George L. Grader

1928 - 2016

George Lee Grader

George passed away on July 19, 2016 at the age of 88, leaving his loving wife and best friend of 40 years, Kathy; daughters Jennifer and Julieanne; grandson Cameron; son-in-law Gary; stepdaughter Stacie, her husband Greg, and their children Alexandra, Anthony and Cole; sister Virginia; numerous nephews and nieces; and treasured friends from all walks of life. Born January 24, 1928, in Coalgate, Oklahoma, the youngest of nine children born to Henry Phillip and Elizabeth McGraw Grader, he was left fatherless at the age of five days. The Great Depression and dust bowl conditions were causing many mid-westerners to seek a better living elsewhere, and George and his widowed mother and siblings were part of that exodus in 1930, heading west on Route 66, in a page out of John Steinbeck. They made their way to Seattle, and it was here that George spent most of his life.

He attended Cascade Grade School, in what is now the South Lake Union area, and Lowell Grade School on Capitol Hill. At Broadway High he was the undefeated All City mile champion and was editor of the Whims, the school newspaper. His 4:26 mile in an AAU track meet was a very respectable high school time in those days. As a budding reporter he wrote a by-line column on high school sports for the old Seattle Star. His student days at the University of Washington between 1946 and 1949 were interrupted by an 18-month tour of duty in the Army. While at the University he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and worked under the venerable golf pro, William Jefferson, Sr., at the then University Golf Course.

Off to Spokane in 1949, he spent four years at Gonzaga Law School, graduating with honors in 1953. He moved to Olympia to clerk for Justice Mallery of the Washington State Supreme Court, but wound up accepting a position with the then Department of Institutions, eventually becoming administrative assistant to the Director. He was instrumental in the founding of the Washington State Employees Credit Union, now one of the largest credit unions in the state.

In 1962-out of law school eight years, married and the father of two children, and 34 years of age-George made the wrenching decision to change careers and to practice law. To gain trial experience he spent two years as an Assistant Attorney General under John O'Connell, trying cases throughout the state. His entry into private practice came with an offer from Culp, Dwyer, Guterson and Edwards, a young and up-coming Seattle firm in the Hoge Building. That was 1964 and the beginning of a long, enjoyable and rewarding practice, primarily in litigation. He retired as a senior partner in Culp, Dwyer, Guterson and Grader.

His work ethic, born of straightened circumstances, was second to few, and despite a busy law practice he was seldom without other business pursuits. At various stages of his career he held interests in a cross-country freight carrier, a wholesale Christmas tree operation, a hotel/restaurant/cocktail lounge, an asparagus farm, an Alaska purse-seiner fishing boat, and warehousing and office leasing enterprises. He never lacked for something to do.

With retirement came time to pursue further interests, mainly in commercial real estate, in which he remained active the rest of his life. And time, too, for world travel. Much of the next 20 years was spent visiting many parts of the world with family and friends, and happily exploring the back roads of Europe. Seldom would he come home without antiquarian books, maps, prints or other collectibles. He became a partner in FleetStreet Ltd., a dealer in antiquarian artifacts.

He enjoyed cooking and spent a lot of time at it over the years, becoming an innovative and competent, if not gourmet, practitioner. His beachfront home in West Seattle was the site of many dinner and beach parties with family and friends, not to mention wedding receptions. It was the site, too, in the 90's of the annual Grader Chili Cook-off, which he won one year, causing a near insurrection.

His was an eclectic lover of music, ranging from Jussi Bjrling to George Jones, and he took pride in his extensive collections. He tried gamely at playing the guitar and piano and singing, but grudgingly conceded that his ambitions far exceeded his talents. He tried his hand, too, at oil painting and left a number of canvasses for posterity to judge. He never lost his enthusiasm for sports and was a loyal fan of Husky football and Gonzaga basketball. At various times in his life he was into tennis and golf, and even archery, long ago in Olympia.

Over the years George held memberships in a number of professional organizations and a variety of social and sports clubs, including the Evergreen Swim Club, the Washington Athletic Club, Glen Acres Golf Club, Palm Desert Tennis Club and Palm Royale Country Club. His book collection leaned heavily to biography, memoirs, and anecdotal history. Gin rummy was his card game of choice, and although not universally feared by opponents, he enjoyed many hours battling it out with good friends.

His first taste of boating came in Olympia, years ago, when he and a good friend purchased a 30 foot surplus lifeboat and a surplus Buda diesel engine, and spent a year building the "Fairweather," which soon became a familiar sight as it chugged up and down the many inlets of southern Puget Sound, looking something akin to the African Queen. He eventually learned that the best boats were those owned by good friends, and he and Kathy were to enjoy numerous boating trips with friends, in the San Juans and north. George loved to hear a good story but could not tell one, a fact he lamented. But he found humor where many failed and he was seldom at a loss for an apt rejoinder, usually dry and not infrequently self-deprecating. George gave generously to others in need, quietly and without fanfare.

He led a long and productive life, cherished his family and friends, and he will be missed by many.

The family wants to thank the doctors, nurses, caregivers, and the wonderful hospice workers at Kittitas Valley Hospice.

Please consider a donation to:

Hospice Friends, 302 So. Main, Ellensburg, WA 98926.

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