Gurvis LeRee “G.L.” Conner, longtime resident of Whitewater, died on March 8, 2013 at Mercy Memorial Hospital in Janesville.
G.L. was born in Matthews, Ind., on June 4, 1931 to Archie Wynehart Conner and Velmeta Cox.
His early years were spent in Eaton, Ind. He went to college for several years at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and attended Culver Military Academy during the summers.
He married Shirley Ann Conner in 1950 and began his professional career working as a billing clerk for Marhoefer Meat Packing Company.
He moved up the marketing ladder with increasingly responsible positions at Hygrade Foods and Georgia Pacific, and then ventured into the printing industry for several years as a part owner of Durham Printing Company in Muncie, Ind.
He returned to his roots in the meat packing industry in 1972 by moving to southern Wisconsin to work for Stoppenbach Meats in Jefferson. He wrapped up his career in 1986 as Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Jefferson Meats. At that time, he was solely responsible for obtaining the Domino and Pizza Hut accounts to provide pepperoni for the pizza industry, an accomplishment representing millions of dollars and ensuring the job security of hundreds of employees.
G.L. was an avid hunter and fisherman and is represented in both the Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young record books for trophy deer.
Besides his farm in Whitewater, his favorite place to spend several months every year was the Tasmania Hunting Club in Rhinelander, Wis., where he was a member for more than 30 years.
After Shirley, his wife of 52 years, died in 2002, G.L. was lucky to meet and spend his last nine years with Toni Remington of Genesee Depot, Wis.
G.L. is survived by Toni; a son, Nicholas Jay Conner of Biloxi, Miss.; a daughter, Louann Chaudier, of Eagle, Wis.; five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
G.L.’s eldest son, Scott LeRee Conner, of Racine, died in 2012.
A memorial service for the immediate family was held a few days after his death.
Nitardy Funeral Home assisted the family.
You are still missed greatly my friend. You were a great father and a great man.