Obituaries
Maurice ‘Butch’ Marchant Spokane
Maurice J. “Butch” Marchant, a longtime Spokane sports and entertainment figure, died Wednesday.
Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Private burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.
He was 79.
A professional hockey player, Mr. Marchant moved to Spokane in 1949, near the end of his athletic career. He was co-captain of the Spokane Flyers teams that defeated the New York Rovers in 1949 and 1950 to win back-to-back national championships.
Mr. Marchant later was co-owner of the M&M Ticket Agency, was a promoter of sports and entertainment events and also produced wildlife films.
Born in Georgetown, British Guyana, he immigrated to Canada with his family when he was 3 years old. He grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. After graduating from high school there, Mr. Marchant worked for the Winnipeg Free Press, of which his father was editor.
At the age of 21, Mr. Marchant signed his first professional hockey contract, with the Saskatoon (Sask.) Quakers. He played in Saskatoon and Winnipeg before serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. After his military discharge, Mr. Marchant resumed his hockey career, playing in Quebec City, New York and Montreal.
In 1945, he married Maureen McLaughlin in Winnipeg. They lived in Montreal until the fall of 1946, when he was released by the Montreal Canadiens, and they moved to Portland. Mr. Marchant played hockey in Portland and Muncie, Ind., before coming to Spokane.
During his hockey career, Mr. Marchant held a variety of off-season jobs. He worked in an underground gold mine in Ontario and managed an ice arena in Quebec. In Spokane, he was a painting contractor.
After retiring as a hockey player, Mr. Marchant served as president of the Kootenay International Hockey League. He also was a commentator on radio broadcasts of Flyers hockey games.
Mr. Marchant was co-owner of the M&M Ticket Agency for 34 years. His firm handled ticket sales for all entertainment events produced through Expo 74.
He was the promoter of the annual Diamond Spur Rodeo and the Ice Capades holiday shows at the Coliseum.
In the 1960s, Mr. Marchant produced wildlife films, including “Arctic Safari” and “Yukon Safari,” which played in theaters throughout western Canada and the northwestern United States. He also produced a short film on the legend of sasquatch that ran as an opening companion to his wildlife movies. That film included a 16-second segment shot in 1967 in Northern California that is said to be the only existing footage of a sasquatch.
Mr. Marchant was also active for many years in real estate and construction in Spokane. He built and owned several apartment complexes on the South Hill and in Browne’s Addition.
Mr. Marchant became a U.S. citizen in 1955.
Since the 1970s, Mr. Marchant had spent winters in Mesa, Ariz. He also had a summer home on the Spokane River in North Idaho.
Mr. Marchant was a member of the Catholic Church. He also was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Golf Club and the Apache Wells Golf and Country Club in Mesa. He was a past member of the Elks Lodge and the Manito Country Club.
Mr. Marchant is survived by his wife of 52 years, Maureen; two daughters, Shani Marchant of Spokane and Barbara Marchant of New York City; a brother, Ed Marchant of Toronto; a sister, Joyce Chappel of Winnipeg; and three granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of North Idaho or the Morning Star Boys Ranch.
Ilene Severson Spokane
Funeral service for Ilene Frances Severson, 82, will be at 1 p.m. today at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Interment will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Severson, who was a lifetime resident of Spokane, died Saturday.
She worked as a toy buyer in retail business.
Mrs. Severson was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Inland Empire Zoological Society.
She is survived by two granddaughters, three great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Denny Ashlock Liberty Lake
Memorial service for Denny L. Ashlock, 59, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Mr. Ashlock, who was born in Spokane, died Dec. 30 of cardiac arrhythmia at his vacation home near Ocean Shores, Wash.
He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and Whitman College with a degree in political science.
Mr. Ashlock, who owned Ashco Insurance, moved to Liberty Lake in 1965.
He was a leader of the effort to form the Liberty Lake Sewer District and build a sewage treatment plant in the 1970s. He also played a major role in construction of the Centennial Trail, and more recently was also a leader of the effort to build a community center at Mirabeau Point, the former site of Walk in the Wild zoo. Mr. Ashlock also worked on campaigns in support of fire districts, the juvenile detention center and to change the county charter.
He was a member of several organizations, including Friends of the Spokane Symphony, Valley Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the Centennial Trail, the board of overseers of Whitman College and the board of Mirabeau Point Inc., the nonprofit organization behind the project.
Survivors include his wife, Linda; two daughters, Jennifer Ashlock of Lacey, Wash., and Alison Ashlock of Kent, Wash.; a son, Jon Ashlock of Tacoma; his twin sister, Missy Reinbold of Spokane; and a brother, Steve Ashlock of Everett.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Area Student Scholarship Fund, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA 99362 or to Mirabeau Point Inc., in care of Foundation Northwest, 421 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201.
Elmer Bierly Coeur d’Alene
Memorial service for Elmer Bierly, 74, will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Mr. Bierly, who was born in Beaverton, Ore., died Sunday.
He grew up and graduated from high school in the Beaverton area and served as a first lieutenant in the Air Force during World War II.
Mr. Bierly graduated from Oregon State College in 1949 and was recalled to the Air Force as a navigator during the Korean War and flew 21 missions.
He moved to Portland before settling in Spokane in 1965.
Mr. Bierly moved to the Silver Valley in 1980 and then to Coeur d’Alene in 1984.
He spent 30 years in banking, the last 15 years with Old National Bank, retiring in 1980.
Mr. Bierly then served as vice president of investor relations and public affairs with Hecla Mining Co., retiring again in 1988.
He was active in the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane chambers of commerce and the United Way and was a member of the Hayden Lake Country Club, the Ironwood Athletic Club and the Spokesman-Review Advisory Council.
Mr. Bierly began the teacher intern program, which was adopted by the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce and was on the board of directors of KSPS Public Television Friends of Seven.
Survivors include his wife, Darlene; two sons, John Bierly of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and Paul Bierly of Beaverton; a daughter, Marilyn Stevens of Seattle; a brother, Ivan Bierly of California; two sisters, Lois Minson of Oregon and Viola Hansel of Vancouver, Wash.; four grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Kootenai Medical Center Foundation or KSPS Friends of Seven.
Don Wheeler Spokane
Service for Don Robert Wheeler, 85, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Pines Mausoleum. Burial will follow. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wheeler, who was born and raised in Montana, died Sunday.
He graduated from high school in Montana and moved to Spokane in 1947 from San Jose, Calif.
Mr. Wheeler worked on Grand Coulee Dam as a welder and at other construction sites for 40 years. He retired in 1967.
After retirement he taught welding at Spokane Community College.
He was a member of the Iron Workers Union.
His wife, Dorothy Wheeler, preceded him in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Carol Bell of Frederick, Md.; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Robert Singer Spokane
Service for Robert “Bob” Singer, 78, will be at 2:30 p.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Mount Nebo Cemetery.
Born in Pittsburgh, Mr. Singer died Tuesday.
He served in the 851st Aviation Engineers Regiment during World War II.
Mr. Singer moved to Spokane in 1947 and became a partner and then owner of Dutch’s Inc., a pawn shop.
He was a longtime shammes of Mount Nebo Cemetery, member of Keneseth Israel Synagogue, Temple Beth Shalom, the Elks Club and B’nai B’rith and was a Hadassah associate.
Mr. Singer was a volunteer for KPBX Public Radio and the Ronald McDonald House.
He was also a longtime fund-raiser and active supporter of the Spokane Food Bank and also spent time performing mitzvot for those less fortunate.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Pearl; three sons, Gary and Richard Singer, both of Spokane, and Allen Singer of Orinda, Calif.; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Food Bank or the American Cancer Society.
Olai ‘Ole’ Erickson Spokane
Memorial service for Olai “Ole” Erickson, 86, is set for 1 p.m. Thursday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home.
Mr. Erickson, who died Sunday, was born in Adams, N.D.
He moved to Washington state and started working for the Safeway store in Colfax, Wash.
Mr. Erickson then became manager of the Safeway store in Tekoa, Wash.
He was promoted to store manager for Safeway in Spokane and retired in 1971 from the store on Third and Maple.
Mr. Erickson was a member of the Eagles, Elks and Moose lodges.
His wife, Irene Erickson, died last May.
Survivors include a son, Greg Erickson of Kirkland, Wash.; three sisters, DeLayne King of Colbert, Charlotte LeVang of Adams, N.D., and Violet Calvert of Springfield, Va.; a brother, Glen Erickson of Adams, N.D.; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
Raymond ‘Skipper’ Nasset Spokane
Memorial service for Raymond J. “Skipper” Nasset, 86, will be at 10 a.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home.
Mr. Nasset, who was born in Slope County, N.D., died Monday.
He served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
Mr. Nasset worked as an automobile mechanic.
He manned the CB REACT station in Rosalia, Wash., and he volunteered many hours during emergencies and times of trouble.
Mr. Nasset was an 18-year Rosalia resident before moving to Spokane three years ago. He was a member of the Veteran of Foreign Wars and the Lutheran Church.
Survivors include a son, Larry Nasset of Madras, Ore.; two daughters, Rayma Mae Brunner of Cottage Grove, Minn., and Helen Gregory of Madras; a brother, Lawrence Nasset of San Diego; two sisters, Pearl Funk and Doris Hewson, both of Spokane; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Spokane Valley Good Samaritan Center.
Ida Mills Bremerton, Wash.
Service for Ida L. Mills, 96, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the United Church of Christ English Chapel in Odessa, Wash. Strate Funeral Home in Davenport, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Mills, who was born in Hebron, N.D., died Friday.
She moved to a homestead near Ruff, Wash., as a child and later to Odessa, Wash.
In 1930 she married Leonard Mills in Seattle.
She worked as a beautician.
Mrs. Mills was a member of the United Church of Christ and the Women’s Circle and served as a Sunday school teacher. She was also a member of the Odessa Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the Girl Scouts of America and the Odessa Historical Society.
Her husband preceded her in death.
Survivors include three daughters, Veda Lucas and Melba Evans, both of San Antonio, Texas, and Kay Wilk of Silverdale, Wash.; eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Odessa Memorial Hospital Memorial Fund or the United Church of Christ English Chapel Maintenance Fund.
Harry Gustafson Spokane
Visitation for Harry E. Gustafson, 83, will be from noon to 8 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the First Church of the Nazarene. Interment will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Gustafson, who was born in Billings, Mont., died Sunday.
He moved to Spokane in 1926 and served in the Army during World War II.
In 1947 he moved back to Spokane, where he worked as a school custodian for Spokane School District 81. He worked at Wilson and Jefferson Elementary schools and Sacajawea Middle School.
Mr. Gustafson retired in 1981.
He was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Edna; a son, Paul Gustafson of Spokane; a daughter, Trula Millspaugh of Canoga Park, Calif.; two brothers, Albert and Adolf Gustafson both of Spokane; four sisters, Edna Sparrow and Edith Rusch both of Spokane, Hazel Griffith of Wenatchee and Dorothy Stephens of Des Moines, Iowa; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Church of the Nazarene or Riverview Care Center.
Wayne Baldwin Sprague, Wash.
Funeral service for Wayne E. Baldwin, 77, will be at 11 a.m. today at Danekas Funeral Home Chapel in Ritzville, Wash. A private burial and vault interment will be held at Macabee Cemetery in Sprague.
Mr. Baldwin, who was a lifetime resident of Sprague, died Dec. 29.
He graduated from high school in Sprague in 1938 and later worked as a farmer.
Mr. Baldwin was a member of the Crab Creek Grange, was a former Lincoln County Fire District Commissioner, and was a member of the Sprague Masonic Lodge, Sage Shrine Club, York Rite Masons, El Katif Temple and the Henrietta Chapter of Order of Eastern Star in Sprague.
His wife, Marie, died in 1967.
Survivors include a son, Richard Phelps of Spokane; a brother, Donald Baldwin of Sprague; three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Larry Trygg Spokane
Service for Larry D. Trygg, 56, will be at 11 a.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Trygg, who was born in Oregon City, Ore., died Sunday.
He graduated in 1959 from Oregon City High School and served in the Air Force at Fairchild Air Force Base.
Mr. Trygg received his Master of Science degree at Eastern Washington University in speech pathology.
He worked for Lakeland Village for 21 years.
Mr. Trygg was a member of the Hangman Valley Golf Club and the Manito Lions Club.
Survivors include his wife, Judie.
Mabel (Coyle) Frazier Spokane
Service for Mabel Helen (Coyle) Frazier, 70, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Fairmount Memorial Park. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Frazier, a homemaker, died Sunday.
She was born in Careywood, Idaho.
Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Joe; two daughters, Delores Hayward and Bettie Lloyd, both of Spokane; a son, Bill Frazier of Spokane; a sister, Louise Morgan of Spokane; two brothers, Morris and George Coyle, both of Spokane; four grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wishing Star Foundation or the American Cancer Society.
Walter Richter Spokane
Visitation for Walter Otto Richter, 89, will be from noon to 8 p.m. today at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home. Service is set for 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. There will be private burial.
Mr. Richter, who was born in New Salem, N.D., died Monday.
In 1932 he married Thelma Ward Victor in Mandan, N.D., and they moved to Spokane in 1933.
He worked for the White Pine Sash Company for 34 years and Imperial Wood Products for seven years as a lumberman.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Carol Richter Harrison of Spokane; a son, Randy Richter of Mead; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Clarence ‘Frenchie’ LaCombe Spokane
Visitation for Clarence L. “Frenchie” LaCombe, 81, will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Rosary will follow at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Charles Catholic Church. A private committal will be held at the Elk Cemetery in Elk, Wash.
Mr. LaCombe, who had been a resident of Spokane since 1948, died Tuesday.
He was born in Bemidji, Minn., and served in the Navy Seabees during World War II.
Mr. LaCombe retired in 1978 as a maintenance machanic after 30 years with Washington Water Power Co.
He was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church and the Washington Water Power Trailblazer.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Lorraine; a son, Lynn LaCombe of Spokane; a daughter, Carole LaCombe of Spokane; four sisters, Margaret Legard, Delores Hahn, Shirley Gorman and Marilyn Hereford; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Options Program, c/o Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Lester ‘Les’ Kelly Spokane
No service will be held for Lester ‘Les’ Kelly. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Kelly, 91, died Thursday.
He was born in Illinois.
He worked for American Machine and Metals Inc. in Illinois, then moved to California and was employed by Lockheed Aircraft Corp., as an engineer. He later worked for Lockheed Missiles and Space.
He moved to Spokane in 1979.
Mr. Kelly was a member of the Sinto, Parwell and Northwest senior centers.
Survivors include his companion, Eva Erb of Spokane; a daughter, Joyce Kelly of Spokane; and a son, Ronald Kelly of Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Thelma Sportsman Marcus, Wash.
No service will be held for Thelma Louise Sportsman, 72, at her request. Danekas Funeral Chapel in Colville, Wash., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Sportsman, who died Saturday, was born in Deer Park.
She graduated in 1942 from Marcus High School.
She then moved to Seattle and worked for Boeing and American Can for 24 years.
In 1959 she married Jim Sportsman in Coeur d’Alene.
Mrs. Sportsman then moved to the Kettle Falls area.
She is survived by her husband; two daughters, Brenda Hedrich of Colville and Barbara Hurst of Seattle; a son, Jim Sportsman Jr. of Omak, Wash.; three brothers, Everett Merrill of Spokane, Luther Merrill of Colville and Angus Merrill of Big Sandy, Mont.; two sisters, Virgina Seaberg of Seattle and Shirley Stelzer of Kettle Falls; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Ida Fank Spokane
Memorial service for Ida M. Fank, 76, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Burial will be held at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Neenah, Wisc. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Fank, a 25-year Spokane resident, died Sunday.
She was born in Elcho, Wis., and was a homemaker.
Her husband, Richard Fank, preceded her in death.
Survivors include two nieces, Cathryn Mulvania and Patty Kane, both of Deer Park.
Memorial contributions may be made to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
Evelyn Maas Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Service for Evelyn Maas, 78, was Monday at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. Private burial followed at Grandview Cemetery.
Mrs. Maas, who was born in Everett, died Dec. 31.
She attended school in Bonners Ferry and Everett and graduated from Everett High School.
Mrs. Maas returned to Bonners Ferry and worked at M & M Food City and Excel Foods for 16 years.
She was a member of the Bonners Ferry Senior Hospitality Center.
Survivors include her husband, William; a daughter Billy Jean Widman of Rosalia, Wash.; a half-sister, Leah Schenck of Arizona; a half-brother, Leonard Shipley of Arlington, Wash.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Senior Hospitality Center or the Fry Foundation, both of Bonners Ferry.
, DataTimes