Obituaries for Nov. 11, 2010

Eleanor F. Davis, Louis Howard Muench, Odolite 'Oda' E. Danimeier

Eleanor F. Davis

October 28, 1921 - October 15, 2010

Long-time resident of Seattle's Beacon Hill, a long-time retiree living in Sequim, WA with her late husband Grady Davis, Eleanor passed away in Auburn, WA.

Eleanor enjoyed the company of her many friends at Parkside Assisted Living Center, where she had lived since the death of her husband.

Eleanor was born in Burien, WA and vividly remembered the hard times of the Great Depression as her father looked for work in the Puget Sound area. Eleanor worked at The Boeing Company during WWII, and then spent over twenty years working at Sears.

Eleanor was preceded in death by her son Gary Nass, she is survived by her daughter-in-law Beverly Nass, stepsons Grady Davis Jr. and Robert Davis, her sister Jackie Cabe, grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was buried at Riverton Crest Cemetery of Tukwila, together with her husband.

Louis Howard Muench

November 13, 1940- October 25, 2010

Lou Muench was born in Des Moines Iowa, to Carl and Mary Burdell McNeil Muench. He lived in Clallam County for twenty seven years, but prior to that had an adventurous international life. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering and the University of North Carolina with a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, he worked as a planner in Philadelphia. He married Carolyn Zwirner Muench (Lyn) in 1964. They moved to Africa in 1966, teaching planning in Nigeria and working as planners in Uganda. After receiving a PhD in planning from the University of Pennsylvania, Lou and Lyn returned to Uganda, and then moved to Kenya where Lou taught planning at the University of Nairobi. In 1978 they moved to Bangladesh where Lou worked for the United Nations. In 1983 they decided their two daughters should experience life in the United States. Lou chose the Olympic Peninsula because as an Iowan he did not see mountains or the ocean until he was 15 years old, and the Peninsula offered both. He was attracted to the Sequim area through reading about the "Blue Hole" in the New York Times while living in Bangladesh. After building a home on Blue Mountain Road, Lou and Lyn shared a job as an Economic Development Planner for the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe. He greatly enjoyed his association with the Tribal community. It was there that Lou developed his strong interest in aquaculture, both shellfish and fin fish farming. He was a long-time member of the Washington Fish Growers Association.

Although always proud of his Iowa roots, Lou loved the Peninsula. He devoted many years to planting trees on his property. Lou had strong principles and was an innovative thinker, often ahead of his time. He was a great reader and devotee of public radio. He enjoyed travelling overseas to visit his daughters, who inherited his adventurous spirit. He was loyal and dedicated to and dearly loved his family.

Lou passed away peacefully in his sleep early on the morning of October 25, due to complications from diabetes and kidney failure. He felt lucky to have the excellent support of the Northwest Kidney Center in Port Angeles, and was grateful for the kindness of the Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County.

Lou is survived by Lyn Muench, his wife of 46 years, his daughter Sasha Muench of Portland, Oregon, his daughter Susannah Muench of New Delhi, India, his son-in-law Eli Weiss, and his two grandsons, Kyos and Tovin Weiss. He is also survived by his brother Gregory Muench of Decatur, Illinois, and sisters Winonah Doty of Des Moines, Iowa, and Minna Wonderlin of Titusville, Florida.

At his request, in lieu of flowers, donations in Lou's honor may be made to Northwest Public Radio (nwpr.org, P.O.Box 642530, Pullman, WA 99164-2530) or Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County (540 East 8th Avenue, Port Angeles WA 98362 or the Dungeness River Audubon Center, P.O. Box 2450, Sequim, WA 98382. A memorial service is planned for next summer when his far-flung family and friends can gather. You can sign the guest book for Lou at www.drennanford.com.

Odolite 'Oda' E. Danimeier

A service will be announced at a later date for Odolite "Oda" E. Danimeier, who died Nov. 6, 2010, at the age of 93.

She was born Dec. 23, 1916, in Walla Walla.

A full obituary will appear in a later edition of the Sequim Gazette.

Sequim Valley Chapel was in charge of arrangements.