Irwin "Irv" Conner

Irwin G. Conner Wenatchee, WA Irwin “Irv” Gerhardt Conner, 70, a lifetime resident of the Wenatchee Valley died Saturday, August 20, 2011, after a valiant fight against brain cancer. He was the son of the late Dr. Charles Conner and his wife, Marthe (Irwin) Conner. He was born on February 13, 1941, in Wenatchee, WA. Irwin lived his life by “doing the right thing.” This attitude was reflected in everything he did from the way he served his clients for 42 years to the love he had for his family and friends. Irv embraced his life with energy, enthusiasm and empathy. He was raised and educated in Cashmere, WA. where he developed his personable, fun loving nature. Irv graduated from Cashmere High School in 1959, and went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Central Washington University in 1968. It was at Central where he met the love of his life Judy Lappier. Irv and Judy were married on November 30, 1969, in Wenatchee and they celebrated 41 years of marriage last fall. After college graduation, Irv began his career in Moses Lake with Quinn and Callahan. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1970. In 1976, after working with Al Cordell, Al and Irv formed the partnership Cordell and Conner. Irv and Judy are two of the forming members of Cordell, Neher & Co., PLLC, and Irv was a former Managing Principal. Each year since 1988, Cordell, Neher & Co. has reserved a weekday to close its office and devote a full day to serving the community. Irv was the leader on most of these ventures and as a consequence of that leadership received the WSCPA Vincent A. Gervais Award for Public Service, a statewide honor. Irv had several passions in life, but none greater than the love he had for his wife Judy and his dog Mollie. A close second was his love for fly-fishing. He traveled from the tip of Argentina at Tierra del Fuego to the northern reaches of Alaska doing what he loved best, fishing with his friends. His expertise with the spey rod was legend. Irv also derived much pleasure talking about fly fishing and encouraging young people to learn the sport. He served on the Washington State Council of The Federation of Fly Fishers Board of Directors, and he was the past president of The Wenatchee Valley Fly Fishers. Irv’s strong sense of community was part of everything he did. A native of the Cashmere area, Irv took great interest in maintaining the culture, education, and spirit of the community; this was reflected in all of his years of community involvement. He participated for 34 years as an integral part of the YMCA board. In the course of those years, Irv served as the Wenatchee YMCA Trustees President and as a YMCA Community Campaign Committee Member. He was a member (since1972) and past president of Cashmere Lions Club. He served on the Wenatchee Valley College Foundation Board of Directors beginning in 1997, and was the 2010 recipient of the Harvey Award. He was part of the Founding Board of Directors for Wenatchee Rebuilding Together. He and Judy were the Co-Chairs for the successful Nurses for Tomorrow Fundraising Campaign receiving the Spirit of AZ Wells award from the Central Washington Hospital Foundation. He was a past Board Member and Finance Committee Chair for the Wenatchee Golf and Country Club. In 2004, Irv was inducted into the Cashmere High School “Wall of Fame.” A faithful steward of his talents, Irv served Grace Lutheran Church as Budget and Finance Committee Chairman and as Church Council member. Irv had many gifts. He even ran a marathon. Irv had a great and contagious sense of humor; he could put a smile on anyone’s face. He was always ready to share a good joke with co-workers and friends alike. His survivors include his wife, Judy, and their dog Mollie of their home in Wenatchee, WA. He is also survived by his brother Phil Conner; “daughter” Elly Gellatly (Marv); brother-in-law Chuck Dunham; three nieces and nephews, Debbie Larsen (Ryan), David Dunham (Kim), and Randy Conner; and four Godchildren, Christa Scott-Reed (Kevin), Courtney Woolett Tassone (Tim), Kim Breznikar and Amy Breznikar. A Celebration of Irv’s Life will be conducted at 11:00 AM on Friday, August 26, 2011, at Grace Lutheran Church, 1408 Washington Street, Wenatchee. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the YMCA, the Community Foundation of NCW, or a charity of the giver’s choice.

Tributes

Irwin "Irv" Conner

February 13, 1941 - August 20, 2011