Obituaries
John Pritchett Post Falls
A memorial gathering in memory of John “Pete” Pritchett, 73, will be Saturday from 2-6 p.m. at his home in Post Falls. Yates Funeral Home of Coeur d’Alene is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Pritchett, who was born in Geary, Okla., died Saturday at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’Alene.
He grew up and graduated from high school in Muskogee, Okla., and served 20 years with the Air Force.
He married Dorothy Dillon in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1943.
Mr. Pritchett retired from the Air Force in 1965 and worked for Boeing for two years. In 1968 he moved to Coeur d’Alene and worked for the Forest Service at the Magee Ranger Station.
He retired in 1985 and became the caretaker at Shoshone Camp on the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.
Mr. Pritchett was an avid outdoorsman who loved traveling and helping others.
He was preceded in death by his wife in 1994.
Survivors include a daughter, Peggy Hallinan of Colbert; a sister, Virginia Lewis of Tulsa, Okla.; three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be sent to Hospice of North Idaho, 280 Prairie Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Dale Wyer-Ridgeway California
Service for Dale Wyer-Ridgeway, 31, is planned for 3 p.m. Saturday at Elk Country Church of the Open Bible. Burial will be at the Elk Cemetery.
Mr. Wyer-Ridgeway, a former Spokane resident, died Aug. 15 in California in a motorcycle accident.
He was born in Spokane.
He graduated from Spokane Community College and worked as an automotive mechanic in Spokane.
He moved to California two years ago.
He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Carolynn and Bobbie Ridgeway of Spokane; his father, Richard Wyer of California; one daughter, Brianna Wyer of Spokane; two sons, Tyson Wyer of Spokane and D.J. Wyer of Indiana; five sisters, Theresa Downward and Crystal Kelly, both of Spokane, Barbara Germer and Mary Ridgeway, both of Texas, and Ann Venable of South Dakota; two brothers, Vaughn Wyer-Ridgeway of Alabama and Billy Ridgeway of Spokane; and his grandmothers, Emily Vosahlo and Lorraine Wilson, both of Spokane.
Jerry Wilbert Liberty Lake
Service for Geraldine “Jerry” (Eastman) Wilbert, 75, will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North with burial at Riverside Memorial Park.
Mrs. Wilbert, who was born in Stirum, N.D., died Wednesday.
She moved to Spokane in 1935, and graduated from North Central High School and Kinman Business University.
She worked as a secretary for the Central Valley School District and retired in 1984.
She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi, Liberty Lake Community Church and the Northside Beach Club.
Mrs. Wilbert is survived by her husband of 53 years, Jack Wilbert; two sons, Charles Wilbert of Canoga Park, Calif., and William Wilbert of Spokane; one daughter, Kristi Wilbert of Selah, Wash.; one brother, James Eastman of Fresno, Calif.; one sister, Evelyn Tomlinson of Dallas; and three grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Spokane.
Loyd Barbee Spokane
Graveside service for R. Loyd Barbee, 101, is planned for 1:30 p.m. today at the International Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Pullman. Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Barbee died Wednesday.
He was born in Pullman and had lived in Spokane for the past 59 years.
He was an auto mechanic in Pullman, worked at a Pullman milk house from 1920 to 1925, and at several auto shops and dealers. In Spokane he worked for the Department of Soil Conservation, Kaufman Nash, Ken Korte Service, Harley Yearber and Kershaw’s until 1969, when he retired.
He is survived by one son, James Barbee of Bellevue; two daughters, Elaine Copeland of Anacortes, Wash., and Arlene Thompson of Cusick, Wash.; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Hospice of Spokane.
Eugene Fields Othello, Wash.
Memorial service for Eugene A. “Gene” Fields, 62, is set for 2 p.m. today at Muscott-Stevens Funeral Chapel in Othello.
Mr. Fields, who died Tuesday from cancer, was born in Lemmon, S.D.
He graduated from high school in Oakesdale, Wash., and from Eastern Washington University. He served in the Army from 1953 to 1955 in Korea.
He worked for Sherwood and Roberts Insurance in Kennewick and for Lochmiller Agency in Othello. He was co-owner of Hanks and Fields Insurance Inc. in Othello and retired in 1991.
Mr. Fields was a member of the Lions Club and Pilgrim Lutheran Church.
He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Mary Lou Fields; two daughters, Mona Henderson of Boise and Julie Ann Primrose of Panama City, Fla.; one granddaughter, Nikki Henderson; and one brother, Jim Fields of Alamo, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to the International Myeloma Foundation, 2120 Stanley Hills Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90046.
Otis Tofte Spokane
Service for Otis A. Tofte, 60, is planned for 2 p.m. Monday at Riplinger Funeral Home with burial to follow at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.
Mr. Tofte, who died Wednesday. was born in Lansford, N.D. He moved to Hauser Lake, Idaho, in 1973 and Spokane in 1987.
For the past eight years he had been the cement and masonry instructor for the Columbia Basin Job Corps in Moses Lake.
He was a member of Cement and Masons Union Local No. 72.
He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Gloria; two sons, Dan and Rob Bly, both of Spokane; one daughter, Kathy Shaw of Spokane; two brothers, Al and Dan Tofte, both of Spokane; six sisters, Mavis Baker of Moyie, Idaho, Darlene Best of Hope, Idaho, Lola Bourassa of Puyallup, Wash., Franis Christenson of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Marian Sunford of Kennewick and Judy O’Neil of Spokane; and nine grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Moses Lake Job Corps or Hospice of Spokane.
Ocee White Spokane
No service will be held for Ocee C. White, 64, at his request. Private inurnment will be in Moscow, Idaho. Thornhill Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. White, who was born in Sterling, Colo., died Thursday.
He had lived in the Valley for 45 years and worked as a meat cutter.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Darlene; two sons, Randal White of Oro Valley, Ariz., and Rick White of Spokane; two brothers, Marvin White of Lewiston and Dee White of Yorba Linda, Calif.; and six grandchildren.
Cecil Lawson Spokane
A family gathering in memory of Cecil L. Lawson, 88, will be in Eureka, Calif. Inurnment will be at the Edna (Kan.) Cemetery. Citizens Mortuary of Ferndale, Calif., is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lawson, a former Spokane resident, died July 10 in Eureka.
Born in Missouri, he served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He worked for the Great Northern Railway for more than 35 years.
Mr. Lawson had lived in Spokane for 38 years and moved to Eureka to stay with his daughter.
His wife, Alene Lawson, died in January.
He is survived by one daughter, Connie Butterfield of Ferndale, Calif.; and one brother, Kenneth Lawson of Oroville, Wash.
James Lawrence Newport, Wash.
Service for James Archie Lawrence, 68, was held Friday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Priest River Ward. Burial was at Evergreen Cemetery in Priest River, Idaho.
Mr. Lawrence, who died Tuesday at home, was born in Spirit Lake, Idaho.
He served in the Army during World War II.
He had lived in Wyoming and pursued a country music career. He also had lived in Missouri and Lolo Hot Springs, Mont., before he moved to Newport in 1985.
He is survived by one son, Kenneth Lawrence of Kalispell, Mont.; two daughters, Linda Orr of Newport and Rhonda Fowler; his companion, Dorothy Marks of Newport; one sister, Muriel Craig of Oldtown, Idaho; 10 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Michael Galles Spokane
Memorial service for Michael Edward Galles, 42, will be today at 11 a.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.
Mr. Galles died Wednesday in Spokane.
He was born in Spokane and grew up in Coeur d’Alene, graduating from high school there. He had lived in Spokane for the past year and worked as a technician for Key Tronic Corp.
Mr. Galles was a member of the Catholic Church.
Survivors include a son, David Galles of Spokane; his parents, Ed and Margaret Galles of Coeur d’Alene; one brother, Patrick Galles of Post Falls; and two sisters, Susan Weather of Coeur d’Alene and Haldeen Johnson of South Dakota.
Memorials may be sent to the National Epilepsy Foundation.
Rudolph Rossing Spokane
Memorial service for Rudolph O. “Rudy” Rossing, 84, was held at First Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Rossing, who died Aug. 18, was born in Greenbush, Minn.
He and his family moved to Spokane, from Montana, in 1948.
He was the branch manager for Northwest States Supply Co. in Spokane and later worked for Western Gas and Power Co., and Crane Supply Co., and was a manufacturer’s representative for American Furnace Co. and Vermette Machine Co. He taught certification classes for the first natural gas fitters in Spokane County.
Mr. Rossing was an elder, choir member and adult Sunday school teacher at Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church. He had been a deacon at First Presbyterian Church.
He was an industrial arts volunteer for School District 81 and worked at the Skills Center, North Central High School and Garry Junior High School. He was involved with Spokane Civic Theatre and the Spokane Youth Hockey Association.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Scottish Rite Bodies.
Mr. Rossing is survived by his wife of 57 years, Muriel; one daughter, Pamela Rossing of Spokane; one sister, Lillian Dobson of Shingle Springs, Calif.; three half-sisters, Lillian Wigen, Laura Carter and Olga Fifer, all of Spokane; one half-brother, Lloyd Carlson of Medicine Lake, Mont.; two grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
, DataTimes