Lawrence James Pereira, known to friends and family as Larry, passed away on February 4 after a brief illness at the age of 87.
Larry was born in Sioux City, Iowa and grew up in the Santa Clara Valley in California before moving to Dorris in 1973 with his wife of 66 years, Frances Pereira, where he farmed grain and alfalfa. He was a pioneer of organic farming, and dedicated to wildlife conservation, while serving Butte Valley and the surrounding areas on many Agricultural Boards. His beautiful farm in Butte Valley, PBM Farms, and later L&F Farms, has been in production for over 50 years. He served with distinction in the United States Army, where he was a radar technician, and played a lot of baseball.
Larry was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish and was an active member in the NRA and Ducks Unlimited. He enjoyed reeling in Steelhead and trout on the Rogue River, and fishing from his boat on Medicine, Juanita, and Klamath Lakes. He enjoyed hunting in Nevada and Idaho, and even guided hunts in Idaho, while spending time in the beauty of nature. He was a regular visitor to the Worden Cafe where he enjoyed keeping up with local events. He loved to vacation with his family at Disney resorts in Hawaii and Orlando, especially at Animal Kingdom, where he could watch giraffes and zebras from his balcony.
Larry is survived by his wife, Frances Lee Pereira of Dorris, CA daughter and son-in-law, Zeline and John Luhman of Wake Forest, NC, his granddaughter, grandson in-law and great-granddaughter Serena, Mike and Gabriella Bazemore of Wake Forest, NC, his niece Debbie Bell of Roseburg, OR and her children, Jason and Nicole, as well as many devoted friends including the late Don Black, a long time farming partner, Sam Henzel, Gene Kelley, Frank Agusto, and other extended family.
Memorial services will be held at Picard Cemetery on February 12, 2022 at 2:00PM. Donations can be made to the American Heart Association.