Conrad "Connie" Hayden LaRoe - November 20, 1937 ~ April 2, 2022 (age 84)

[Tom Estes]

On April 2, Conrad Hayden LaRoe passed away after a long illness from a stroke in 2010. Connie's loving wife, Diane (Wygrys) (BHS '61) was at his bedside. Connie, in his early years, worked with his Father as a Promoted Engineer on the Texas-Mexican Railroad. For 15 years he worked for Natural Gas Pipeline and then started LaRoe Backhoe Service until retiring. Connie spent time ranching in Duval County. His life was very active and he and his wife (Diane) spent their married life of 57 years traveling the Country. Fishing was a big part of their lives as they fished in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean. Their favorite fishing spot was Cabo San Lucas, where they spent several of their vacations. He took up bowling and golfing. Many trips were made to Myrtle Beach where he and Diane participated in the World Am Golf Tournament, finishing in the top ten more than once. Connie was the longest -term member of the Corpus Christi Bucarader Parade Officials. During his 55-year term, he was elected Parade Marshal. Connie slowed down in the last ten years because of his stroke, but continued to attend all the bowling tournaments entered by Diane. They traveled 37 consecutive years to attend these tournaments. Connie had a smile on his face pretty much all of the time and loved to tell jokes. Those that knew him will attest that they heard his jokes more than once. Unfortunately, the stroke pretty much wiped his memory of these jokes from his mind, but many of our friends would come and tell him jokes and he started building them back up in his memory.
Surviving Connie is his wife, Diane of 57 years; his sisters, Katherine Stine Jacobs, and Stephanie Peters (Donald,); brother- in- law, Lester Wygrys (BHS '58) and fiance, Diane Parker; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A graveside service was held on Thursday, April 7, 2022 at at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery.