K. Robert Conrad

K. Robert Conrad of Jonestown K. Robert Conrad, age 87, of Jonestown, PA, died on July 14 shortly after discharge to a nursing home frome Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He was preceded in death by his parents Kenneth Russell Conrad and Susan Elk Conrad and his sister Janet C. Anderson. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary Beth Conrad, and his sons Robert E. Conrad of Huntingdon Valley, PA, and Lawrence R. Conrad of McLean, VA and wife Mary McAteer and her daughter, Sara Daus, and grandson Thomas R. Conrad of Williamsburg, VA, his brother-in-law, William C. Anderson and wife Camilla S. of Elizabethtown, Pa. Mr. Conrad was born in Pittsburgh, PA. He lived in many different places growing up, attending at least twelve different schools from Baltimore to Marblehead, MA, graduating from high school in Mt. Penn, PA. He was drafted into the army in early 1946 and served as a training sarge at Camp Polk, LA, then ran an army radio station at Ft. Jackson, SC. He returned to Penn State where he was president of his fraternity and lettered in swimming. He graduated from the Yale School of Law and joined the Philadelphia law firm of Pepper, Hamilton and Scheetz where he was a partner and member of the executive committee. He left in 1981 to establish his own law firm, persuading Bill O”Brien to join him. Based on their combined trial experience and talents and the help of numerous other talented professionals they built Conrad O’Brien into one of the premier trial firms in the area. Mr. Conrad retired in 1990 after a diagnosis of stage four cancer and moved to his farm in Jonestown. His volunteer work was mostly in the field of health care. He served on the boards of three hospitals in Philadelphia --- Graduate Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital, and the Hospital of the University of PA where he served as Chairman of the board. He also served on the board briefly of the Child Guidance Center of Children’s Hospital of PA. He was also an original trustee of the Poole Health Care Trust in Allentown, PA. He lived for many years with very compromised health, having to give up his love of golf and fly fishing but continuing his voracious appetite for books and music. His farm, his family, and his German Shepherds were great soul mates. They were happy years. He leaves a huge hole. Memorial contributions if so desired may be made to Kencrest Residential Services, 502 W. Germantown Pike Suite 200, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. (Kencrest is a very fine 110 year old Montgomery County agency that services over 14,000 handicapped people in three states.)