Lawrence Priest

Lawrence D. Priest VIRGINIA BEACH - Lawrence David Priest, 54, died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, in Portsmouth. He was born Jan. 9, 1955 in La Chapelle- Saint- Mesmin, France and grew up in the San Francisco area. He was the son of Benjamin F. Priest of Sunnyvale, Calif., and the late Patricia A. Lapado Priest. Larry entered the U.S. Navy in 1975 where he served on the USS George Washington, USS John Marshall, and the USS Jacksonville as a submarine chief petty officer and nuclear plant supervisor. He worked as a nuclear engineer at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for 19 years after earning his B.S. mechanical engineering degree at the University of Virginia in 1990. While working he earned an M.S. degree in administration from Central Michigan University and was adjunct faculty for Tidewater Community College for 19 years teaching HVAC technologies. He earned many awards from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. His love of teaching technology to others touched hundreds at his former 30- year combined Navy military and civilian positions and the teaching at Tidewater Community College touched hundreds of students. He was very interested in seeing all of his students succeed and would spend considerable extra time ensuring this would happen. Larry was one of the most caring human beings you would ever meet. He gave and gave all of himself totally to his family and never ever expected the same in return. He took care of his family more than one can imagine. Life was very short for Larry as he was only on this earth 54 years, but for some reason God had other plans for him that we will never understand. He will indeed be sorely missed by his family who loved him more than anything in the world and his friends from both the Norfolk Navy Shipyard and Tidewater Community College. There is nothing in the world he wouldn't do for them. There are so many wonderful stories of this great man that could fill a newspaper. Nothing meant more to Larry than his love for his three children and his fiancé, Melissa Newcomer, his soul mate and the love of his life for the past 12 years, as well as the presence of God in his life. In addition to his beloved Melissa, Larry is survived by two daughters, Holly Priest, 16, of Chesapeake and Alexandria Priest, 7, of Virginia Beach and one son, Austin Priest, 11, of Virginia Beach; his father, Benjamin F. Priest of Sunnyvale, Calif., and a sister, Laura Lane of Menlo Park, Calif. A funeral will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, in H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Virginia Beach, by the Rev. Grayson Leach, after which the family will receive friends until 9 p.m. The family will also receive friends at the funeral home today, Dec. 9, from 7 to 9 p.m. and Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. Burial will be private in the Eastern Shore Chapel Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to hdoliver.com.