Lawrence de Bivort

Lawrence de Bivort, a resident of Telluride, died unexpectedly in Montrose on April 10, 2026. Known to all as “Lawry,” he was born in Berkeley, California on October 21, 1943. He grew up in Geneva, Switzerland alongside his sister Carlyle, mother Sara and father Hervey, confirming a love for adventure and the mountains in the Swiss Boy Scouts.

He attended Stanford University and earned a doctorate in international relations at the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC, writing a dissertation on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Through this period he was active in the anti-war and civil rights movements. He started his professional life at the Stanford Research Institute before starting his own consulting company, Evolutionary Services Institute, in the Washington DC area. He traveled extensively for scholarship and work to destinations including the Soviet Union, North and East Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He was fluent in English and French and conversational in Arabic, German and Italian.

Lawry met his first wife, the late Susan Lovegren, of Eugene, Oregon skiing in California. They were adventure partners and had a German Shepherd Yasmine. Their son Benjamin was born after they settled in Bethesda, Maryland, where Lawry explored Chesapeake Bay and beyond as the captain of Magic Bear. He and Eileen Lisker, his now-former wife, moved full-time to Telluride just over a decade ago, committing to an adventurous life on the western slope. He climbed fourteeners, foraged for chanterelles and explored the canyons and cultural areas of the desert southwest.

His mind was exceptionally active and curious with a passion for understanding systems and their dynamics, and the diverse ways in which humans organize themselves. He read prolifically and found the deepest personal satisfaction writing a book on human cultural evolution. He had close friendships with folks from all walks of life. He was himself to the very end.

Lawry is survived by his son Benjamin de Bivort, sister Carlyle de Bivort, nephew Garrin Powers and niece Gayvin Powers.

At this time the family is planning a memorial gathering for a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation to a cause of your choice, Christ Presbyterian Church of Telluride, Colorado or the Maryum Islamic Center of Marriottsville, Maryland.