Larry Stratton

Larry Stratton, 82, of Unity, died on September 14, 2023 at Pioneer Place Assisted Living in Vale, Oregon.  A Traditional Funeral Service will be held on Monday, September 25, 2023 - 11:00 a.m. at the Unity Cemetery.  Friends are invited to join the family for a reception to be held immediately following at the Unity Community Center.

Larry Dean Stratton was born to Tot Genevive Burnside and Homer Ray Stratton May 21, 1941 in Prairie City, Oregon.   Larry spent most of his years growing up in Unity and attended Unity Grade School and graduated from Hereford High School. While in his grade school and high school years he won many awards and participated in sports. He would go to the family farm in the Mount Vernon area and help out on many occasions.

He worked as a surveyor for a time and then attended college in LaGrande where he studied drafting. He said he was known as a jack of all trades and a master at none. He was known in the family for his drawings and charts.

Larry came home to work with his parents to run Stratton’s Store and the tire shop. The tire shop was definitely not his favorite thing. He loved to visit with everyone that came into the store and he loved to tease the children that came in, and if he didn’t tease them, they would remind him that they were there. One of them used to call him “Lollydean”.

 He loved Unity and its citizens. He was the driving force to Unity becoming a city and became its first Mayor and Fire Chief. Larry was proud that he never missed a city council meeting in 14 years! He loved to hunt and enjoyed when family came to town to stay and hunt with him. He used to impress us kids with his “Dagwood” sandwich making skills. He hated H2O, as he called it and vegetables but loved iced tea any time of the year. Larry loved to tell his stories of growing up and life in the Burnt River Valley to anyone that would listen. He was a pillar in the Unity community and will be greatly missed.

He was preceded in death by parents Tot and Homer Stratton; sister Betty Lee Stratton; brother Richard Ray Stratton; brother-in-law Kenneth Kelly Taylor and Dorothy Lorene Bradford.

He is survived by his nieces and nephews; JoLinn Hoover, Chris Stratton, Pam Stratton, Yvonne Taylor, Toni Taylor and Kyle Stratton; Bonus daughter Patricia Bradford and many great and great-great nieces and nephews.

For those who would like to make a memorial donation in honor of Larry, he suggested the Carrie Young Memorial through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services PO Box 543 Halfway, Oregon 97834.  Online condolences may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com