OBITUARY FOR LAWRENCE TILLMAN LAKEY

Lawrence T. "Pete" Lakey, 90, retired chemical engineer, died July 26 at his home in Richland, Washington.

Lawrence was born October 23, 1923 in Missoula, Montana to Jacob L. and Irene M. Lakey. He attended elementary and high schools in Missoula before entering Montana State College at Bozeman in 1941. In 1943, he entered the U.S. Army and served until 1946 in the U.S. and European theaters as a combat infantryman, participating in the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns and receiving the Bronze Star for action in France. Upon completion of his military service, he returned to Montana State College and received his BS degree in Chemical Engineering in 1948. His early working career included engineering employment with the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads in Missoula, the Boeing Airplane Company in Seattle, Standard Oil Company of California in El Segundo, California and the Martin Company in Denver, Colorado. In 1958, he entered the nuclear field with Phillips Petroleum Company at Idaho Falls, Idaho, leaving there in 1973 to join Exxon Nuclear Company and subsequently Battelle Northwest Laboratory at the Hanford Site. While in Idaho, Pete received his MS degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Idaho.

In his career, Lawrence specialized in nuclear fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste management, contributing numerous reports in that field and receiving the American Institute of Chemical Engineering's prestigious Robert E. Wilson award in 1989 for his technical achievements. In 1976, he was selected as the Tri-Cities "Engineer of the Year" by the local chapter of the Washington Society of Professional Engineers.

While working in Missoula, Lawrence met and married Edith Corey in 1953. They have two daughters, Dr. Ellen L. Berg of Palo Alto, California and Mrs. Margaret L. Reinhard of Caromb, France, and four grandchildren. Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Mrs. Jerrine L. Litwin of Minneapolis, MN.

Mr. Lakey was an active member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, having served as chairman of the Idaho and Columbia Valley Sections and of the Nuclear Engineering Division, and was elected to Fellow status in 1976. He was a registered Professional Engineer in both Idaho and Washington and was also a member of the American Nuclear Society, BPOE Lodge No. 2755, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7952, and the Kiwanis Club of Richland. Mr. Lakey was an active Lutheran, having been president of his congregation in both Idaho Falls and Richland. In his later years, Pete was an active participant in the Good News Media Ministry and Men's Ministry programs of Richland Lutheran Church. He served as Chairman of the Board for the Lutheran Senior Center senior retirement complex in Richland for several years. He served on the Advisory Board for the Mid-Columbia Corps of the Salvation Army from 1989 and was President of the Kiwanis Club of Richland in 1997-98.

Pete lived a full life. He was an avid reader of non-fiction and loved the outdoors. At one time or another, he visited most of the wilderness areas in the Northwest, either by backpacking or on horseback. His outdoor hobbies included hunting and fishing. He loved traveling, both domestically and internationally. His work often took him to Europe to visit nuclear sites. Edie and he fondly remembered their visits to South Africa and Scandinavia, as well as their numerous visits to see their daughter Margaret living in France.

A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on October 18 at Richland Lutheran Church. Arrangements are by Einan's Funeral Home of Richland.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Richland Lutheran Church, 901 Van Giesen Street, Richland, WA 99354, to Richland Kiwanis Foundation, P.O. Box 1622, Richland, WA, 99354 or to Mid-Columbia Corps of The Salvation Army, 1219 Thayer Drive, Richland, WA 99354.