Wilfred L. Lutgen, Sr. Obituary (1929 - 2024)

Wilfred J. Lutgen, Sr. Wilfred (Will, Willy, Curley) Lutgen, Sr., age 95, was born in Snoqualmie, WA on March 11, 1929, to his parents Katherine and Edward Lutgen. He passed away on June 21, 2024 of end stage kidney disease, but mostly of a broken heart, at Mount St. Vincent in West Seattle. Will's wife, Boo, passed away in November of 2023 and he never got over it. The staff at Mount St. Vincent called Boo and Will's relationship a "love story". They were married for over 73 years. They provided everyone they met with an example of what it means to be dedicated to a spouse for your entire life. Born of the Great Depression, Will always described his childhood as Huckleberry Finn-ish...unstructured, carefree and idyllic. He fished and rafted on the Snoqualmie River; hunted by sling shot for small prey in the adjacent forest; and rode the rails between Snoqualmie and North Bend. Getting off the train in North Bend, he would meet his aunt at the back door of the North Bend bakery for a morning pastry. With the advent of World War II, Will's electrician father moved the family to Seattle so he could work in the shipyards. Will attended St. Mary's Grade School, and there, he met Boo in the 7th grade. He went on to O'Dea High School where life became significantly more structured for the wanderlust and adventurous boy from Snoqualmie. Having a father who worked long hours at the shipyard and a chronically ill mother, Will struggled in high school and with life in the big city. In search of "getting his act together" at age 16, and with parental consent, he joined the U.S. Navy. His favorite deployment was on the aircraft carrier "Boxer" as a gunner's mate. He sailed the western Pacific with ports of call in Asia, but Japan was his favorite stopping place. At age 18, his two year tour in the Navy and adventure of a life time ended. He returned to Seattle and re-started his junior year at O'Dea High School as a mature, disciplined and worldly student. He "rode the pine" (the bench) on the varsity basketball team and graduated in 1950, having served as the school's student body president. Home from the Navy, Will reconnected with Boo. They married on July 28, 1950. They purposely created a loving, happy and stable home for their three sons in the Wedgwood/Our Lady of the Lake and then Bryant/Assumption areas of Seattle. Boo's uncle, Hank Gronerude, took Will under his wing and taught him the trade of commercial installation work. Hank's specialty was installing theater/event arena seating, school and stage equipment. Will spent the rest of his working life installing this kind of equipment, then selling it, and finally managing the Bellevue office of Stage Craft Industries. Will always credited four things to the wonderful life he and Boo built for their family: O'Dea High School, the Navy, Boo and Uncle Hank. He loved and talked about these institutions, his wife and uncle until the day he passed away! He loved the structure of family life and sense of belonging to communities; watching his sons and especially his grandkids play sports; making cookies and caramels at Christmas with his granddaughters; enjoyed driving a new car every few years and wearing nice clothes. He often connected to people he did not know by complimenting them on their shoes. He also enjoyed building or renovating things and fishing with his grandkids. But among all of the things he liked to do...dancing with Boo was it! And his kids were told by their Mom, all the ladies at their dance club wanted to dance with him too. Perhaps the most important things Will may be remembered for are, his Catholic faith and support of the needy. He believed in giving "a little something" to every charity that asked and personally lent a helping hand, in a variety of ways, to anyone he saw in need. Will was interned, in a private Gravesite Burial and Celebration of Life with family and close friends, at Holyrood Cemetery on July 9, 2024. Remembrances may be sent to: O'Dea High School, in Memory of Will Lutgen, Sr., Class of 1950, 802 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 or over the internet at Why Giving Matters - O'Dea High School O'Dea High School