George M. Lucich, 79

George M. Lucich, 79, formerly of Glenns Ferry and King Hill, died Feb. 2, 2007 at the VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash.

Cremation has taken place and the family is planning a memorial service later in the summer months. Arrangements are under the guidance of Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home of Spokane Valley, Wash.

Lucich was born Nov. 1, 1927, in Glenns Ferry, to Martin and Anna Lucich. George grew up on a farm in King Hill, the youngest of eight surviving siblings.

He graduated from the King Hill School system and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving for two years.

He graduated from Seattle University with a bachelor's degree in physics.

He married Loretta Dickenson of Olympia, Wash., and they had two children. They later divorced.

He was transferred to Washington, D.C., by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries to help start an oceanographic instrumentation lab. While there in 1963 he met and married Brenda Gail Patterson. They also had two children.

George's Work took him all over the country. His engineering career led him in many directions and many diverse fields, from aeronautical, to mining safety, to oceanography. During the course of his career he received six patents for improvements and inventions.

George loved his family, friends, fishing, "fixing things," photography, traveling and poetry, his family said.

He is survived by: his wife of 43 years, Gail Lucich, at the family home; four children, Kirby (Anita) Lucich, of Lake Stevens, Wash., Kim (Joe) Boyd of Wentzville, Mo., Marty (Qing) of Fremont, Calif., and Paula Lucich of Cocolaila, Idaho; a sister, Eva Dalrymple of Bellevue, Wash: eight grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters, Anna, Lucy, Helen, Donice and Mary, and his brother, Steve.

Memorial contributions in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Inland Northwest Chapter, 910 W. 5th Ave., Ste. 256, Spokane, WA 99204-2973.