Saturday, April 20, 2024
Gehrig F. Loree passed away on Oct. 20, 2021, in Edmonds. Gehrig was born on Dec. 26, 1933, in Bellingham, the second of three children of J. Frank and Myrna (Thompson) Loree.
The family moved around Washington state, and Gehrig attended schools in Longview, Yakima, and Spokane. It was at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane that he made many friends with whom he remained close all of his life.
After high school, he attended Eastern Washington, Washington State and finally the University of Washington. He was both a Cougar and Husky fan, and in the Apple Cup would usually root for the underdog. He loved to watch all sports, but he loved to play golf and would join golf leagues wherever he worked.
On a vacation to Hawaii in 1973, he met Lucile Donway, who was on vacation there from Massachusetts. This was in February and, after a week, they returned to their separate homes in Seattle and Boston, where they began writing letters. This led to Lu’s moving to Seattle in May, and they were married on Aug. 19. This year they celebrated 48 years of marriage.
A year after they were married, one of those close high school friends of Gehrig’s (Ron Sandstrom) invited Gehrig and Lu to visit him at Priest Lake in northern Idaho, where he was building a cabin. Gehrig knew and loved Priest Lake from times he had spent there while in high school. While they visited Ron, they found out there was a lot for sale close by.
With money they had been saving to buy a house, they put a down payment on that lot. Gehrig had always dreamed of having a cabin at Priest Lake, and this was the start of making that dream come true. The property and later the cabin at Priest Lake was where Gehrig and Lu spent many happy weekends and vacations, and it eventually became their summer home in retirement.
Gehrig was always full of energy and curiosity, and he loved people, all people. There were no “others” in Gehrig’s world, only new people to meet. Many of his friends came through the churches that he belonged to, first St. Timothy Lutheran in Edmonds, then North Creek Presbyterian in Mill Creek, and when he was at Priest Lake, Lamb of God Lutheran. He had an unshakeable faith in God and could often be found reading his Bible in the early morning hours.
Gehrig is survived by his wife, Lu; sister Jacy Newall-Daggett; niece Kim Newall; nephews Scott Newall David (Gina) Loree; and five grand-nephews and grand-nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Myrna Loree, brother Robert (Norma) Loree, and nephew Jason (Tammy) Loree.
Special thanks to the staffs at Cedar Creek Memory Care and Continuum Hospice for their excellent and loving care of Gehrig.
Please share memories at www.beckstributecenter.com.
