Flavel M. Runyan's Obituary
Flavel M. Runyan
July 1, 1925 ~ July 12, 2016
Flavel Runyan of Columbia City died peacefully Tuesday surrounded by his loving family at his bed side, he had recently turned 91. Flavel was born in Cadillac, Michigan to Bernard and Esther (King) Runyan. The family soon located to Whitefish, Montana where he grew up and worked for the railway station, developing a lifelong love of trains, he graduated from high school in 1943. Enlisting in the Navy after graduation he became a radioman, supporting marine troop positions during island landing campaign’s in the Pacific of WWII. He also served in the Navy during the Korean War.
After the war he graduated from Kinman Business Univ. in Spokane, Washington where he met and married Shirley Didier of Lewistown Montana. They remained in Spokane to begin raising their two children Stephen and Mark, eventually partnering in an insurance agency followed by a successful position with Purolator Oil Filters as a sales representative for the western region of the country. This position took him and his family to Kansas City, Missouri, Huntington Beach, California and Bellevue, Washington. He was a loving father always supportive and active in his children’s pursuits. They divorced and remained amicable thereafter.
Through his career he owned several other businesses, such as a 7 Eleven in Bellevue, Washington, an Automotive Parts store in Wenatchee, Washington and a Knapp Shoes store in Portland Oregon. Portland is where in 1981 he met and married Rachael Tacker and spent 20 wonderful years together. They lived their dream of moving to the beach at Seaside, Oregon to retire but in 1996 they built a beautiful little home overlooking the Columbia River in Columbia City to be closer to family. This would be his last move, he loved it here watching the river traffic of big ships, tugs and fishermen. They remained together until her passing in 2001.
Then in 2003 he married beautiful Hazel Evans at Grace Baptist Church where they embraced a renewed enthusiasm for life. They found great joy together with trips to Arizona and the Oregon Coast, church activities, but mostly sharing themselves with family, friends and one another.
Flavel enjoyed golfing, Mariners baseball, the beach, fried oysters, sports, card games, financial topics, politics, and keeping up on current news. He had an artistic side to him where he journaled, sketched and wrote poems, that he added to cards letters and gifts making them fun. He adored his sons, they were his best friends and he was theirs.
Flavel is proceeded in death by his wives Shirley and Rachael, brother Ted, sister Theda, and parents. He is survived by his loving wife Hazel, his brother Bud, sons Stephen and Mark.
A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, July 22, 2016 at 11:00 am at Grace Baptist Church St. Helens, Oregon. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Grace Baptist Church or the Columbia County Human Society, both of St. Helens, Oregon.
Please sign our guestbook at www.columbiafh.com.
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