Lewis Pirkle Conger

Lewis Pirkle Conger (Pirk), 82 years of age, from Bossier City, passed away on December 16, 2023 at 12:34pm, of natural causes.

The funeral service will be held at Boone Funeral Home in Bossier City on January 6, 2024. Visitation will be held at 12 pm with the Service at 1 pm. Burial will follow the funeral at Forest Park East at 3 pm.  Funeral arrangements are being handled at Boone Funeral Home.

Pirk was born in Shreveport on May 5, 1941. Born, raised, and educated in Louisiana, he graduated from Byrd High School and continued to receive an Animal Science degree from LSUBR.

After college, Pirk flew helicopters for the Army in Germany and Vietnam. Captain Conger received the Bronze Star, as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism on 3 June 1967.

After his service in the Army, Pirkle followed his childhood dream to become an agricultural and cattle farmer. In later years he transitioned from farming to land management, with a love for managing timber. Throughout his adult life he honed his skills as an investor in equities and commodities. He continuously passed down knowledge and hard learned lessons in his own quiet way, leading and teaching by example.

After flying helicopters, he found sailing to be an outlet for his love of adventure and harnessing the power of wind. He raced many vessels; however, his favorites were Thistles, San Juans, J Boats, MC Scows, and a lovely Beneteau Oceanis. Pirk was well healed, with travels spanning the globe, including hiking in Nepal, diving in the Caribbean, and numerous trips throughout the Pacific while exploring. No matter where his travels took him, northwest Louisiana was always his home. From old growth hard wood stands in the bottoms to rows of new pine in the hills to the ubiquitous and interconnected waterways of his childhood and adult stomping grounds, Pirk’s soul was grounded in the natural environment of his home. When he took up wrangling his grandchildren as a full-time grandfather, he mothballed his sailing fleet and never looked back, though he was still keen to travel when the fancy struck.

Pirkle is loved deeply by his family and close friends, because of his tenacious spirit, unyielding kindness for those he cared for, and the simple strength of his moral code. The gentle power of his presence will be felt for generations.

Pirkle is survived by Christopher Conger and Catherine Conger VanWinterswyk. Chris is married to Katie and they have two sons, Coltin and Kade. Catherine is married to Nate and she has three children, Lewis, Cheyenne, and Hunter.

Pirkle is preceded in death by his father, Edmund, and his mother, Winnifred.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to Bossier Parish Community College.

Safe travels on the next leg of your journey Pirk!! We will meet you there one day.