ALEXANDRIA—Donald B. Conord, 97, passed away peacefully on January 4, 2026, in Alexandria, where he had been residing at The View of Alexandria Senior Living.
Born on June 29, 1928, in East Orange, New Jersey, he was the son of the late Ralph C. Conord and Thelma B. Conord (Potter). He had one sister, the late Adrienne Conord (Perona) of North Andover, New Jersey. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary.
Mr. Conord grew up in Upper Montclair, New Jersey and graduated from Montclair High School in 1947.
He received his BBA from the University of Miami in 1951 and was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. He enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and attended Armor OCS at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He served in the Army of Occupation stationed in Germany with the 7th Army.
Mr. Conord spent several years living in Europe working for a military broker selling merchandise to post exchanges and military commissaries in France and Germany.
He married Mary Elizabeth Stevens of Prince Frederick, Maryland, in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 22, 1958.
He later joined Mrs. Smith Pie Company as the regional manager for the Frozen Food Division, covering the New York City Metro Area, where he was responsible for opening and later expanding the market. He then transitioned to Gorton’s of Gloucester where he led the Food Services Division and was responsible for the McDonald’s Drive-In Fish Sandwich account.
Additional corporate roles included United Fruit Company (Chiquita International) as a product manager of the Processed Banana Division located in La Lima, Honduras. He was responsible for distribution in North America, Europe and Australia. He coordinated the marketing of a Banana Chocolate Popsicle, which went into national distribution with a joint licensing agreement with Popsicle Industries. The Processed Banana Division was the most profitable division in a billion-dollar corporation.
After leaving Chiquita, Mr. Conord joined Brilliant Seafood in Gloucester, Massachusetts, before venturing out to own and operate a supermarket in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. After several years, he transitioned to retirement and relocated with his family to New Bern, North Carolina, and eventually to Kilmarnock. He loved boating, crabbing and studying the stock market. He was also an avid volunteer, donating his time to the local animal welfare league, and two local museums in Kilmarnock and Irvington.
Donald and Mary Conord lived in the Kilmarnock area for the past 34 years. They loved to travel and during that time, they traversed the world together, visiting more than 45 countries—many more than once.
Mr. Conord was a devoted family man and loving Father to his four children and Grandfather to his eight grandchildren, who affectionately referred to him as “Poppy.” He will be greatly missed by his family.
He is survived by his three daughters, Lizabeth Ann Conord of Alexandria, Heidi Lee Bleakley and husband Jamie Bleakley of Springfield, and Jacqueline Stevens Reiff and husband Henry Reiff of Westminster, Maryland; and his son, Mark Stevens Conord and wife Ghana Conord of Lithia, Florida. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren, Benjamin Reiff, Megan Bleakley, Chandra Reiff, Andrew Conord, Nicole Conord, Michael Bleakley, Andrea Conord and Matthew Conord.
A viewing will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, January 9, at Currie Funeral Home in Kilmarnock. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 10, at Currie Funeral Home. Internment will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery, Kilmarnock, immediately following service.
