Obituary of Vaughn L. Varpness

VAUGHN LEE VARPNESS Vaughn Lee Varpness, Olympia resident for 35 years, died on December 30, 2005 surrounded by his loving family at Saint Peter’s Hospital in Olympia. He was born in Marshall, Minnesota on November 25, 1933 and grew up in Minneapolis. He joined the Air Force in December of 1951 and served his country for 21 years as an aircraft mechanic. On September 18, 1954 he married the love of his life, Betty L. Schmidt, at Larson Air Force Base. Vaughn served in the Vietnam War from 1970 to 1971. After retiring from the Air Force in August of 1972, Vaughn worked as a mechanic for the Olympia School district and as a heavy equipment operator at Ft. Lewis Logistics Center for years. Vaughn enjoyed being a ham radio operator and the captain of his own boat, the “September Knot” (he and Betty tied the knot in September). As a spectator, he enjoyed football. Go Seahawks! Vaughn is survived by his wife of 51 years, Betty Varpness; daughter & son-in-law Vicki & Walt Moore, Olympia; son & daughter-in-law Vaughn & Ann Varpness, Olympia; son Robert Varpness, Seattle; grandchildren Matthew & Rebecca Varpness, Fresno, California; Robert Varpness, Hollywood, California; Dustin Varpness, Hollywood, California; Kyle Moore, Olympia; David Varpness, Olympia; Zachary Varpness, Olympia; and Travis Moore, Olympia. Vaughn was preceded in death by his parents Axel and Lorraine Varpness, his sister Valois Ann Graves, and his grandson Michael Larsen.