuff that he owned and acquired to maintain his own home. Everything we needed he had. He was known around the family for having the Best Toys, Right after he married, his Kawasaki 750 showed up in my garage for storage while he put it up for sale . We knew where to barrow a massive GPS driven telescope to lug out to Big Bend and view the heavens. He brought his dirt bikes to family picnics and let all the nephews ride. My kids just loved that. The nephews loved his theatre room. Greatest place to play hide and seek and Playstation. I hope the nephews returned the borrowed games. He had great toys to go with his great and generous heart. He was a cool guy. He was handsome, friendly, respected, helpful and great to be around. The nicest person. He was deeply cherished by our whole family. He made so much of his time in between. We will remember him forever young."

"We lived similar lives. We invested our time in engineering careers and he worked very hard to progress and grow professionally. We married sisters. We built houses in Plano to bring up our kids. Thanksgiving at our house, Christmas at his house, all the families attended. He had a Honda mini van. We had a Honda mini van. He watched Fox News, I watched MSNBC. Well, not everything was similar. We did live similar lives, I saw what he did, I know what he felt and what was most important to him. This is our message to Elizabeth and Erik. Please know this - together, you are his legacy. You are his pride and joy, his motivation in life. Know your dad didn?t just love you - but he adored you. Everything he did, he did for you. Now everything he was - is now you. And as long as you live so too will a part of your dad. You two are what?s left ? his true and lasting legacy. His blood is your blood. His effort shaped you. His spirit for life is in you. As long as you remember him he will stay alive in your hearts. Love those memories ? which may haunt you now. Your success and happiness in life will be his. Be sad that he is gone but rejoice that he was. That he gave you so much."

"I am still dazed when I think Lars is no longer among us. I got to know Lars in my early days at /// around 1996, when he became my manager. On my first job and fresh out of grad school, I found Lars to be a charismatic leader and a great mentor. He taught me many lessons in leadership and people management. His humility and genuine care for his team and employees were touching. The whole department was invited to his wedding in downtown Dallas, a memorable event and even there, he was a complete host. He & Sarah posed patiently for pictures with each and every colleague and their family! Lars was a unique powerhouse of technical and managerial talent and handled everything with calm confidence and pragmatism. He will be sorely missed as a friend and leader. I regret not having been in touch with him for many years since I left ///. I will miss his charming smile and will cherish the years I worked with him. Rest in Peace, Lars. I wish his family the strength to get through this difficult time. His legacy will live on through all the people whose lives he touched, who had the good fortune of knowing him, working with him and learning from him."

"Parisa and I are very sad to hear of the passing your husband. I can only imagine how difficult this can be for you and your children. You are in our thoughts and prayers and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. We extend our deepest sympathy to your and your family. Warm regards, Arash Tirandaz"

"Lars was a true gentleman who would go out of his way to help his colleagues. Once he simply over heard we had difficulty in a project and he went out of his way to connect us to the right people who could help. It is simple moments like this one that prove the worth of a man. He is a big loss to us in Ericsson and even greater loss to his family and friends. We'll miss him."

"I had the privilege of initially meeting Lars in the early 2000s when I started at Ericsson. I worked on several challenging projects with him, and he struck me with his ability to simplify the situation and support the people around him. To me personally, he provided me with mentorship, encouragement and guidance. All things I take with me today as I in turn provide the same to others. Lars was one of those people that made Ericsson a great place to work. He truly was a nice guy."

"Lars was always very helpful and supportive, and I personally had the highest respect for him, as a collegue but also as a very decent person who always balanced the many demands in a calm and thoughtful way. We also had some fun along that way while doing some big projects and in his many years working at Ericsson, he built a great team that will surely miss him."

"After college graduation in 2007 when I joined Ericsson Lars was one of my first managers in the corporate world ever, and to this point I have never met a person as professional, just, respectable and knowledgeable as Lars. Even after moving on to different teams through my career whenever i contacted Lars to understand something he always spend as much time as needed to coach me, he was a great teacher too. It was extremely difficult news to hear about Lars not among us anymore. His dealings with his team were so truly coherent and meaningful that I even remember my first ever conversation with him to date. A lot of us will remember Lars as an inspiration for learning certain traits in our personalities such as dedication, intellectual honesty and fair treatment. There are very few people who will always be remembered in good words and whose remembrance will always bring something motivational and progressive in one?s mind; Lars is unquestionably one of those few people."

"Lars was always very helpful and had an amazing ability to get things done. I can't think of a moment when I saw him angry or upset with someone. He will be missed at Ericsson by all of us. My deepest sympathies to his family."

"Lars was a great leader, a man of character, principle and compassion. He knew everyone by name and was always kind to everyone around him. I was very blessed to be working in his organization. My thoughts and prayers are with your family, relatives and friends during this difficult time. May the peace from God be with your family and may you rest in peace."

"I had the pleasure of working with the E// Prepaid team for several years as a customer (Cingular) when Lars was a new father. I had recently come from a vendor background, and related more to the tight-knit E/// family. Lars was such a nice guy, such a "baby-faced" sweet gentle man and gentleman. I admit I teased him unmercifully, reddening his face and causing a smirk. It wasn't really a meeting until I got him to laugh out loud. What a joy that was. My heartfelt sympathy is with his lovely family, wife and undoubtedly wonderful children for whom Lars was undoubtedly bursting with pride. Look for his light in the shine of the moon, feel his touch in the sway of a warm breeze and hold him forever whole in your hearts."

"I met Lars at Ericsson when he moved to US from Canada. We both worked on the software development projects for TSS in AXE. Lars has very soon shown his ability to work with different things and was good at any thing he did. Lars was specially good at the leadership and was busy with a lot of responsibilities but he always found time to talk to the people who he has known or worked with. Lars always talked proudly about his children and the happy family he has. Lars will be missed by many people. He left us but his spirit will always be with us who got to know or meet him."

"I met lars at RunOn during my marathon training program. I could instantly tell how calm, thoughtful and a very committed runner he is. I've had several runs with him discussing several things from healthy eating, kids, energy efficiency etc,. He is the kind of person that one can easily carry a conversation, I was privileged to have spent the few hours of his life till the days to his departure. Your departure had left a long lasting mark in our hearts, our coach named our Saturday runs in his memory (Lets All Run Saturday) and he will be remembered for a long time to come. May all the strength and courage be with your family."

"We are so sorry for you loss Sarah, Elizabeth and Erik. We wish to express our sincerest sympathies and condolences. God Bless you all. Margaret and Stan"

"Lars was my brother in law. He was super nice, very polite and very smart. He was a solid guy. He worked hard, he played hard and he loved his family. I never saw him smoke or drink except wine at social gatherings. He enjoyed outdoor activities, and I was amazed by the amount of bicycles and dirt bikes he had for himself and his kids that he kept in his garage. He loved life and stood for all the good things we admire. I went for a meeting at Ericsson this week, and realized I could not drop by and say hello. It has hit me hard. He was in good health, this has totally caught me by surprise. He was a rock of stability in his family and his extended family, the sort of person you could always rely upon, the sort of person you expect to always be there. He was tender-hearted too. I remember a story he told where he was with his son Eric and they saw a small frog. Kids being what they are Eric bolted over and stomped on the Frog. Lars shouted "Eric... no." As Lars was telling the story he stopped and said "I am a grown man, but that really hurt me, I felt sorry for that frog.""

"Lars was my brother in law. He was super nice, very polite and very smart. He was a solid guy. He worked hard, he played hard and he loved his family. I never saw him smoke or drink except wine at social gatherings. He enjoyed outdoor activities, and I was amazed by the amount of bicycles and dirt bikes he had for himself and his kids that he kept in his garage. He loved life and stood for all the good things we admire. I went for a meeting at Ericsson this week, and realized I could not drop by and say hello. It has hit me hard. He was in good health, this has totally caught me by surprise. He was a rock of stability in his family and his extended family, the sort of person you could always rely upon, the sort of person you expect to always be there. He was tender-hearted too. I remember a story he told where he was with his son Eric and they saw a small frog. Kids being what they are Eric bolted over and stomped on the Frog. Lars shouted "Eric... no." As Lars was telling the story he stopped and said "I am a grown man, but that really hurt me, I felt sorry for that frog.""

"I had the oppportunity to know Lars as my manager back in 2007/2008. I remember him as a man of good character. He always looked at the big picture, coached me well on my job, and helped me in my significant career move. He taught principles and lived by princples. Lars, you willl be missed."

"Lars first joined our group in July 2014. His original plan was to run the half at the Dallas Marathon, but it wasn't long before he caught the "bug" and changed to the full marathon-training group. He was a disciplined runner with good form and was often out in the front leading the group - in fact our coach frequently used the phrase "Lars engaged the jet pack" when referring to him in email summaries of our long runs. He progressed quickly and, by Spring of this year, had moved up two pace groups. We recall his humility to run with our group though we all saw his speed. He wanted to learn from others and acknowledged that, although he could be faster, he had never before run the distances we had. In this latest class, Lars had become a group mentor helping to train others. Some of the fond memories about Lars that we share: - His smile after he was comfortable enough to make his first joke with the group; - After our first 13 mile run together, learning that he had just completed his longest distance since serving in the military more than 20 years ago; - How, after running with the group in Dallas due to a conflict, he commented that he liked running with them because the coach was strict. We joked that we would have to arrange a shared custody plan because we did not like the idea of sharing him with another group; - Discussing U.S. politics and last year's Scottish secession movement; - Lars talking about how much he enjoyed hiking and mountain biking with family in Colorado last summer; - His pride when talking about his son learning to shoot and hunt; and, - Being able to sense how proud he was of his daughter when he talked of her learning to drive. He completed his first half marathon, the DRC Half, in November 2014 in 2:13:40.1 and his first marathon, the Dallas Marathon in December of last year in 4:45:11. In May of this year he completed the Stockholm Marathon in 4:49:36. Lars Berglund - runner, marathoner, mentor and friend. Run on Lars, run on!"

"I hired Lars to join our team in the U.S., and he immediately became a rising star in our organization. His knowledge and abilities were greatly valued, but even more importantly, Lars was just a real pleasure to work with, truly a real team person who valued others and brought the best out in them. Such an incredibly nice guy. I am very saddened by your loss. He will be greatly missed."

"I first met Lars at a family wedding at South Fork Ranch when I was nine years old. As my cousins and I were running around the ranch house causing mayhem, we spotted Lars and our Aunt Nastaran sitting in a secluded spot. I didn't know what was happening, but I remember feeling like I was witnessing something special between them. I never forgot that, and more than 10 years later I learned that that was the night that Lars proposed to Sarah. Lars's love for his wife and for his children was a truly genuine and special thing to be a part of, and for that our family held him dear."

"This news came as a shock and still can not believe it. Lars you will be missed! A consummate professional. My deepest condolence to the family."

"I first met Lars in Spring 1996 when Cindi Fitzerald hired me. He was my PM many times, office neighbor and boss for a short time. With his smile, he pretty much got anything done. He once called me Mr. Cyclic Restart, I still relish that joke. During 1998 world cup soccer, newly married at that time, his favorite joke was which team to support. Back in the days of hard copies and large printouts, I have rarely seen a PM's desk that organized. He was the ultimate gentleman. I shall remember his kindness on more than one occasion; once he let me fly home on one-hour vacation notice, on the same afternoon. Now I can only pray for him and his family."

"I'm chocked and sad to hear that Lars died at so early age. I first met Lars in Montreal back in 1994 when he came over to Ericsson as a swedish consultant. We became very good friends and visited niagara falls but also went on vacation to Venezuela. I also remember when we watched the USA world cup match between Sweden and Russia on midsummers eve at his place on cresent street. Lars moved on to Dallas and I followed him a year or so later where we became neighbours in Preston. I remember the lovely wedding downtown Dallas. The last time I saw Lars was in Dublin 1999. Rest in peace Lars."

"I got to work for Lars shortly after joining Ericsson and he really helped me and my team through the transition. He went out of his way to establish relationships within our new organization and made us feel welcome as part of his team. He provided clear direction and motivation for our group while demonstrating that he cared about us as individuals. His passion for doing things right is inspirational."

"I got to know Lars about 10 years ago at Ericsson. Although we did not work together long, I had the highest respect for him. I still vividly remember his charming smile that was so powerful to get things done, his calmness during difficult situations, his thoughtfulness that was dear to people's heart and his pride when he talked about his family. Lars, we will miss you! May the peace and courage with your family."

"I had the privilege to work directly for Lars for the past three years in Ericsson. Lars was a consummate professional who respected the boundaries of every person, their time, and the work they produced. A few of us had nicknamed him "Mr. Fair Share" because of how fair and just he was. Lars was very passionate about his work and extremely resourceful, he just knew how to get things done. One of his best traits as a leader was his utmost confidence in his team. He expected everyone to give their best under any circumstance. Once I asked Lars what his name meant, he replied with his characteristic smile.. he said it means GREAT. Thats who he really was.. a great man, a great leader and great mentor. I thank you for taking the time to coach me and for always believing in me. You will be missed very much, Lars. My deepest condolences to Sarah, Elizabeth and Erik. Rest in Peace, Lars."

"I have known Lars for 12 years and has been working with him in different capacity as the PM, Program Manager and Competence Director. He is always genuine, gentle, humble and treat everyone fairly. I'm really sad that he is leaving so soon. Lars. RIP and you are always remember."

"I knew Lars for the past 18 years (since 1997 when I joined Ericsson). Since then Ericsson has moved cities and we have changed many buildings but coincidentally we stayed in same buildings close to each other for year and years. I am currently sitting in the same area as Lar?s desk and saw him till his last day at work.. He looked perfectly fine which is making it even harder to accept this.. Several years back I accompanied Lars to Germany on a business trip and have very good memories from that trip. He was an honest, hard-working and intelligent man who took extra care of his colleagues and people around him. He was a man of principles and integrity who always gave his best to life and work. As I walked in my work area and passed by his empty desk I remembered the projects, challenges and issues we worked on together and realized the sad end to them? it is hard for me to believe that he is not here anymore.. and that I won?t be able to see him. It was a privilege to know him and to work with him. He will always be missed and remembered. May he rest in peace and may God grant his family the patience to bear with this enormous loss.."

"I ran with Lars often on Saturday. He kicked my butt. We will miss him for sure."