Obituary of Lawrence Donald Dvorak

Lawrence Donald “John” Dvorak

There were few times in his life when Lawrence “John” Dvorak was not smiling. He was well known for his sense of humor. Throughout his life he was known as John. It began very early when his cousins started calling him “Honest John” and the name stuck.

He was known throughout the Camas-Washougal area for his friendly nature and decades of community service. John was very involved in Camas Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, from coaching to field work to fund raising to serving as league president for several years. He
was a strong advocate for saving open spaces for public use, including the Washougal River Greenway Trail. He was a frequent fixture at public hearings discussing the future of this area. John had a strong love of history. As a member of the local historical society, he was one of the
driving forces to establish Parker’s Landing Historical Park and trails and was the keynote speaker at the park’s dedication.

John was born on the family farm in St Paul, Nebraska on July 3, 1928 to Joe and Blanche Dvorak. His truck driving career began when he was 14, helping drive a truck load of fresh peaches back from Grand Junction, CO. He came west in 1948 with his wife, Elva “Toots” and their baby daughter and began working at the paper mill. He soon found his calling as a logger, working for Olson Brothers Logging in Camas, and later Carl Krohn Logging in Skamania. John bought his own truck and hauled logs for many years throughout Clark, Lewis, and Skamania
counties. He loved driving the backroads, through forests and along the Columbia River. He was a conservationist ahead of his time, taking his children with him to help in tree replanting projects after logging an area.

He enjoyed watching baseball and a good western, dancing polkas, and singing along with Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Ernst Tubb and Johnny Cash. Sitting down with a cup of coffee and a good friend made his day. Taking care of the family farm in Nebraska was very important to
John, celebrating the family farm centennial in 2009.

John and Toots were teenage sweethearts and happily married for over 73 years. Together they built their own home, raised three children, traveled in their RV, and loved going to auctions and estate sales. In 2002 they were named King and Queen of Camas Days and
continued to be involved in the community for many years.

Lawrence “John” Dvorak passed away Friday, May 26. He left a legacy of community service and a love of the northwest. He is survived by his three children (Diana Echert, Judi Williamson, and John Dvorak), seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Dad, we will forever
remember the lessons you taught us and the endless love you gave us. You will always be with us. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Lawrence Dvorak, please visit our Tree Store