Max Conaway died on September 17, 2011, at Kavanaugh House inDes Moines,Iowaas a result of complications following a fall at his home at Rowley Memorial Masonic Home.

His parents were Ray and Ann Francis Conaway and he lived his entire life in Perry, Iowa, where he was born.  He graduated fromPerryHigh School, attendedDrakeUniversity and then entered into farming in the Perry area.

Max and his wife, Lola Wright, were married on December 7, 1941, and they learned of the bombing of Pearl Harbor as they traveled by train on their honeymoon to Chicago.   He liked to joke that their marriage started World War II.

While farming was his primary occupation, he also was an auctioneer and a real estate appraiser.  Early in his career, he operated the Conaway Sales Pavilion.  Later in the 1970's, he and Lola established the Conaway Travel Agency, which later became Travelport with offices in Perry and Des Moines, Iowa, and Newport Beach, CA.  This entrepreneurial adventure enabled the two of them to travel the world and they loved experiencing new places and cultures.  After retirement, they spent many winters in Mesa, Arizona, where they socialized with their other snowbird friends from the Perry area. 

Max was a community volunteer and was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Shrine and Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks, but was most active in the Perry Elks, where he held several leadership positions.  He was instrumental in establishing the award-winning Iowa Elks newsletter entitled "The Eleventh Hour", which is still in publication today.  In fact, it was because of his interest in sponsoring charter travel trips for his fellow Elks that he became involved in the travel business.

Max had many interests, and one of his passions was fishing (or telling fish stories).  He could never have enough fishing tackle or enough opportunities to catch walleyes.  As a young man, he established a dance band in which he played clarinet and sax and was a vocalist.  This love for Big Band music lasted his entire life.  Max was also never too old to learn and after Lola died in 2006, he learned to operate a computer.  He used it to catalog his music, download to his iPod, send emails to friends, Skype with family, and read the news on-line.  Just before his death, he really wanted to get on Facebook.

He is survived by his daughters, Carolyn Sue Lund and husband, John Lund of Johnston, IA, and Patricia Rae Van Thomme and husband, Allan of West Des Moines and their children, Todd (Kari) Van Thomme of Grand Rapids MI and Kurt (Ann) Van Thomme, of Ankeny, and Mark Van Thomme of Ankeny, IA, Al and Patti's five grandchildren and his sister-in-law, Betty Wright of Oskaloosa, IA, the last living member of his and Lola's wedding party.

Carris Family funeral Home of Perry and been entrusted with Services for Max Conaway, age 90, of Perry.  His Celebration of Life service will be held Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at the Carris Family Funeral Home.  Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the Celebration of Life service.  Burial will be in the Violet Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Kavanaugh House, a hospice of your choice or to the Rowley Memorial Masonic Home, Perry, IA.