Myrna Condie, a longtime Santa Clarita Valley volunteer, philanthropist and 2012 SCV Woman of the Year honoree, died March 4. She was 78.
Myrna Condie and her husband, Gary Condie, were well-known and well-regarded in local nonprofit circles, having both earned the award given each year by a vote of previous Man and Woman of the Year winners, from a pool of nominees named by the nonprofits they serve.
Myrna Condie was inducted into the College of the Canyons’ Hall of Fame as a supporter after being recognized with its Silver Spur, its biggest award, for her work as past chair of the COC Circle of Friends Committee, a member of the COC Foundation’s board of directors and its governance committee and the college’s Resource Council.
But her volunteerism went beyond the college.
She also was recognized for her work with the SCV Boys & Girls Club, which honored her with the board member of the year award and the Samuel Dixon Award.
Myrna Condie helped foster 15 children and the importance that family played in her life was recognized by others, as she also was honored with the Boy Scouts of America Leaders of Character Award in 2006, and in 2009 as California Mother of the Year by the American Mothers Inc.
“She was a rare gem — a quiet force in the community who had an immense impact on the Boys & Girls Club and countless young people,” said Matthew Nelson, executive director for the SCV Boys & Girls Club. “Myrna was instrumental in bringing the Festival of Trees to Santa Clarita, an event that has since raised millions of dollars to support our community’s youth and has become a signature tradition in the valley. Her passion and dedication to making a difference will be deeply missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire and uplift generations to come.”
The CSUN graduate also taught advanced sewing and textile science for the American College in Westwood, LA Unified Adult Schools, Santa Monica Community College and Pierce College, according to her COC Alumni Hall of Fame page. She has also worked in the costume department at California Institute of the Arts.
In 2005, COC named the costume shop at the new Performing Arts Center the Myrna R. Condie Costume Shop, in recognition of her achievements.
Myrna North Richardson Condie was born Feb. 4, 1947, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, according to a biography on SCVHistory.com. She was the fourth of 10 children born to Weldon and Roberta Richardson.
A COC biography for Condie states she “battled health problems her whole life” — two open heart surgeries, several electro-cardio conversions and eight heart pacemaker surgeries due to multiple congenital heart defects — but it never stopped her from achieving her goals.
“I think Gary and Myrna both recognized the importance of giving back and that if you want the community to be the best that it can, it takes people who are willing to be involved personally and give their time and their resources,” said Eric Harnish, spokesman for COC, adding both left an inspiring legacy of personal service.
Myrna met Gary in 1967 while the two were attending Utah State, and both fell hard and fast for the other, she said in a 2017 Signal story about the community celebration of their 50th anniversary.
“There was a total commitment when we got married,” Myrna Condie told the reporter.
Gary Condie, founding shareholder for the CPA firm of Condie, Thomas & Harbo, died in 2020 at age 76.
