Earl Dean Hasenwinkle

On April 28, 2019, Earl Dean Hasenwinkle, passed away in Puyallup, WA at the age of 89.  He was born in in the small town of Bison, South Dakota on November 24, 1929 to parents Carl August Hasenwinkle and Anna Margaret Thielman.

He had an older brother, Clarence, a younger sister Shirley and a younger brother, Irwin. His dad had been an electrician in the Navy in World World I and bought the Bison Electric Company in 1929.  They went to 24 hour power for the town, and it was a family affair to keep the lights on.   Earl inherited his mechanical abilities and the talent to fix anything from his father and many hours at the light plant.

He wrote ”Because of 24-hour service, Dad would stay with his engines until the wee hours of the morning.  He would normally take time out for a midnight supper and return to work shortly after.  On weekends he would let Clarence and I stay in the plant with him until midnight. How we relished these evenings.  There was plenty to keep us busy until it was time to go or until I fell asleep on the roll-top desk in the office. “

He was a natural at math and science and in his spare time he loved doing experiments and would send away for various chemical by mail order.  Earl entered the University of Washington on a Navy ROTC scholarship where he graduated with a degree in Chemistry in 1952.  He spent three years in the Navy as an Engineering Officer on the USS Essex CV-9 during the Korean War.   During his time on the Essex he saw many parts of the world and took amazing photographs that were even featured in a Navy magazine.

After leaving the Navy, Earl started working for American Marietta which was purchased by Weyerhaeuser.  Earl spent over 37 years working for Weyerhaeuser as a Design Engineer and amassed 26 patents for various lumber products and machines.  One of his patents was one of top 10 Weyerhaeuser patents for the company.

On July 2, 1953 he married Gloria Marie Ringdal in Seattle. While in the Navy they lived in San Diego and Bremerton.  After the Navy service they lived in Seattle until moving to Longview, Washington until 1977 when they moved to Puyallup when Earl was transferred to the Weyerhaeuser Tech Center in Federal Way.  They had one child, Ann.  Gloria was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1978 and by 1983 she was wheel chair bound.  For 10 years Earl was primary caregiver in addition to his job at Weyerhaueser.

On July 15, 1995 Earl married Deanna Hall Dicomes.  They spent many years working on house projects and traveling.  They went on many cross country road trips.  Deanna shared his love of the water and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Earl loved the outdoors.  His favorite activities included boating, fishing, clamming, and hunting.  At home he could often be found working on various projects in his big shop which he also built.  He was always thinking of new ideas and better ways to solve problems.  Earl helped many grandkids and the friends of grandkids learn how to build better model bridges, catapults, and rocket launchers.

He had an incredible memory and could recall just about anything from even years before.  It was tough to beat him in trivia pursuit.  Earl loved his country.  He also loved his faithful pet companions and spent most of his life with at least one dog by his side.  Later on, he also became a cat person.

Earl was a generous person and loved to spend time with his family and friends.  The world was a better place with him in it and we all miss him very much.  He had a lot of wisdom to impart and a lot of knowledge left the earth when he passed.  In conclusion, I think he would want all of us to remember his trademark departing advice to “Stay on the Road.”

Earl is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Gloria, and his sister, Shirley Leonard.  He is survived by his wife, Deanna, daughter, Ann (Craig) Williams, step daughter Trissan (Scott Bitterman) Dicomes. Grandchildren James (Mary Christensen) Williams, Kirsten (Jacob) Berezay, Trisha Williams, Hayley (Zach) Skabelund, Mara (Mark) Hurst, and Jonathan Williams.  Step-grandchildren James Reese and Jessica (Forrest) Walpole.   He is also survived by his brother, Clarence (Helene) Hasenwinkle and Irwin (Sharon) Hasenwinkle.

Arrangements are being made by Power’s Funeral home of Puyallup.  A Memorial Service will be scheduled for a later time.