Hazel Ramsay (Eadon) Conrad, 91

October 24, 2014

Hazel Ramsay (Eadon) Conrad of Willow Valley Community, age 91, died October 24, 2014. She was born in Welbank, Scotland, July 17, 1923, to Thomas Arthur Stirling and Aggie Jane (Agnes Ramsay) Eadon. She was the beloved wife of Warren Leslie Conrad, also age 92.
Hazel was the youngest of four children (2 brothers and a sister all of whom have predeceased her). At age 5, Hazel came to America with her family and settled in Chicago, Illinois. She was active in sports; ice skating in winter and playing tennis in summer. Between sports seasons, she took up baton-twirling and soon won medals in competitions before joining an American Legion Drum and Bugle Corp as a marching majorette. After graduating from Morgan Park H.S. with all A’s she enrolled in a Chicago business college which led to her employment by a major insurance company in the Loop.
While there, she found a “pen pal” an aviation cadet-in-training at Michigan State (the college, now university) in E. Lansing Michigan. World War II was active at that time and travel rules prevented an in-person meeting with the pilot who wrote interesting letters. A few years later he became her husband.
Recently they celebrated 68 years together. Hazel was the adored mother of 3 children, the proud grandmother of 12, and honored great grandmother of three. Surviving are: son Wayne, an orthopedic surgeon in Lancaster, PA (LOG) and with wife Karen have 5 children, son Bruce, a civil engineer in Dallas, who with wife Christy have 7 children; and daughter Gayl, a professional artist and muralist living in Port Charlotte FL. with husband Sam.
Hazel is also survived by loyal husband Warren, a former WWII U.S. Air Force pilot and retired Philadelphia Public H.S. athletic director and coach who also served as a consultant and expert witness for attorneys involved in catastrophic athletic-accident litigation.
The 5 children of Wayne and Karen Conrad include: Whitney Alexander, a reading specialist in Providence, RI. (husband Art) Tsakonas, Brandon Ramsay Conrad (wife Ashley) a Lancaster attorney; Courtney May (husband Zach) Melamed, a NICU nurse in San Francisco, CA; Hilary Eadon Conrad, an orthopedic physician’s assistant in Baltimore, MD and Kelsey Sterling Conrad, a Biology major at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA.
The 7 children of Bruce and Christy Conrad include, Katherine Leslie (husband David) Vinson, a C.P.A. in Columbia S.C.; Luke Ramsay Conrad (wife Kayleigh) an attorney, Avon, CT.; Michael Warren Conrad (wife Lydia) a Washington D.C. financier; Alyssa Jane Conrad, University of Texas nursing student; Kristen Gayle Conrad, a registered nurse, Falls Church, VA; Zoe Rachel Conrad, a North Texas University student, Dallas TX.; and Zachary Bruce Conrad, an 8th grader Southlake, TX.
Hazel was equally proud of 3 great grandchildren: Reagan Ramsay Conrad, Evan Ryce Tsakonas, and Jackson Ramsay Conrad.
Hazel was an accounting student at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) and became a baton-twirling member of the university’s famed Diamond Band. This led to her parading with the Philadelphia Eagles marching band at all home games and occasional away games.
Hazel was a self -taught computer expert and enjoyed helping friends set up their systems and trouble shooting.
Hazel’s family thanks her many caregivers for their excellent and compassionate care, especially the staff of the 1st floor at WV Lakeside.
Hazel’s Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at 12noon at the Spring Run Auditorium 950 Willow Valley Lakes Dr. Willow Street, PA 17584 with the Rev Dr. Louis J. Palmieri, Jr. officiating. A viewing will be held on Sunday morning November 2, 2014 at 9:30-10:30AM in the Chapel at the Charles F. Snyder, Jr., Funeral Home & Crematory 3110 Lititz Pk. Interment will take place on Monday at 1:45PM in Sunset Memorial Park, Somerton, (Philadelphia) PA.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (Central PA Chapter) 2595 Interstate Dr. Suite 100 Harrisburg, PA 17110