| Notes |
- When his first wife died, his daughters were adopted by his second wife.
Surrounded by his loving family, Lenard Violette passed away on November 6, 2012, in Kennewick, Washington.
Lenard was born to Louis and Doris Violette on September 16, 1941, in Toppenish, Washington. The first of seven children, he attended school in Wapato and graduated from high school in 1960. During these years he enjoyed hunting pheasants with this brothers Jerry and Don after church on Sundays. Lenard was an active member of FFA as a young farmer, and won many awards for his farming talents. He was proud of his farming heritage and always held the Yakima Valley close to his heart. He enjoyed everything about farming, from driving the tractor to taking his children to the auction to buy calves. He also taught his grandchildren about horses and the farming lifestyle. He started his career as a tire salesman and added a second job truck driving, working hard to provide for his family. Lenard fully transitioned to a truck driver and worked many years for Oak Harbor Freight Lines. He retired in 2002.
Lenard was a man's man. All of the images conjured up when you think of a man -- those were Lenard. He wore many hats over the years. He was proud of serving his community as a volunteer firefighter, and enjoyed electrical work, woodworking, and welding. Lenard grew up believing a man wore a pair of jeans, boots, and a snap shirt, and it wasn't until he met his loving wife Judy that he started to experiment with tennis shoes, trucker hats, and shorts (the latter only once or twice). He was quiet, but strong, and had core values respected by many.
Lenard is survived by three daughters, Debbie (Rob), Leigh Anne, and Cathy (Todd). He married his love, Judy, in 1986, and inherited a daughter and son, Debbie (Pat) and John (Hope), who he thought of as his own.
Lenard loved children, and could always be found with a baby in his arms. He was the proud grandfather of 17 grandchildren, including: Jenna, Samantha, Kassandra, Aria, Melane, Tyler, Jamie, Cody, Joel, Alyssa, Makenzie, Emily, Collin, Connor, Chayse, Codi-Anne, and Kaj. In addition, he had five great-grandchildren.
Lenard is also survived by his three sisters, Rose, Sharon, and Irene; and three brothers, Don, Jerry, and Jim. His parents preceded him in death.
A celebration of Lenard's life will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2012, at 10:00 a.m., at Mueller's Tri-Cities Funeral Home, 1401 South Union, Kennewick, WA. Graveside services will follow. Please bring a photo and a memory to share.
His family wants to extend a special thanks to the nursing staff at KGH for their loving care and attention. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Lenard's name to the Spina Bifida Associationor the Benton/Franklin County 4H program through the Franklin County Extension office.
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1941 - 2012 (71 years)
