Victor E. Deering, Jr.

He started work at the Lewiston Tribune when he was 17 as an apprentice printer. He wasn't going to stay long, so 47 years later he retired. In high school he was involved in sports such as track, football, boxing and baseball. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951 and was very proud of having served as a rifleman with the 1st Cavalry Division during the Korean War. After his discharge in 1953, he married Shirley Cox. They had two children. That marriage ended in divorce. He then tried drinking booze as a profession, but found out they could make it faster than he could drink it. Then, by far the greatest thing in his life happened: He met and married Phyllis Beckman. She turned his wicked life around and he became a good husband and father. They were married Sept. 13, 1964. She had five children from two previous marriages and he got his two kids back with the death of his first wife. They had to add two bedrooms onto their house with seven kids to feed and nourish. Vic and Phyl sent seven kids to school with three different last names. It was some of the best but hectic times of their lives.

Vic and Phyl traveled quite a bit, going to Hawaii and also to Minnesota to see Phyl's childhood home, to New England to see a new grandbaby, three times to the Custer Battlefield and twice to Yellowstone National Park, plus frequent trips to Nevada to have fun with the wickedness of gambling.

Vic also saw to it that all his kids watched the film "Shane." This included the grandkids, especially the ones who were easiest to catch. He would ask the kids if they had seen "Shane," and the alert ones would say "Yes, grandpa, I've been indoctrinated." It was truly a family joke.

Vic was also sports-minded through the years, playing city league softball, basketball and flag football. He also bowled and played terrible golf. He turned Phyl into an "athletic supporter." He was never a great athlete but he tried his damndest. He played his last city league softball game at the age of 59. He also hunted until one day when he lost the urge to kill. He went 38 years without pulling the trigger once. He didn't go to kill but to breathe that fresh mountain air. He and Phyl also loved camping in the Blues, sometimes with friends and sometimes alone.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis; his parents, Victor Deering Sr. and Ruth Deering; one grandson; and one great-grandson.

He is survived by his children, Linda (Bob) Mael, Andy (Cheryl) Deering, Kelly Nigro, Julie Beckman, Greg (Fran) Hranac, Becky Eklund and Teresa (John) Falk. He is also survived by 18 grandkids and 15 great-grandkids. He has a sister, Pat, in Bozeman, Mont., and a brother, Frank, in Pasco.

The services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the First Christian Church in Clarkston, with a light lunch to follow. Memorials may be sent to the Asotin County Historical Society, P.O. Box 3667, Asotin, WA 99402.