Lawrence [Larry] Mark Conrad

30 January 1950 – 9 April 2025

Kind, patient, smart, strong and compassionate; Larry was an exceptional person.

He was the first child of Robert R. and Virginia F. Conrad. They recognized Larry’s intelligence at an early age and addressed it by simply telling his teachers to give him twice the amount of work they assigned to any of his classmates. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, Larry was a member of the National Honor Society.

He enlisted in the Army and expected to be sent to Viet Nam but the orders for his unit were changed, and he became an MP at a nuclear missile base in Germany. Larry said little about his time in the service and was uncomfortable when thanked for it because he felt he had gotten an easier assignment.

Using his GI Bill and working full time, he was able to attend college and still support his family.

His studies included two years as a ministry student, which ended after his divorce. Following graduation from U of 0, Larry moved to Portland. He began taking graduate classes in Urban Studies at PSU. It was in one of those classes that he met the true love of his life, Topaz.

After working as a city planner in Troutdale, he was soon hired by Columbia County. When a planning job came open, Larry contacted Topaz and convinced her to apply. They became the county’s planning team for two years.

Larry helped Topaz earn her master’s degree by patiently tutoring her through statistics. They worked all day, went to a night class at PSU, studied together and then Larry would drive back to St Helens to sleep.

Since the County had a rule forbidding staff dating, it was at the going away party for Topaz as she left for a new job that Larry announced their engagement, much to the surprise of the County staff and Board.

The date of their wedding was based on the date of the first public hearing they had staffed together. They invited everyone they had worked with plus all of their friends. The result was a large gathering of family, friends, colleagues, city, county and state politicians, all of whom left conflicts outside and just enjoyed a glorious day. Larry and Topaz wrote their own vows and included Kyr and Mana, the daughters they each brought from their former marriages, so the four of them became a family that day.

After their marriage, Topaz convinced Larry to become a full-time grad student. He worked as an assistant to one of the professors and they became lifelong friends. Later, he team-taught a class with another prof and that class won a national award.

A long-distance runner for 20 years, beginning in high school, Larry developed the mind set associated with that sport: pacing himself, focusing on the next hill and making one more push.

He ran regularly until the evening he fell downstairs while carrying his baby daughter, Victoria, and protected her at his own expense, an action that defined his character.

Post graduation with his master’s degree in urban planning, Larry’s career included working for the City of Portland, then the City of Beaverton before accepting a job as a planner with an international firm. He tired of the frequent trips that took him away from his family and decided to work locally, for Clackamas County.

Although his jobs involved long hours, Larry always found time for his family – they mattered more to him than anything else. He coached Victoria’s softball team for several years; he tutored Kyr in math and helped her care for her horse, even after it stepped on his foot, and he never missed a chance to visit Mana. KO joined the family later, so he and Larry made efforts to make up for lost time.

In addition, Larry served his community as the president of the Kerns Neighborhood Association, as a member of the Lloyd Lions Club and by being on the Board of REACH Community Development for 20 years. He was involved with their church, First Unitarian. He worked to raise funds for a playground at Buckman Elementary School. After Victoria graduated from Buckman and it became clear that a new middle school emphasizing the arts was needed,

Larry and Topaz were part of the group of parents that worked to create Da Vinci. The two of them shared a belief that a playground was needed in their immediate neighborhood, so they worked together to raise the funds. A group of neighbors joined them. Portland Public Schools agreed to allow it on the grounds at Da Vinci Middle School. Larry learned to drive a bobcat to dig out the area for the equipment and he was one of the volunteers who installed it.

Larry enjoyed reading, cooking, gardening and spending time with family and friends. The majority of his friendships were formed while participating with the Society for Creative Anachronism [SCA], a medieval reenactment group that he and Topaz enjoyed throughout their marriage. His volunteer hours with the SCA were noticed and resulted in several awards. He was scheduled for one of their highest accolades, however, when his health worsened the group leadership decided to present the award via a zoom call that was held just days before he died.

At least 50 people took time on a Monday morning to join that call, and many spoke of how much they appreciated Larry and enjoyed spending time with him.

Two decades ago, Larry was first diagnosed with cancer and beat it. Years later, he was diagnosed with a second type of cancer, one that required prolonged treatment to overcome it.

A new and very aggressive cancer was found last year. At first, it seemed that he would succeed once again and his long-distance runner approach led him to keep trying to make it up that hill, but this time his system was not strong enough to prevail.

After a week in the ICU, Larry wanted to go home. There, surrounded by his loving family, Larry died in the home he and his wife have shared for 45 years.

He was predeceased by his father, Robert Richard Conrad and his daughter, Jennifer Lee Conrad, during his first marriage.

He is mourned by his wife, Topaz Faulkner, his children: KO Foster [Lisa], Kyr Westwind [Marc], Mana Estrada [Russell] and Victoria-Raven Conrad, his grandchildren; Robert Conrad, Leo/Draco Westwind, Tamera Korpi, Sarah Foster [Carl], Scott Foster [Ali], Peterson Foster, and great-grandson Waylon; his mother, Virginia, siblings; Carol Berger [Ron], Janet McElhaney [George], Glen Conrad [Linda]; uncle Bob Strong, aunt Shirley Asher; nieces Andrea BergerGildea [Dan], Lisa Conrad and Helen Hastings; nephews Josh Berger [Tiffany], Jesse Berger [Kate], Michael [Heather] and David Conrad [Bridgitte], cousins; Linda Conrad, Greg Conrad, Scott Strong, Jeff Asher and Marie McFarland.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Larry’s name to one of the following nonprofits:

REACH Community Development, Proud Ground [a community land trust], Oregon Public

Broadcasting, All Classical Radio and National Public Radio.

Special Thanks to the Kaiser Hospice staff who provided the support needed to enable Larry to come home for the last time.