Obituaries

Lawrence Francis Gildea was born on July 7, 1933 in Medford, Ore. 

He lived the first six years of his life on a family farm in southwest Oregon, located on the Applegate River near the unincorporated town of Ruch. After the beginning of World War II, the family relocated to Long Beach, Calif. where Lawrence's father found work in the military shipyards that fueled the war effort. 

Lawrence graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1951, an A student and varsity letterman in tennis. He studied for several years at Long Beach City College before transferring to San Jose State University and earning a Bachelor's Degree in Business.

He was accepted to several graduate business schools, including programs at Stanford University and the University of Illinois. But he was about to be drafted into the Army, so he put off graduate school and joined the military.

 He became an artillery mechanic and was stationed at an Army outpost in the midlands of England. After an honorable discharge, he enrolled in the business school at San Jose State and received his MBA.  Around this time he met Betty Lynch at a Catholic Newman Club social event on the campus of Stanford and the two began dating. Their courtship was swift. They were married Nov. 23, 1963, roughly nine months after they met. They went on to raise five children.

Lawrence entered the world of manufacturing and quickly rose into the ranks of production management at such high tech companies as Sperry Corporation and Rockwell International. The family relocated to Cheney, Wash. in 1979 and several years later Lawrence was hired at ISC Systems in Liberty Lake as a production control manager. In 1991, he received a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Lawrence also worked at Itronix in Liberty Lake, and finished his career with IBM before retiring in 2001.

Lawrence is survived by a brother: Patrick Gildea of Tracy, Calif.; a sister: Louise Cherry of Folsom, Calif., and his five children: Kathleen Gildea of Snoqualmie, Wash.; Bonnie Ginsberg of Redmond, Wash.; Michael Gildea of Corona, Calif.; Timothy Gildea of Galt, Calif. and Terrence Gildea of San Antonio, Texas. He has four grandchildren. His wife Betty died in 2001.

His memorial mass took place Monday June 22, at St. Christopher's Catholic Church in Galt, Calif. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.

Rushing, John W., Sr. “Papa John” (Age 89) – Born Nov. 20, 1919 to William and Virginia Rushing in Marion, La. Passed away June 13, 2009, in Airway Heights, Wash. 

John was a retired staff sergeant in the U.S. Army and volunteered for 28 years at the Veterans Administration Medical Center. He and his wife also worked with the Mission Service Corps of the SBC. 

John is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ruth Rushing of Airway Heights; sons: John W. Rushing, Jr. of Colorado, Michael W. Rushing, Sr. of Florida, and Daniel J. Rushing, Scott E. Rushing, Sr. and Patrick D. Rushing, all of Washington; daughters: Veronica S. Baumbauer of WA, Deborah K. Lawyer of Tennessee, Thelma I. Scott of Washington; 32 grandchildren; 47 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; and many nieces and nephews. His son, James J. Rushing preceded him in death in 1980.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, June 18 at the Airway Heights Baptist Church. Interment was at Greenwood Cemetery in Hunters, Wash.