John Francis Lein

John F. Lein, 65, a longtime Wenatchee Valley resident, passed away on Saturday, June 8th at Central Washington Hospital. He was born on September 17, 1947 at Perham, Minnesota to Alexis A. and Agnes L. (Ditterick) Lein. He was raised and attended school in Minnesota prior to the family moving to Omak in 1963. He finished high school and graduated from Omak High School in 1965. He continued his education at Central Washington State College, (now University), in Ellensburg for nearly four years, before accepting a job with the Department of Social & Health Services in Tacoma. He transferred to the Wenatchee office in 1972. He met Patti Friebus in Wenatchee and they were later married at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Wenatchee on May 16, 1975. Shortly after their marriage, John was transferred to the Vancouver DSHS office where he became a Financial Supervisor. In 1978, they moved to Ellensburg while He finished obtaining his Bachelor's degree in Social Work. The following year, they returned to Vancouver, Washington and he resumed his job at DSHS. In 1983, they moved to Olympia and spent a temporary portion of the year back in Wenatchee before being returned to Olympia. In 1989, he was transferred to Aberdeen, where he was put in charge of the Administration of Grays Harbor, Elma and the South Bend DSHS offices. In 1998, they transferred to the Wenatchee DSHS office, where he worked as the Administrator from 1998 until retiring in 2002. They have made their home in East Wenatchee since 1998. John was active in Community Theater for many years. He enjoyed his computer, especially the World of War Craft game, Books, fantasy shows and the "Game of Thrones", TV series on HBO. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Patti Lein, East Wenatchee; his mother, Agnes, L. Lein, Okanogan; his brother, Gregory Lein, Omak; two brothers-in-law, Victor McSwane, East Wenatchee and John Friebus, Omak and one sister-in-law, Bernadine "Berni" Yancey, East Wenatchee. He was preceded in death by his father, Alexis Lein in May of 1985. You are invited to visit his online tribute and leave a message at www.HeritageMemorialChapel.com. Arrangements are in the care of Heritage Memorial Chapel, East Wenatchee. 25 Random Things about me as written in the Wenatchee World John F. Lein September 17, 1947 ~ June 8, 2013 After a three year battle with multiple myeloma, John Francis Lein, 65, passed away Saturday, June 8, 2013, at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee, WA, surrounded by his loving family and friends. John was born September 17, 1947, in Perham, MN, to Agnes and Alex Lein. To know John, was to love John. John's comical storytelling and infectious laugh made him the life of any party. The following Random Things list, found on John's Facebook page, is a sense of what he shared with those whose lives he blessed: 25 Random Things about Me by John Lein, Friday, January 30, 2009, at 6:32 p.m. I finally read Dickens' "David Copperfield" a couple of years ago, and was completely blown away. Charles Dickens is FUNNY. Who knew? I love music - all kinds - but have no musical aptitude whatsoever. And I cannot dance. I am really gifted at trivia. I was a College Bowl champion in college. But I can't remember a person's name when I meet them on the street (under pressure) to save my soul. I went to a Catholic grade school (first through eighth) in Perham. MN. I can still diagram a sentence and sleep through any religious service I am required to attend. My family (mom and four siblings - dad died in 1985) are close, and get along with only occasional bloodshed. I am the eldest child, so I was special and get to win all arguments. But, uh, don't mention that around my siblings, OK? I took a life altering road trip in the spring of 1969 - to Kansas City to see a basketball game. Almost died in Wyoming when a tire blew out at nearly 100 mph. Our team, CWSC (now CWU), lost the championship game. I was severely scalded when I was a toddler by pulling a tub of hot water over on myself. They treated me with new medical tech from WW2 and I have no scars. My mother's nickname is "Shag" after a dance that was popular when she was young. Nicknames were big in Minnesota after the war - among the adults of my childhood were "Tee-Hee", "Tooblow", "Who-Buddy-Buck-Fart", "Timothy Alfalfa Quackgrass Guck", and "Twinkles". Patti and I have been married for almost 34 years. I have never regretted a second of it. I have seen hundreds, probably thousands, of movies in my lifetime. Most of them weren't very good, but when they were, it made it all worthwhile. The best, in my opinion, each have an individual quality that makes it special: 'A Man For All Seasons' for its morality, 'Jaws' for its scariness, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' for its sense of childhood wonder, 'All About Eve' for its incredible dialog, 'Saving Private Ryan' for its intensity, 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy for its spectacle and for the awe inspired by Jackson's ability to channel Tolkien. I am an introvert. I did not know that about myself until the last ten years. I always thought I was a raging extrovert who just wasn't very good at it. I'm a bit shallow. I did not know that about myself until the last ten years. I always thought I was a very deep person who just wasn't very good at it. I'm the one who always has to take the dog to the vet when it is time to do the humane thing. I hate that, but I do it because I can. Part of that oldest child thing I guess. I like making lists. This is kinda fun. Getting older is a strange trip. Things that used to work really well, even when you didn't want them to, hardly work at all anymore. Fortunately, as you get older, I find that that doesn't matter so much. I still feel like a 12 year old inside who is faking being grown up. I think that, except for my spotty personal history, my laziness, my complete lack of interest in a wide variety of issues, and my ability to say the wrong thing at almost any juncture, I would have made a great president of the United States. Oh, and my poor grasp on reality. This will surprise almost everyone I know, but I loathe personal exercise. I'm for it on principle, but have never really found the perfect technique. I need a regimen that has no pain, effort or time commitment involved. I play games on my PC. I love to win, so I usually play at the lowest possible settings - not interested in a challenge, just want to conquer the world quickly and with overwhelming force. Lately I am into blues guitar: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Walter Trout, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker. Experience says this will pass and in a short time it will be Flamenco, or Irish Folk music, or Sinatra (again). Back to reading: I go through periods when I read three books a week, and then other times when I read nothing but internet news and cereal boxes. When I read, I prefer fiction, but have enjoyed some biographies and histories. I think some people see me as aloof, but I'm really just kinda shy (see nos. 11 and 12 above). It's a fat kid thing I suspect. I have not traveled much. Went on a cruise in the Caribbean, the previously mentioned road trip to Kansas City, some gambling trips to Nevada, the trip out here from Minnesota, and a bit of B.C., Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State. That's it. Sad. I am a Democrat. I don't like the Republican Party, although I have met many Republicans that I like a lot. Just have to bite my tongue. If I ever get arrested for assault, it will probably be because I met Rush Limbaugh. He is our current Joe McCarthy. (My opinion, of course, but I am absolutely right on this one.) People who have a lot of drama in their lives wear me out. I think they wear out almost everyone. My eyebrows are beginning to look like Andy Rooney's. (Sigh) John is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Patti, of East Wenatchee; his mother, Agnes of Okanogan; sisters, Sue Stanger of Omak, Cathy (Dave) Myers of Malott, and Jane (Ted) Clough of Malott; brother, Greg (Jennie) of Omak; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. John was preceded in death by his father, Alex. A Commemoration Service will be held on Friday, July 12, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery Mausoleum. You are invited to visit his online tribute and leave a message at www.HeritageMemorialChapel.com. Arrangements are in the care of Heritage Memorial Chapel, East Wenatchee.

John Francis Lein

September 17, 1947 - June 8, 2013