Lawrence Pryor

Lawrence (Larry/Pappy) Francis Pryor

06/30/1931 – 05/19/2019

Sunday afternoon Larry ran his last race on the great racetrack in the sky, taking his last checkered flag. Congratulations. Born in Spokane, Washington, on June 30th, 1931, to Myrtle Pryor (Mae) and John Henry Pryor. He spent his first few years of life in the Spokane area. His parents divorced, and he and his brother moved with his mother to a different town in Washington, where she worked as a schoolteacher. Larry joined the National Guard at the Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane; his group was activated during the Korean conflict and was sent to England. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant.

He then moved to the Portland, Oregon, area to join his dad in the business of ambulances and towing. It was at this time he met his future wife Ellen Hosner, whom he would share 65 years of marriage with. They were married in Boring, Oregon, and made their home in Gresham, Oregon. The first of their sons, Larry John (Larry J), was from Gresham, Oregon, followed by Ronald Ike, Ray Edward, and Jeffrey Arthur. Larry’s dad sold the ambulance business, and he went out on his own, moving to Spokane, Washington, to work for a separate ambulance service. Due to illness, he moved back to the Gresham area, where he continued his career in the ambulance business after getting back on his feet. After a successful time in Gresham, he moved to Yakima, Washington, to pursue another opportunity in the ambulance service.

On February 1st, 1961, the first private ambulance business was established as the Yakima Ambulance Service. It was the beginning of modern emergency services for the Yakima area. Later on, his son Larry J. bought the Yakima Ambulance Service and ran it as Yakima Ambulance, eventually selling it to AMR. In June of 1961 Larry experienced an ambulance standby at the Yakima Speedway; it was then he decided auto racing would be for him. With a lot of help from his 5 sons and sister-in-law, they all worked together to turn Larry’s car into a racecar. Ellen was not happy.

That began his racing career; from 1961 to 2001, Larry helped bring NASCAR to the Yakima Speedway and the surrounding area. He raced with many of the top drivers, ranging from Washington to the Midwest. Larry was always asked, “Which comes first, driving an ambulance or racing?" After retiring, he moved to Priest Lake, Idaho, where he enjoyed many summers and wintered in Arizona. He eventually settled down in Union Gap, Washington.

Larry is survived by his wife Ellen; his five sons, Ronald Ike of Selah, Washington; Roy Edward of Naches, Washington; Jeffrey Arthur (Charlene) of Kona, Hawaii; Lloyd Allan of Union Gap, Washington; and Lawrence John; three granddaughters, Nicole Marie, Carin Ida, and Amber Mae; two grandsons, Brett J. and Jeff Michael; two great-granddaughters, Jena and Audrey; and a great-grandson, Kaden. Larry was preceded in death by his father, John H. Pryor; mother, Myrtle Pryor; stepmother, Bernice M. Pryor; and brother, John A. Pryor.

A special thank you to Rebecca, who helped Mister Man. A celebration of life will take place June 13th, 2019, from 5p.m. to 7p.m. at the Yakima Speedway (1600 Pacific Ave, Yakima, WA 98901).