Obituary: Valkenaar, Lewis Edwin
Age 82
Lew was born May 19, l932 in Zion, Ill. to William and Leah Ruth McCormack.
After grad- uation from Evanston High, he joined the USAF in 1949 serving as an airplane mechanic until l953 and then served in the National Guard and Air Force Reserves as a flight engineer until l991.
The last nine months were on a flight crew hauling supplies into Kuwait during Desert Storm.
Lew served as a police officer in Glendale and Downey, CA for 11 years, moved to Idaho and became a claims adjuster and manager with Grange Insurance.
He opened his own independent adjusting office as Frontier Adjusters in l980 specializing in aviation losses until his retirement in 2005.
Lew, a long time pilot, was active in Washington Pilots and was past President of that group and Organization of Flying Adjusters.
He made many cross country trips in his P-210 including Mexico.
He loved singing in his church choirs and groups.
He was known fondly by many as “Mr. Fix-it” and generally had a project or two going.
Lew is survived by his wife of 37 years, Dotty, his children, Gary Valkenaar (Ann), Kathy Mather (Steve), Steven Valkenaar (Traci), Glenn Valkenaar (Tracy), step-daughters, Kerry Hauf (Rick), Kathy Campbell and, l5 grandchildren, 17 great-grands and godson, Jason Hoover (Andria) and many who called him Grandpa.
Brothers, Ron Valkenaar, David Valkenaar (Lisa), his sister, Peggy Gibson, Judy Valkenaar the mother of his four children, In lieu of flowers, Lew would have wanted donations to the Wounded Warrior Fund or the Spokane Honor Flight Fund which he had hoped to go on in May of 2015 or the Project of Joy Fund at Valley Assembly.
Memorial Service will be Tuesday, December 23rd at 1:00 PM at Valley Assembly Church, 15618 E. Broadway.