Obituary: Nygren, Leslie James
Age 80
After a valiant battle with cancer, he went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on June 10, 2015 at the age of 80.
Les grew up in the West Central neighborhood, hanging out with friends at Doyle’s Ice Cream Parlor and participating in the youth group at Broadway Baptist Church.
He graduated from North Central High School, and from Whitworth College in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.
It was at Whitworth where he met, fell in love with, and married his best friend and lifelong sweetheart, Donna Mae Flynn of Kalispell, MT.
He later received his Master of Education from Whitworth in 1971.
Les taught Geometry and Algebra for his entire 30 year career at Central Valley High School.
He briefly coached tennis, but most will remember him as Central Valley’s golf coach of 27 years.
In his retirement, he pursued his passion for music, singing with the Project Joy performance groups “Grandpa’s Sound” and “Senior Serenaders”.
For 22 years, he helped bring smiles and happiness to thousands of people through the power of music.
Les accepted Christ as a young man, a faith and relationship that grew and deepened over his lifetime, guiding all of his priorities and decisions.
He served in numerous capacities, as both a servant and a leader, in the churches he attended.
He was welcoming and inclusive, his goal always to win others to Christ.
Les was a diehard sports fan.
His passion was playing golf, achieving the coveted hole-in-one in his early years, and playing as long in life as he was physically able.
He refereed basketball, and coached his sons’ little league baseball teams.
He loved attending Central Valley football and basketball games with his buddies, and was a Boston Red Sox fan.
But he was the biggest fan of his sons’ and his granddaughters’ endeavors; cheering them on (and later bragging about them) every opportunity he could.
Les loved Flathead Lake, waterskiing, picking and eating huckleberries, Michigan Rummy, lemon meringue pie (actually everything lemon!
), but most of all, he loved his family and friends and Jesus Christ.
He was a true friend to many, devoted to his family, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother.
He was generous, kind, caring, and compassionate.
He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Preceded in death by his parents and his older brother Del, Les is survived by his wife of 58 years Donna; his sister Lois (Paul) Currie of Pinehurst, ID; his son Mark (Mindy) of Spokane, his son Steve (Heidi) of Ritzville, and his granddaughters BreAnna, Holly, Catarina, and Rachel.
A public memorial will be held Saturday, June 27, 2015 at Shiloh Hills Fellowship 207 E. Lincoln Rd.
Spokane.
The service is set for 11:00 AM with a reception and time of sharing memories to follow.
Memorial donations may be given to Project Joy of Spokane (projectjoy.org) or Shiloh Hills Fellowship.