Garald "Gary" Lawrence

94 years

Pleasant Hill

Gary was born in North Dakota, the third of five children. His family moved west in their car during the Depression, and lived in Clatskanie, Westport, and Deer Island, Oregon. He was valedictorian of his small high school in Westport, and graduated from Willamette University.

Gary was a teacher: he lived in France and taught English for a year after college, he taught junior high school in Orinda (where he met Joan, who was getting her teaching credential), he taught acting to children (and acted in plays himself) at the Dramateurs/Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette, he taught elementary school students about honeybees.

Gary was a farmer: he raised chickens, rabbits, and honeybees, grew grapes and made wine, planted gardens of iris and sunflowers, and cultivated vegetables, fruit trees, flowers.

Gary gathered people together: his four siblings for annual trips to the coast, “geezer coffee,” pinochle players, retired Safeway co-workers, costumed “centipedes” for the Bay to Breakers, parishioners to act in plays at Church of the Resurrection (raising thousands of dollars for local charities over the years), and family vacations and reunions.

Gary was always active in his community, and even more so after he retired from Safeway in 1990, where he worked as a buyer for 26 years. He was especially involved at Resurrection: he was senior warden for many years, served on the Deanery and the Bishop’s Ranch Board, and was an active eucharistic minister and lector, serving the chalice two days before he died. He loved to welcome and include new people. He facilitated a French conversation group in San Francisco, and served on the Board of the Mount Diablo Beekeeper’s Association.

Gary loved so many things, including travel, celebrations, theater, music, his family, friends, and community.

Survived by his wife Joan, children Amy (Mary) and Tom (Cindy), granddaughter Amelia, sister Beverly, and many family members in Oregon and beyond. Pre-deceased by his beloved brothers Arbie, Max, and Ron.

Gary would say to us, even on the day he died, “Everything will be all right.”

Memorial service at Church of the Resurrection in Pleasant Hill on December 17, 2022 at 1 p.m. Livestream at: https://www.resurrectionph.or…

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