Obituaries
Barbara Eakle Spokane
Memorial service for Barbara J. Eakle, 75, is planned for noon Monday at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Buffalo, Mont., Mrs. Eakle died Sunday.
She graduated from North Central High School and attended Kinman Business College.
She was a secretary and bookkeeper and worked at various businesses and nursing homes. She retired from Mansion House Nursing Home in 1986.
Mrs. Eakle is survived by a son, Daniel Eakle of Spokane; a daughter, Suzanne Skjold of Newport, Wash..; a brother, Lyle Wormley of Spokane; five grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Dennis Ailor Pullman
No service will be held for Dennis M. Ailor, 42, a Pullman native. Kimball Funeral Home in Pullman is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ailor died Sunday of congestive heart failure.
He was born in Pullman and graduated from Pullman High School, where he participated in varsity football and wrestling. He had worked for Washington State University’s physical plant since 1976 and was a custodial lead man since 1991. He was also a union steward.
He is survived by his mother, Wilma Day Alberts of Mandan, N.D.; and two sisters, Cheryl Ann Shaffer of Post Falls and Karen Ailor of Eugene, Ore.
Memorial contributions may be made to the WSU Foundation for the Physical Plant Scholarship Fund.
Gordon Toms Des Moines, Wash.
No service will be held for Gordon O. Toms, 93, at his request. Bleitz Funeral Home in Seattle is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Toms, who died Sunday, was born in Spokane.
He graduated from North Central High School and attended Washington State University.
He owned G.O. Toms Electric in Spokane until he retired in 1979. Mr. Toms moved to the Seattle area nine years ago.
He was a member of the Audubon Park Masonic Lodge No. 272 and the El Katif Shrine Temple. He was a charter member of the El Katif Flying Patrol.
He was also a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and owned several airplanes.
Three wives preceded him in death; Lois Woodward Toms, Mertice Toms and Mary Jane Toms.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Ellen Watson of Missoula; a sister, Nathalie Means of Des Moines, Wash.; 13 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Georgia Bailey Spokane
Service for Georgia A. Bailey, 49, will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church. Private inurnment will be held. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bailey, who died Tuesday, was born in Havre, Mont.
She was a 30-year Spokane resident and managed a decorating shop.
She was a former director of the Children’s Home Society and was a member of the Spokane Junior League and the Manito Golf and Country Club.
She is survived by her husband of 29 years, Claude Bailey; two daughters, Leslie and Lisa Bailey, both of Seattle; her parents, Richard and Emily Spicher of Whitefish, Mont.; and a sister, Kim Spicher of Whitefish.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ronald McDonald House.
Bernice Kittilstved Spokane
Service for Bernice E. Kittilstved, 81, was held Thursday. It was also a service for her husband, Elmer “Jack” Kittilstved, who died last Saturday.
Mrs. Kittilstved, who died Wednesday, was born in Toledo, Ohio, and had lived in Spokane for more than 50 years.
She is survived by eight sons Andrew, Floyd, Ray, Frank, Ted, John “Jack”, Duane and Terry Kittilstved, all of Spokane; three daughters, Elaine Newsom of Elk, and Lois Packer and Carol Holway, both of Spokane; 35 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Dick Lersch Spokane
Family memorial service for Dick Lersch, 80, will be today in Hope, Idaho. The Cremation Society of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lersch, who died Dec. 25, was born in Detroit, and was raised in Mansfield, Ohio, where he graduated from high school.
He was an artist and had a career in merchandising, advertising and promotion. He worked for the Kresge Co. in Louisville, Ky., then the Armonk (N.Y) Art Store, which he founded. In 1971, he went to work for Blake-Moffett and Hill Printers in Spokane.
He and his wife, Peggy Perkins, moved to Hope in 1971 and to Spokane in 1993.
Mr. Lersch was a three-time medalist in the regional USGA Amateur Golf Championship Tournaments.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, William Lersch of Vacaville, Calif., and Robert Lersch of Hatfield, Pa.; three daughters, Jeanne Schlough of Conyngham, Pa., Susan Scherzinger of Selah, Wash., and Nancy Scrantz Lersch of Seattle; his former wife, Mary Hanson of Florida; and 14 grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Memorial Community Center in Hope.
Frank Tate Moses Lake
Memorial service for Frank R. Tate, a World War I Army veteran, will be at 10 a.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport, Wash.
Born in Glyndon, Minn., Mr. Tate died Tuesday. He was 98.
He was a former Harrington, Wash., resident and moved to Moses Lake about 10 years ago.
He worked in signal maintenance for the railroad.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Lois, in 1985.
He is survived by his wife, Elmina Tate; and a son, Robert Schaefer of Ritzville, Wash.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Harrington Cemetery Endowment Fund or the Lincoln County Cancer and Heart Funds.
Harold Thorpe Spokane
Memorial service for Harold W. Thorpe, 77, is set for 3:30 p.m. today at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home.
Mr. Thorpe, who was born in Edwall, Wash., died Tuesday.
He graduated from high school in Edwall and served in the Navy during World War II.
He and his father owned A&H Cabinet Shop in the Spokane Valley for many years.
Mr. Thorpe then worked for a cabinet shop in Ventura, Calif., for 22 years and retired in 1970 and returned to Spokane.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred Thorpe; a son, Del Thorpe of Mountain View, Calif.; three daughters, Joanne Mertz of Corsicana, Texas, Roberta Keeling of Otis Orchards and Shelley Cardiel of Redmond, Wash.; a sister, Grace Russell of Williams, Ariz.; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association.
Anne (O’Leary) Chambers Spokane
Funeral Mass for Anne C. (O’Leary) Chambers, 74, will be at 8 a.m. today at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Burial will be at 11 a.m. today at Holy Cross Cemetery. HennesseySmith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Chambers, who died Tuesday, was born in Spokane.
She had lived in The Dalles, Ore., for several years and was active in the Catholic church in Spokane.
She was an accomplished watercolor artist.
Her husband, former Democratic Party chairman and state Rep. Edward Chambers, died in 1979.
She is survived by five sons, Edward Chambers of Beaverton, Ore., Daniel, David and Richard Chambers, all of Spokane and John Chambers of La Grande, Ore.; three daughters, Judith Dooris of Bellevue, Wash., Sondra Burr of Rockaway, Ore., and Joan Brain of Sandy, Ore.; three brothers, Rob O’Leary of Spokane, James O’Leary of Grayland, Wash., and Frank O’Leary of Tucson, Ariz.; a sister, Mary Christopherson of Rockford; 26 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Poor Clare Nuns.
Audra Easley Chewelah, Wash.
Service for Audra E. Easley, 95, will be at 11 a.m. today at the Chewelah Free Methodist Church. Burial will be at Chewelah Memorial Park. Schanzenbach Funeral Home in Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Easley, who died Wednesday, was born in Red Bluff, Neb.
She was a member of the Chewelah Senior Citizens and the United Church of Christ in Chewelah.
Her husband, Lonnie Easley, preceded her in death.
She is survived by six sons, Robert Shank of Ardenvoir, Wash., Lester Shank of Entiat, Wash., Richard Shank of East Wenatchee, Wash., Kenneth Shank of Hutchinson, Kan., Clinton “Chuck” Shank of California and Wesley Easley of Pendleton, Ore.; five daughters, Virginia Riese, Helen McCrea and Dorothy Knauss, all of Chewelah, Gloria Eades of Walla Walla and Lucille Buckner of Electric City, Wash.; a stepdaughter, Ella Sturgeon of Vallejo, Calif.; 38 grandchildren, 87 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
Bruce Harkness Wilbur, Wash.
Service for Bruce E. Harkness, 81, will be at 1:30 p.m. today at Strate Funeral Home in Wilbur, Wash. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace in Spokane.
Mr. Harkness, who was born in Trail, British Columbia, died Tuesday.
He and his wife moved from Spokane to Wilbur, where they operated the Me & Ma’s Cafe for many years.
He was a member of the Carpenters Union and was a World War II Army veteran.
His wife, Corrine, died in 1987.
He is survived by three daughters, Patsy Smith of Spokane, Kathy Hackbarth of Phoenix, Ariz., and Debra Fillips of Issaquah, Wash.; three sons, Doug Harkness of Kennewick, and Ed and Richard Harkness, both of Spokane; two brothers, Charles Harkness of Trail and Jack Harkness of Spokane; 14 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wilbur Fire and Ambulance Funds.
Ruth Heil Spokane
Service for Ruth Heil, 73, will be at 1 p.m. today at St. Peter Lutheran Church. Private burial will be at Fairmount Memorial Park. Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home is in Charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Heil, who died Monday, was born in Brush, Colo.
She was a 30-year Spokane resident and worked as a retail sales clerk.
She was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church.
Survivors include her husband, Mel Heil of Spokane; two sons, Arlie Heil of Spokane and Alan Heil of Bothell, Wash.; a daughter, Karon Solheim of Spokane; a brother, Ted Reidle of Sidney, Mont.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Peter Lutheran Church.
George Delay Otis Orchards
No service will be held for George L. Delay, 88. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Delay, who died Thursday, was born in Nebraska.
He moved to the Spokane area in the 1930s and lived here through the 1960s. He then moved to California for 20 years and returned to Spokane several years ago.
He retired from the Spokane City Parks Department in 1973.
Mr. Delay is survived by his wife, Elsie Delay of Otis Orchards
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, 107 S. Division, Spokane WA 99201.
Victor Swofford Spokane
Service for Victor L. Swofford, 90, will be today at 1 p.m. at Yates Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Swofford, who was born in Texas, died Wednesday.
He was a North Idaho resident for 60 years and lived in Sandpoint, Hayden Lake, Idaho, and Coeur d’Alene.
He later moved to the St. Brendan Continuing Care Center in Spokane.
Mr. Swofford was preceded in death by his wife, Olivine.
Survivors include a daughter, Betty Keegan of Arizona; four grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Kathryn Lipp Spokane
Memorial service for Kathryn Myrtle Lipp, 84, will be at 11 a.m. today at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Born in Blair, Neb., Mrs. Lipp died Tuesday.
She moved to Malta, Mont., as a child.
She married Bert Smith and they lived on a sheep and sugar beet farm in Montana. He died in 1946.
In 1955 she married Fred Lipp and traveled with him to Oklahoma, North Dakota, Arizona and Wyoming for the following 15 years. They settled in Spokane in 1973, and her husband worked as a construction supervisor on the U.S. Pavilion for Expo ‘74.
She is survived by two sons, Lawrence “Mick” Smith of Havre, Mont., and Joseph Smith of Deer Park; a daughter, Sharon Bieker of Spokane; a sister, Martha Hoibe of Shelby, Mont.; 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Laura-Lynne Gutierrez Spokane
Memorial service for Laura-Lynne Guiterrez, 48, will be at 2 p.m. today at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Private inurnment will be at Fairmount Memorial Park.
Mrs. Guiterrez, who died Tuesday, was born in New York City. She came to Spokane with her mother in 1964 and graduated from Rogers High School. She attended Eastern Washington University.
In 1973, she married Charlie Guiterrez.
She was a member of the Parent-Teachers Association.
Survivors include her husband, Charles “Charlie” Gutierrez; a son, Scott Gutierrez, and two daughters, Amber and Briana Gutierrez, all of Spokane; her mother, Florence Miller of Spokane; and a brother, Robert Miller of North Bend, Wash.
Willis ‘Bill’ Coles Spokane
Visitation for Willis O. “Bill” Coles, 86, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home. Service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home with burial at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mr. Coles, who died Wednesday, was born in Albion, Neb., and lived in Sioux City, Iowa, where he owned Coles Brace Co., maker of orthopedic braces.
He retired in 1977 and moved to Spokane.
He was a member of the Spokane Rose Society and had more than 500 rose bushes.
He was also a member of the AbuBekr Clown Unit of the El Katif Shrine and Westview Congregational Church.
Mr. Coles is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marie Coles; a son, William “Bill” Coles of San Francisco; a daughter, Mary Swanson of Spokane; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Ruth Perks Spokane
Graveside service for F. Ruth Perks, 90, is set for 1 p.m. Monday at Pinecrest Cemetery in Sandpoint. Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-South is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Perks, who died Tuesday, was born in Moore, Mont.
She moved to Garfield, Wash., with her family and in 1923, married Lynn Hadden. They lived in Sandpoint and Moscow, Idaho. Her husband died in 1945.
In 1947, she married Earl Perks and they moved to Spokane. He died in 1960.
She is survived by a son, Lathol “Late” Hadden of Santa, Idaho; two daughters, Leora Dally of Seattle and Sharon Spurgeon of Spokane; 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
Nicholas Curtis Spokane
Service for Nicholas T. Curtis will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will be at Marshall Cemetery.
Mr. Curtis, 28, died Wednesday of cancer.
He was born in Spokane and graduated from Shadle Park High School and Eastern Washington University with a master of science degree. He was currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of North Dakota, where he was studying for his doctorate in psychology.
He was a member of Fowler Methodist Church.
Survivors include his parents, Don and Billie Curtis of Spokane; two brothers, Mike and Chris Curtis, both of Spokane; and a sister, Sue Gamon of Ellensburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Nicholas T. Curtis Memorial Fund, Psychology Department, Eastern Washington University Foundation, Mail Stop 16, 520 Fifth St., Cheney, WA 99004-9975.
William Eyrich Spokane
Memorial service for William Lee “Bill” Eyrich, 65, will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Riplinger Funeral Home. Private inurnment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Mr. Eyrich, who died Monday, was born in Owego, N.Y., and had lived in Spokane for 41 years.
Mr. Eyrich was a member of the Good Sam Club, Explorer Ship 400 and Boy Scout Troop 119 and received the Boy Scout Wood Badge.
He was an Air Force veteran and was among the first military police stationed at Deep Creek Station during the Korean War.
He had worked for the city of Spokane Utility Service Department for 27 years.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Mary Ann; three daughters, Deborah Delgado of Cheney, Lea Ann Seegars of Spokane and Peggy Rendt of Port Orchard, Wash.; a son, John Eyrich of Spokane; a sister, Beverly Boorom of Dundee, N.Y.; his stepmother, Rowena of New York; a half-sister, Jean of New York; two half-brothers, Roy of California and Bob of Illinois; 10 grandchildren, a stepgranddaughter and two stepgreat-granddaughters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, Inland Empire Division.
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