Lawrence Mark Sobel

Lawrence (Larry) Sobel, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, father-in-law, brother-in-law, cousin, died on December 15, 2024 in Portland, OR. at the age of 84.
Larry was born in Newark, New Jersey on June 11, 1940, to Mort and Betty (Kotzen) Sobel and was the oldest of 4 children. They were a close-knit, hardworking, Jewish family, with both sets of grandparents emigrating from Lithuania and settling in New York. Larry grew up in Easton, PA, alongside his 3 siblings while his father worked at the plastics factory company he founded making molds for Crayola crayons and patented the Dixie cup dispensers, and his mother Betty campaigned several times for Easton City Council. Colorful stories were often heard of all the antics he did that would exasperate Larry's teachers in class, and the windows he would inadvertently break with tennis balls while he practiced his serve against his elementary school building. He was an avid tennis player throughout his childhood, played several musical instruments including the clarinet and piano, and was a skilled Chess player. All those broken windows apparently paid off, as his Senior year of high school he won the Pennsylvania Tennis State Championship in 1958. This in part lent itself to a lifetime interest in following tennis, which is shared by many members of the Sobel family.
He would be the first to say he didn't inherit his father's technical savviness or had the most street smarts, but he made up for that in philosophical perspectives, sense of humor, and charismatic people skills. He was a brilliant scholar, relocating to Cambridge, Massachusetts for the next 7 years upon his acceptance to Harvard College. In 1962, he then continued his studies at Harvard Law School, and graduated in 1965 with his law degree.
In 1965, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, and it was there on the USAF base in Fort Worth Texas at the Officer's Club in 1967 that he met his opposite attraction and future wife Marylee, who was there with the USAF on a government internship program. They got engaged in 1968, while Larry then served in combat during the Vietnam War for the next year. Upon his return from Vietnam, they were married on Aug 9, 1969 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and spent the next 55 years together in a loving partnership that everyone who knew them agreed were the perfect pair.
In 1970 Larry and Marylee moved to the Washington DC area when Larry got his first job as a US Capitol police officer while he studied to take the bar exam. He then worked for multiple federal government agencies in the DC metro area, including Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Health and Human Services, (HHS), and later the Hillary Rodham Clinton Health Care Task Force. He also attended George Washington University in Washington DC and received his Juris Doctorate (JD) degree of law.
It was while they were living in Potomac Maryland that their 2 children were born, Andrea in 1972, followed by Peter in 1975. Soon after, they moved to Oakton, Virginia and lived there from 1977-2004, raising their children, taking many memorable family vacations, and celebrating countless milestones and holidays.
During these years, Larry was a dedicated runner, training for and running in 4 marathons, all completed under 4 hours. He also discovered tai chi, and came back to this practice on and off for the remainder of his life, reading many books and always learning more about the art of zen that he incorporated into his daily life. And with shared longtime friends, Larry and Marylee purchased a beach cottage in the Outer Banks NC that became a beloved vacation home for many years to spend long weekends and holidays together. Larry was a devoted Washington Redskin fan and attended several games in the team's heyday in the 1980's, enjoyed supporting the cultural opportunities the DC area provides, and planned several family trips that sometimes resembled the Griswald family vacations at times, complete with musical soundtracks in the long car rides, bad Dad jokes and philosophy musings, and even suitcases that that accidentally fell off the luggage roof rack.
It was also during this time that he was working for the U.S. Department of Defense and was employed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Miraculously, he and many others were working at satellite offices at that time, because the portion of the building where the plane hit was in large part vacated due to that particular section of the Pentagon being renovated. It is estimated that hundreds, possibly thousands, of lives were spared that day due to this renovation occurring at the Pentagon on 9/11.
After his retirement from the federal government in 2003, Larry and Marylee relocated to the Minneapolis area, to be closer to Marylee's family, whose parents, sisters, cousins, have all resided. They lived there for 14 years, reconnecting with many extended relatives and enjoying excursions to several midwest locales. He and Marylee enjoyed the arts and lake areas of the Twin Cities, and Larry eventually adopted the Minnesota Vikings as his hometown football team. Then in 2018, they moved to their current and final residence in Portland, Oregon to be closer to their daughter's family and grandchildren.
It was there in Portland that Larry found many hobbies that brought him much enjoyment. He loved food, wine, travel, the arts, gardens, books, and the Pacific Northwest offers an abundance of all of this. From wine tastings to food pairings, researching the newest recipes for oysters or mushrooms, a season ticket holder to the Oregon Symphony and membership at the Portland Japanese Garden, reading countless books, and planning multiple trips to local Oregon coastal towns or nearby vineyards, to farther afield locations, Larry always had many interests that he was happiest when sharing with others. With the absence of a local NFL team in Portland, it was the University of Oregon that became Larry's last adopted football team to follow and root for. As of his passing, the Ducks had an undefeated season and ranked #1 in the nation, and brought him great excitement to cheer them on.
Although his death was unexpected, he had been monitored for a heart condition and was showing increasing signs of unsteadiness and weakness in his final days. On his last day, Larry mainly rested in his room, ate a home cooked meal in bed, went to sleep next to Marylee, and never woke up. He passed away quickly and peacefully in the comfort of his home with Marylee beside him.
Even with all of his advanced degrees, military service, and career accomplishments, who he was as a person and all that he meant to so many people was what he will be remembered for the most. He was undoubtedly defined by his generous nature, effervescent personality, and ability to relate to anyone in conversation. He had strong opinions at times, but considered other's perspectives, would reconsider decisions after contemplating new ideas, and always increased the level of enthusiasm in any situation just by his presence in the room. He left an impression with everyone he met, from relatives, to medical personnel, to staff at local businesses he frequented. He was the first person to make fun of himself, not take life too seriously, and embodied the optimism of the glass being half-full. The best way to capture a part of who he was is to mention just some of the remarks that others have shared upon learning of his passing: "Larry was larger than life", "he was a force", "he was such an enthusiastic character", "he left his mark on this world", "he was so important to me and the person I became", "he was like another parent to me", "I always loved talking to him", "he had an infectious laugh and the best smile", "he was so funny", "he always had a wink of mischief in his eyes", "I have so many great memories of him", "what a fun-loving and passionate person he was", "the funny stories are literally never ending", "he used his humor to make jokes while also managing to make a serious point", "he was such a great storyteller", "he could always make a convincing point without taking himself too seriously", "he did so many different things in his life, like a genius version of Forrest Gump", "I really loved him", "a world without him seems unfathomable", "the world needs more people like Larry". He led a life so well lived and well loved, and will be profoundly missed by everyone who knew him.
He is preceded in death by his parents; Morton Sobel and Bethel (Betty Kotzen) Sobel, and his sister Audrey (Sobel) Tucker. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marylee (Johnson) Sobel of Minneapolis, MN; his children Andrea (Rob) Nahurski in Portland OR; and Peter Sobel of Centerville, Va; his 3 grandchildren, Natalie Nahurski, Jackson Sobel, and Alec Nahurski; his sister Amy (Mark) Weis in Los Angeles CA; sisters-in law Kathy Johnson and Diane (Mike) Melloy in Minneapolis, MN, and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and great nieces and nephews in the midwest and on both the east and west coasts.
A Celebration of Life will take place at a date to be determined in the future. In Larry's memory, donations can be made to Mort & Betty's vegan deli and bakery, an independent, female owned, small business looking to currently fundraise and expand this family legacy, founded by his niece, and named after his parents, Mort & Betty. https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-mort-bettys-new-kitchen
Located in Los Angeles, CA, please stop in and order the Uncle Larry bagel sandwich on the menu named after him.