Lorin W. Culver

Lorin W. Culver, of Silver Spring, Maryland, passed away on Sunday, July 2, at the age of 58, after a ten-month battle with inoperable brain cancer and its complications. Lorin was born in 1965 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to Willard M. and Emily R. Culver (born Groeschel). He spent his childhood and adolescence in La Crosse and on his maternal grandparents’ farm in Stoddard, where he loved to hike along the bluffs. He went to Longfellow Middle School and Central High School, and in addition to swimming at Central, he also continued his study of the violin with his beloved teacher, Mr. Elder, and played in the UW-Lacrosse orchestra. Later he took up competitive cycling and could often be seen riding along the county roads. He worked in various jobs, most memorably helping loyal customers at National Video in the Village Shopping Center in the mid 1980s. After a brief enrollment at UW-La Crosse, Lorin left Wisconsin to enroll at Arizona State University in Tempe.

Upon graduating in 1992 with a degree in landscape architecture, Lorin moved with several college friends to Berkeley, California, to begin his career. In 1996 he met his future husband, Jorge J. Bravo III, and in 2003 they celebrated their commitment to one another at All Souls Episcopal Church in Berkeley. In 2006 they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they lived for six years before moving to Silver Spring. It was in Maryland that Lorin found his passion for a new career as a residential real estate agent. His eye for detail, his unflagging work ethic, his attentiveness to his clients, his integrity, and his warm and charming personality all combined to propel him to success. He was regularly named a top agent in his Bethesda office of Coldwell Banker, and in the last two years was honored as an elite producer in the DC metropolitan area and the broader mid-Atlantic region.

Throughout his life, Lorin enjoyed nature and the outdoors, and he loved to stay fit. In recent years he turned to running more than cycling, and in 2018 he trained for and ran in the Marine Corps Marathon, followed by the Army Ten-Miler in the next year. He had a sparkling personality and an infectious, deep laugh that filled every room. He was an avid learner, loving to read books, listen to NPR, and watch documentaries, internet videos, and podcasts.

Together with his husband, he enjoyed good food and drink and the opportunity to travel. From their early years in California they would taste wine in Napa and Sonoma Counties, hike around Lake Tahoe, and travel up and down the California coast. Trips to spend time with family in Wisconsin, Louisiana, and elsewhere were annual traditions, including a weeklong beach vacation in Florida. They also took frequent trips abroad, including to Puerto Vallarta, London, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Bilbao, Barcelona, Athens, and other parts of Greece. With his passion for cycling, Lorin was a longtime fan of the Tour de France, and a particular highlight of his travels was watching three successive days of the race in Amiens and Normandy in July 2015.

The final ten months of life after Lorin’s initial diagnosis were hard, but full of love and not without moments of happiness, and his husband and family wish to thank all the doctors, nurses, and other staff, especially those at Montcare at Bethesda, for doing all they could to treat him and make him comfortable. Heartfelt thanks also go to all the friends and family who visited him or sent gifts, cards, and well wishes throughout his illness. They always brought him good cheer.

In addition to his loving husband and parents, Lorin is survived by his sister, Amy, wife of Josh Connaughty, and his niece and goddaughter Avah Connaughty, of Stoddard, Wisconsin; and by many aunts, uncles, and cousins, in addition to the extended family he gained through his marriage.

A celebration of Lorin’s life will take place on August 12, from 1:30-4:00 pm, at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home in Silver Spring, Maryland. There will also be a private celebration for Lorin’s close family and invited guests in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on August 5. Donations in Lorin’s memory may be made to the National Park Foundation, whose mission was close to his heart, or to any charity fighting the scourge of cancer.