Obituary of Lawrence Extine

Lawrence Extine (age 86), a lifetime resident of the Onalaska area died on August 26th, 2013 at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington. Lawrence was born in Cinebar, Washington on July 6, 1927 and other than a brief stint in the army and the past 21 months in care facilities, lived near Onalaska. He is from a pioneer family that traces their roots to French Canadians who homesteaded nearby in the 1840’s. Lawrence graduated from Onalaska High School in 1945 and after leaving the army returned to Onalaska where he joined his father in the family business, Extine Petroleum. They worked together until his father’s retirement and he continued the business until 1985. He married Reita Badger in 1949 and they were happily married until her death in 2007. Lawrence was a loving husband, father and grandfather, with a gentle sense of humor and a bit of a prankster but who always enjoyed a joke at his own expense. He loved the outdoors, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, gardening, card playing, rock-hounding and spending time with family and friends. Lawrence was a Cowlitz tribal elder, active member of Lions Club and the Backcountry Horsemen and enjoyed hosting an annual gathering on his 26 acre farm. He was a lifetime and very active member of the Onalaska Presbyterian Church. He was preceded in death by his wife, Reita and parents, Frank and Margaret Extine and is survived by three sisters; Lois Littleton, Mary Myer, and Cora Smith; four children, Michael Extine (Olympia), Laura Cole (Tumwater), Douglas Extine (Puyallup) and Susie Ross (Graham); 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In the early 1950s, he bought a 26-acre plot of land east of Onalaska and spent years of his free time transforming it into a delightful place, first for family gatherings and then for his retirement years. We have many, many memories of riverside family picnics and are blessed that he truly enjoyed a final gathering with family and friends only a week before his passing. The family would like to express gratitude and appreciation to the staff and nurses for the kindness and wonderful care given to Lawrence during his time at Garden Courte Memory Care. A celebration of Lawrence’s life will be held 4PM, September 14 at Onalaska Presbyterian Church, 288 Carlisle Avenue. Memorials can be sent to the Onalaska Presbyterian Church, PO Box 247, Onalaska, WA 98570. Please leave memories of Lawrence or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.