Obituaries
Ray Brown Colfax, Wash.
Service for Ray C. Brown, 89, will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Colfax First Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Colfax Cemetery. Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Brown, a longtime Colfax resident who was born in Durango, Colo., died Thursday.
He came to Whitman County in 1925 and worked as a hired hand for three years. In 1928 he went to work for the L.L. Bruning Funeral Home and became a licensed embalmer and funeral director.
He married Esther Cook in 1931 in Steptoe, Wash.
They purchased the funeral home from L.L. Bruning in 1967 and he sold the business to Walt and Verna Brost in 1983.
After he retired, he and his wife traveled in Arizona and Nevada in the winters.
His wife died in 1990.
Mr. Brown was a charter member of Colfax Elks Lodge and was active in the Colfax Cemetery Association. He was a member of the Washington State and National Funeral Directors Associations.
Survivors include a son, Donald Brown of Kent, Wash.; a daughter, Carol Ann Garratt of Vaughn, Wash.; two brothers, Arthur Brown of Pasadena, Calif., and Robert Brown of Mexico; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Colfax Cemetery District No. 6.
Harry Sorensen Pullman
No service will be held for Harry Arnold Sorensen, 89, at his request. Private burial will be at Pullman City Cemetery. Kimball Funeral Home in Pullman is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Sorensen, a retired Washington State University faculty member, died Tuesday.
He was born in Hartford, Conn., and graduated from Worcester (Mass.) Polytechnic Institute with a degree in engineering, then received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
He taught mechanical engineering at Pennsylvania State University and in 1948 joined the faculty at WSU.
He was head of the mechanical engineering department for 20 years.
His wife of 60 years, Merella Sorensen, died in 1991.
There are no surviving family members.
Lucille Dawson Spokane
Memorial service for Lucille B. Dawson, 86, was Friday at St. Peter Catholic Church. Private burial was at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Born in Doniphan, Neb., Mrs. Dawson died Thursday.
She had lived in Spokane for 52 years and had worked as a cook at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. She was also a homemaker.
Mrs. Dawson was a member of the Carpenter’s Auxiliary, Eagles Auxiliary, Beta Sigma Phi and St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
Her husband of 40 years, Orvin Dawson, died in 1968.
She is survived by a daughter, Janice Blank of Spokane; a son, George Dawson of Deer Park; two sisters, Velma Heyne of Polson, Mont., and Helen Muzechenko of Pasco; four brothers, Robert Fry of Coeur d’Alene, Harry Fry of Lewiston, Elza Fry of Ahsahka, Idaho, and Stephen Fry of Spokane; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Dr. Maurice Bryant Grand Coulee
Memorial service for Dr. Maurice E. Bryant, 84, will be at 2 p.m. today at St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Grand Coulee. Strate Funeral Home in Grand Coulee is in charge of arrangements.
Dr. Bryant, who died Tuesday, was born in Benson, Ill., and graduated from Washington State College and Louisville (Ky.) Medical School. He served his internship in Dayton, Ohio., and practiced medicine in Colfax, Wash., Spokane and Grand Coulee.
He served with the Air Force during World War II.
He was past post commander of the Colfax American Legion, a member of the Lions Club, past president of the Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the American Association of Ethical Hypnosis who lectured on hypnosis in the United States and Canada. Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Pauline; four sons, Jerry Bryant of Colville, Wash., Michael Bryant of Wenatchee, James Bryant of Seattle and Lincoln Bryant of Cheney; five daughters, Maurine Bryant of Arlington, Va., Linda Hillman of Woodburn, Ore., Colleen Rinker of Electric City, Wash., Stephanie McCoy of St. Charles, Mo., and Sharon Kupit of Yanceyville, N.C.; two brothers, Eugene Gillian of Belt, Mont., and Ora Bryant of Chehalis, Wash.; 13 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Joseph ‘Pat’ O’Leary Usk, Wash.
Memorial Mass for Joseph Patrick “Pat” O’Leary, 67, will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Newport, Wash. Burial will be at Newport Cemetery. Sherman-Knapp Funeral Home in Newport is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. O’Leary, who was born in Usk, died Tuesday.
He graduated from Cusick (Wash.) High School and Gonzaga University.
He played baseball in college and then in the minor leagues for Philadelphia, Boise, Brooklyn, Spokane and Eugene, Ore.
He was a golfer and had worked as a course professional for a time.
Mr. O’Leary owned lumber mills in New York, Texas and Pend Oreille County and returned to Pend Oreille County in 1987 from Texas.
He was a member of the Ranch Club Golf Course in Priest River, Idaho.
His wife, Maldene “Dene,” died last year.
Mr. O’Leary is survived by three daughters, Meegan and Tara O’Leary and Shannon Sidner, all of the Seattle area; two sons, David Hooper of Rialto, Calif., and Gary Ritter of San Marino, Calif.; a brother, Don O’Leary of Cusick; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Hazel Natwick Spokane
Memorial service for Hazel G. Natwick, 75, will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Thornhill Valley Funeral Home.
Mrs. Natwick, a 48-year Spokane resident who was born in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, died Tuesday.
She worked as a supervisor in a resident care facility for the mentally disabled for 20 years. She retired last November.
She is survived by three daughters, Patty Everett and Sandy Stewart, both of Spokane, and Carol Wilson of Post Falls; a son, Roger Carr of Spokane; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Burleigh ‘Buzz’ Burch Oxnard, Calif.
Memorial service for Burleigh “Buzz” Burch, 54, will be at 1 p.m. today at Community Bible Chapel in Spokane. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Terrace in Spokane. Pierce Bros. Griffin Mortuary in Camarillo, Calif., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Burch, who died Feb. 16, was born in Pocatello, Idaho, and lived in Spokane for many years before moving to California 15 years ago.
He was a fire sprinkler contractor and a former Marine.
Mr. Burch was a member of the American Legion and the National Marrow Donor Program.
Survivors include his wife, Ellen; a son, Steven Burch; two daughters, Kelli Messingale and Alicia Jackson; his parents, Larry and Frances Spicer; a brother, Dennis Burch; a sister, Sue Smith; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Marrow Donor Program, 990 Jay St., Camarillo, Calif., 93010, or the Channel Island Lions Club, 150 South E. St. Oxnard, Calif., 93030.
Ross Parmley Spokane
Service for Ross W. Parmley, 76, will be at 11 a.m. today at Five Mile Community Church. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace. Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Parmley, who died Wednesday, was born in Spokane.
He worked as a millwright for Morrison Knudsen Construction and retired from Alcoa in Addy, Wash., in 1984. He also operated a cattle ranch in Colville, Wash.
He had lived in Spokane for about 10 years.
He was a member of several Granges and Five Mile Community Church.
Mr. Parmley is survived by his wife Helen Parmley; a son, Kelly Parmley of Colville; three daughters, Patricia Ruden of Sandy, Utah, Connie Frazier of Spokane and Katrine Parmley of Gettysburg, Pa.; three stepchildren; two brothers, Keith Parmley of Homer, Alaska, and Glen Parmley of Jamestown, Calif.; four sisters, Aldea Trimble, Betty Boyle and Eola Schultz, all of Spokane, and Sylva Brownlee of Cambridge, Idaho; 13 grandchildren, eight stepgrandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cocolalla Lake Bible Camp, PO Box 106, Cocolalla, ID 83813.
Harris Sneve Worley, Idaho
Visitation for Harris Sneve, 70, will be today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene. Service will be Monday at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery.
Mr. Sneve, who was born in South Dakota, died Wednesday.
He served in the Army until 1947, then lived in South Dakota before moving to California, where he worked for Douglas Aircraft.
He moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1967 before moving to Worley and working as a contractor. He retired in 1987.
Mr. Sneve was a member of the Coeur d’Alene Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Vivian; a daughter, Debbie Sneve of Plummer, Idaho; two sons, Douglas Sneve of Bellingham and Daniel Sneve of Worley; two sisters, Ruth Nelson of Trentwood and Esther Cramer of South Dakota; a brother, Oscar Sneve of Michigan; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Northwest Burn Foundation, 1515 Northwest 52nd St., Suite A, Seattle, WA 98107.
, DataTimes