Lawrence “Larry” Eugene Eager, 73, of Portland, died May 13. Larry will be buried at Hudson Cemetery in Rainier. A memorial service to celebrate and honor his life will be held this summer. Sunnyside Little Chapel of the Chimes in Portland is in charge of arrangements.
Larry loved to hunt deer and elk in the mountains of Eastern Oregon every autumn for much of his life.
He was born born Sept. 27, 1934, the only child of Ronald and Virginia Eager. Raised in Rainier, Larry was an accomplished athlete who, among other honors, earned first place in state competition related to his position on the Rainier High School football team. He married his childhood sweetheart, Kay Wise. They had two daughters, Christie and Laura. Some years after their divorce, he married Patricia Sorenson, and helped raise two stepchildren, Joyce and Dennis, in addition to his own daughters. Later, Larry and Pat divorced.
Larry served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959, stationed in Hawaii. He earned an associate’s degree in electronics from Oregon Technical Institute, now known as the Oregon Institute of Technology. He also earned his pilot’s license. Larry worked as a logger, electrical groundsman and construction laborer. He was a longtime member of the Laborers International Union of North America, Local 296, in Portland.
An avid outdoorsman, he loved scuba diving, flying, hunting, fishing, camping and skiing.
Larry is survived by his daughters, Christie Morris of Portland and Laura Tishmack of La Grande; stepchildren, Joyce Thorne of Hermiston and Dennis Thomason of Springfield, Ark.; former wives, Kay (Wise) Trumbo of La Grande and Patricia (Sorenson) Doney of Warrenton; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Larry was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia in 1985, and his father, Ronald in 2005.
La Grande Observer – May 29, 2008