Susan Conjurski, president/CEO of the $24 million Printing Industries Credit Union in Commerce, Calif., recalls a casual conversation about motorcycles she had with her newly hired vice president of operations, Larry Dodge, who drove his motorcycle to work every morning.

“We got into a conversation about motorcycles because my son recently bought a Harley Davidson, which as a mother I wasn’t too happy about,” said Conjurski.

Dodge assured her that riding a motorcycle is safe, noting that he had been riding for a long time.

The next morning, on Jan. 10, Dodge, 65, died after his motorcycle was involved in an accident with a car just a mile from where he was to meet Conjurski in Commerce, said Dodge’s stepson, Los Angeles attorney Nicholas Shantar.

“His heart stopped when he was under surgery for internal bleeding,” said Shantar. “He was talking at the scene and talking going into surgery. I think he was aware that my mom (Patricia Dodge) was on her way to the hospital while he was going into surgery. But by the time she got there, he had passed away. It was pretty traumatic for her. She is doing better now in a relative sense but it is still heartbreaking. Our family is devastated.”

They had been married eight years and lived in Mission Viejo. Shantar said Larry Dodge was wearing a helmet, but he still doesn’t yet know all the details of the accident that took the life of the popular, 20-year credit union veteran.

Shantar said Dodge has been cremated and the family had not yet decided on a memorial service.

“I think if the family does some service it will be pretty small,” said Shantar. “I don’t think we will be making a public announcement for a funeral service. Larry was the kind of guy who wouldn’t want people getting upset (over his death). He would want people to remember him for who he was and move on. He was just always thinking of others.”

Conjurski said Dodge had been working as a compliance consultant for Printing Industries CU for about three years until he was hired as its vice president of operations on Dec. 13.

“He was a key person at the credit union and was very knowledgeable,” Conjurski said. “One thing I can sum up about him is that the man had a heart of gold. He was willing to help anybody, anytime, anywhere.”

Dodge joined Toyota Motor Federal Credit Union in 1990. In 1998, he became president/CEO of Nissan Federal Credit Union. In October 2008, he became a consultant and joined Shapiro Partners in Brea.