Larry R. Sutcliffe

The life of any one person brings value to the world around them. Each soul touches the soul of another with significant or small glimpses of sunshine. A smile shared brings a moment of peace and a hope that the next moment will be good too. This is the value of meeting Larry Sutcliffe… on a corner as he passed by on his walk to the bus… or at Paradise Bakery in Pioneer Square as he helped with the tables… or at the grocery store or Dollar Tree. Strangers and friends alike knew a happy-go-lucky dear young soul had passed their way and their day was better for it.

Lawrence R. Sutcliffe was known as Larry to all – especially to his mother who named him Larry but the birth certificate was printed wrong. He was born at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, California March 26, 1945 to Edna Berniece (Rolland) Sutcliffe and George Raymond (Ray or Rakie) Sutcliffe. The family included a brother, Louis Martin (Louie or Lou) 6 years his senior and a sister, Carol Jean, 2 years older. They had moved from Grainfield, Kansas at the beginning of WWII so Ray could work as a sheet metal worker at Ryan, an aircraft manufacturer. Their new home was in Linda Vista in a cul-de-sac full of young families offering great fun playing together, visiting parks and the San Diego Zoo.

A move to Colorado created a chain of events… Edna and Ray owned “Edna’s Grocery” and the family lived in the back. Ray drove candy delivery truck for Curtis Candy up in the mountains around Boulder where they lived, and the kids got to go along sometimes. While there the kids saw snow for the first time and Carol was heard saying, “Mother, Mother, come quick – feathers are coming down.” There were all-day swims at the local swim center (all-day because the little ones could not swim… Louie was a great swimmer, even became a life guard) and sunburns were endured as a result. In 1951 a plan to move back to California began… but first a visit to family in Oregon meant a trip to the northwest.

The trip was fraught with so many car trouble incidents that all the cash was used up by the time they got to Oregon so, the family ended up living in Stayton, Oregon near a cousin Darlene. The folks worked in a bakery for a time and then the family moved to Milwaukie where Ray worked for Milwaukie Plywood. Camping and family gatherings were frequent activities and a healthy youth was enjoyed.

In 1953 a house was bought in Portland, Oregon and within a month of moving in things changed forever. Larry was following his brother (without his knowledge) across a trolley trestle. He heard a trolley coming and knew he couldn’t run across so he lay down and was hit by the trolley step, knocked into the creek 40 feet below, and he had a brain concussion, broken ribs, and a punctured lung. They were told he would never walk but he did and kept walking where he wanted to go up until the last few months of his life.

He attended second through fifth grades at Hosford School where there was a program for disabled children. He then again went to Duniway and graduated from Cleveland High School in 1964. There he was active with team sports and served as their manager and best fan. He’d been a Boy Scout, went to camps over the summer, and attended church on occasion.

Weekdays he would take Tri-Met to downtown Portland to help out at Paradise Bakery, often meeting Julie Zeller-Wiley for coffee and a nice chat. Other days he met Carol Wescott to catch up, as they had shared friendship since high school and even lived together 1 year and 1 week before she was killed by a car by his apartment.

He’d lived with his folks until their deaths then moved from Beaverton, OR to Meadow Creek Apartments in Tigard, where he lived until stroke and heart attacks, diabetes and leukemia changed his life. A room mate, Larry Shourds, was a big assistance until Larry’s last days in Compassion Care, an adult foster home in Beaverton, Oregon where he passed way on June 16, 2012. He is at rest with his parents at Skyline Memorial Gardens in Portland, Oregon. His dear young soul was shared frequently… maybe some cookies and a smile were offered too.

His mother Edna preceded him in death June 15, 2005, his father Ray died June 23, 1982, and his brother Lou passed October 1, 1999. He is survived by a sister Carol whose husband Jim died April 27, 2010 and they have two children... Teresa and Brian. Teresa is married to Steve and they have two children, Brandon and Nick and all live in Tigard, OR. Brian lives in Tigard and has two children, Breanna and Andrew. Lou had a family of three girls...Cynthia, Kimberly, and Jennifer and all live in California and each have two children.

The family will gather for a memorial at a later time. Memorial donations may be sent to Tigard Christian Church, 13405 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 to the Education Fund in his name.