Obituary of Lowell A. Wirtz

Skip Wirtz passed away from an aggressive form cancer on January 26, 2021, at home in Olympia, Washington. At his side was his devoted wife and soulmate of 20 years, Eileen Haydu.

Skip was born in Eugene, Oregon, on March 14, 1950. In his earlier years, he enjoyed fishing and hunting with his father in Eastern Oregon. His first job was in Portland, Oregon, at the Lloyd Center ice rink, where he taught ice skating and worked the Zamboni, an ice resurfacing machine.  He also enjoyed playing semi-pro hockey for a short time. He later moved to Olympia, where he focused on his interest in landscape, gardening and plant propagation, which became lifelong passions. Skip was self-taught in turf management, leading to his career as golf course superintendent at Tumwater Valley Golf Course.

 

In retirement, Skip pursued many interests, one of which was his family’s genealogy. He was fascinated to discover his ancestors had settled as early as the mid-1600s on the East Coast as well as being participants in the 1843 wagon train that came to settle Oregon.

When Eileen retired, they decided to enhance their mutual love of nature by joining the outdoor club, the Mountaineers. Together they completed courses in Conditioning Hiking, Backpacking, Wilderness Skills, Snowshoeing and Avalanche Awareness and Navigation. It was when Skip joined a stewardship trip that he discovered a new interest - trail maintenance with the Olympia chapter. Here he was introduced to the use of crosscut saws. He was quickly intrigued with these vintage tools and became enthused to learn more about their use and the complicated process required to sharpen and care for these historic saws. He attended Dolly Chapman’s Crosscut Saw Sharpening Class in March of 2019. For his service in this very technical and highly skilled work, Skip was awarded the Frank Maranville Memorial Stewardship Award by the Olympia Branch Conservation & Stewardship Committee in 2020 in recognition of his commitment.

 

Skip and Eileen also loved hiking trips in the Pacific Northwest, with Mt. St. Helens their favorite area. He particularly enjoyed exploring the desert and wilderness areas of northern Arizona. When hiking, it wasn’t so much the destination as what Skip noticed along the trail:  a certain rock, unusual plant or tree, the distant horizon and what might lay beyond it. In the details of nature, Skip always found joy and wonderment.

 

Quiet and thoughtful, Skip was honest, kind and genuine. He loved Eileen dearly, and they were blessed to enjoy many adventures together in a seemingly short amount of time.

Skip is survived by his wife, Eileen Haydu; sister, Ladell Cashman; son, Steven (Kim) Wirtz; step-daughters, Lisa (Chuck) Deguise, Shannon (Ray) Lennon and Sara Whitney (Jen Balkus); nephew, Brian Cashman (Hallie); niece, Shanna Cashman; and two grandchildren, Dylan Leago and Madeline Deguise.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research foundation at: https://netrf.org/get-involved/give-now/

 

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