Lester Kruse Whittaker

Lester Kruse Whittaker, a lifelong resident of Olympia, passed away November 15, 2014. He was born in March 1930 in Roy, Washington, to Glen Whittaker and Geraldine Kruse Whittaker. He grew up in Olympia and spent summers on Hood Canal with his grandparents. He met Donna Jean Meurs at the skating rink in 1949 and they were married in October 1954. They just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. By age 84, Les had lived a full life. He served in the National Guard as a young man. He had a very strong work ethic and devoted his career to Olympia Shingle and Olympia Sand & Gravel companies. His favorite daily ritual was morning coffee at Hawks Prairie Inn and Denny’s. He was always working in the woods and on his property, teaching his daughters and grandchildren things like logging, building fence, and how to use hand and power equipment. Puttering in his shop was his daily routine. He loved his bulldozers. He enjoyed scuba diving, hunting, trapshooting and flying. But most of all, he enjoyed his family and was proud of them. He is survived by his wife, Donna; daughter, Sandy Greenway; granddaughter, Taylor Greenway Glascock, and her husband, Jeff , who are expecting Lester’s first great grandchild; daughter, Lynn Sodergren, and her husband, David, and grandchildren, Dakota and Hannah; daughter, Kathleen Knoedler, her husband, Darrell, and grandsons Kyle and Zach. Please leave memories of Les or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.