On Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, Richard Allen "Rick" Schoenwald passed away in the loving arms of his wife and daughter at his home in Clarkston. Cause of death was congestive heart failure complicated by end-stage renal disease.
Rick was born Dec. 6, 1943, in Minot, N.D., the second of four children born to Melvin H. Schoenwald and Dorothy E. Harshberger Schoenwald.
He attended grade school in Burlington, N.D., before the family moved to Washington state in 1956 and settled in Walla Walla. He attended junior high in Walla Walla, then moved to Spokane in 1959 and graduated from John Rogers High School in Spokane in 1962. He joined the U.S. Army on Nov. 4, 1962, and was honorably discharged Nov. 5, 1965.
He attended Walla Walla Vo-Tech School (now WWCC) in 1965 and 1966. He then went to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Little Goose Dam during its construction. In 1968, he began a four-year hydroelectric apprentice training program at McNary Dam and chose the powerhouse mechanic trade. In April 1973, he transferred to Little Goose Dam, and in 1975 up to Lower Granite Dam. He retired in January 1999. In 2003, he began working part time at the Clarkston Country Club in grounds maintenance. Poor health forced him to return into retirement in 2013.
He and Marilyn Kay Nichols were married Sept. 14, 1974, in Reno, Nev. They lived in Starbuck, Wash., when they welcomed their beautiful and precious daughter Angela Kay Schoenwald in 1975. In August 1975, they moved to a government housing site at Illia Landing below Lower Granite. In 1986, they moved to Clarkston.
Rick had a wonderful sense of humor. In his younger years, Rick enjoyed boating, water skiing and drinking beer, not necessarily in that order. After his retirement from the Corps of Engineers, he enjoyed following the Lewis-Clark State College Warrior baseball program. He was also a lifelong avid reader. He loved his immediate and extended family and made many trips to North Dakota to visit his aunts, uncles and cousins and attend family reunions. The Oregon coast also was a favorite destination.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; daughter Angela Jones; grandsons Nicholas Jones (17) and Caleb Jones (14), of Spokane Valley; sister Kay Schoenwald Shariff and husband Asghar of Phoenix; nephew Shaun Shariff of Boston; niece Carrie Smith of Hermiston, Ore.; and two half-siblings and their families.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy; father Melvin; older brother James in 2003; and youngest sister Susan J. Smith in 2006.
The family would like to give a special thank you to Dr. Dennis Simpson at Pullman Palouse Medical, to Dr. Ajith Kumar and the Lewis Clark Kidney Center staff and to all the wonderful doctors and staff at Spokane Cardiology in Lewiston and Spokane.
Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Cremation has taken place. His remains will be buried next summer in the family plot at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Mt. Hope, Wash., in south Spokane County.
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Sandy Dormanen (Leathes)
So sorry to hear about Rick. I was from Burlington and my parents were good friends of Mel and Dorothy. I think Kay would remember our family. I have a twin brother Sam and we were all the same age. Condolences from the Leathes family.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017 1:55 PM
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