Fredrick Everett VOGEL

1936 - 2020

VOGEL, Fredrick Fredrick Everett Vogel passed away peacefully in the Newport Hospital just before midnight on Tuesday, January 7th, 2020. He died of complications of Alz-heimer's and stroke-like symptoms caused by bleed-ing in the brain. Fred was born in Spokane on July 21, 1936, to Elmer Fredrick Vogel and Hazel Grace Johnson. He attended Sheridan Grade School, Libby Jr. High, and Lewis & Clark High School where he met his future wife, Gloria Soriano and they both graduated in 1954. Fred played football for the L&C Tigers and both he and Gloria made many lifelong friends during their high school years. In January 1955 Fred joined the US Navy completing Boot Camp in San Diego. While in Spokane on a week's leave he asked Gloria to marry him. The couple eloped and were married at the Hitching Post in Coeur d'Alene, ID. In November Gloria joined Fred in San Diego, where he was an Electrician's Mate stationed on the USS Sperry, a submarine tender, anchored in the SD Harbor. (This was where Fred spent his entire 4 year Naval career.) They had a rental house in the Ocean Beach area, only a block from the ocean. They bought a red Triumph sports car and spent many enjoyable weekends traveling around Southern CA. Their first child, Vicki Lynn, was born in September 1959, and they moved back to Spokane to be closer to both their families. Fred enrolled at Eastern Washington University, and Gloria began a secretarial career to help support the family. Fred graduated from Eastern in 1964 and searched for a teaching position in an area that had good hunting and fishing. He was hired by the Cusick school District as their Industrial Arts Teacher, and the couple purchased a two story farm house on Flowery Trail Rd west of Usk. The house and property was all they dreamed of - part open meadow, part wooded hills, and a fishable Winchester Creek ran thru the acreage. The couple purchased the adjoining 20 acres in 1969. Fred began his 34 year teaching career at Cusick HS in September and Gloria was employed as a Teller at the National Bank of Commerce in Newport which became Bank of America. On April 24, 1966, their second child Vance Jeffrey was born. And on October 26, 1971, another boy Vincent Todd was born. Just days after Fred started teaching, the football coach offered Fred an unpaid position as his assistant, and Fred eagerly accepted. Only two games into the season, the Head Coach suffered a nervous breakdown, and Fred took over the position. Over the 30+ years he coached football, Fred's teams were very successful. They were Panorama League champions too many times to count, and he led the Panthers to numerous State Quarterfinal and Semifinal playoffs. In 1996 Coach Vogel received the honor of being inducted into the Washington State Football Coaches Hall of Fame and a year later was named "State Athletic Director of the Year." As a final honor, when Fred retired in June of 1999, the CHS Football Field was renamed after him. In the 34 years with the District, Fred also coached a very successful Basketball program, Golf, Track, and Girl's Softball. He earned the love and respect of all his students, and he treasured the close relationships he enjoyed with them. Just before Christmas of 1977, tragedy struck the Vogel family. Fire broke out and in less than an hour, the house burned to the ground. Vicki was living and working in Spokane. However, Vance and Vincent were sleeping on the second floor. 11 year old Vance woke 6 year old Vincent and led him to the window where the roof overlooked the front porch. Unable to raise the window, Vance had to let go of Vincent's hand to break the glass with a heavy toy. Vincent panicked and tried to escape the only route he knew, down the stairs and he died in the fire. Fred and Gloria awakened in their downstairs bedroom to the horrible roaring sound of the fire and rushed outside to find Vance sitting on the roof over the front porch, sobbing uncontrollably. Fred got him down, then attempted to enter thru the broken window. He then clearly heard a gentle voice tell him "Vincent is with me now - go take care of the rest of your family". All of Pend Oreille County and neighboring Priest River, ID rallied around the devastated family, contributing clothes and basic necessities. A benefit dinner with an overflow crowd, raised a sizeable sum. A mobile home across the river became a temporary home and the Vogels gratefully lived there until their Boise Cascade 3 bdrm home was completed and moved to a new site on their property. Christmas seasons were heartbreakingly difficult for several years, but as the years went on the happy memories eclipsed the painful ones, as the family knew that our Vincent was now in Jesus' loving arms. Vicki married David Paige whom she met thru their jobs at the Hanford Nuclear Plant in Richland, WA. When Hanford closed, Vicki and Dave moved back to his home state, Michigan, and welcomed a son, Jaron in 1983 and a daughter, Lindsay in 1984. Then in 1988, Vance met and married Debbie Higgins and soon gave the Vogels three more grandchildren - Shelby, born in 1991; Raelyn, born in 1995 and Zachary, born in 1997. Vicki and Dave Paige were divorced but had joint custody of the kids, so Vicki remained in Michigan until Jaron and Lindsay were self supporting. Meantime she remarried Denny Steff, but that marriage did not last and in 2007 Vicki moved back to Washington. She purchased a doublewide mobile home and set it up on the home property actually on the site where the old farmhouse once stood. After Fred and Gloria retired in 1998, they started seriously pursuing their love of traveling. They visited China, New Zealand, Australia, France and Italy. They also traveled extensively in the States, including several trips to Hawaii and Alaska. Then in 2006, they purchased a mobile home on a lot in the Burrwood RV Park just south of Quartzsite, AZ. They spent the next 12 years being Snow Birds and enjoying the AZ sunshine and group activities in the park. Tragedy struck again in 2018 when son Vance was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia and the only cure would be a bone marrow transplant. A 100% matching donor was found thru the National Registry, and the transplant was performed at the U of W Hospital in Seattle on January 10th, 2019. After several setbacks (some pretty serious) Vance and his faithful caregiver, wife Debbie, were able to return home to Spokane in early June. Fred and Gloria welcomed their first great-grandchild in August, 2017, born to Lindsay and David Beaudry (married in June 2015) a darling girl they named Alaya. Vance and Deb's oldest daughter Shelby (married to Will Buker in July 2017), recently told Fred and Gloria they would be great-grandparents for the 2nd time in June 2020. Meanwhile, Fred had been diagnosed with Early Stage Dementia in 2016 and by the Fall of 2019 the disease had progressed to Alzheimer's. So in April of 2018, they sold their mobile home in AZ and said goodbye to their many friends there. Fred's memory was failing and his physical health was poor, particularly his balance. The Vogel clan had a wonderful Christmas together, and Fred enjoyed the holiday activities with his kids and grandkids, opening presents and the delicious dinner. However, on Monday, Dec. 30th, Vicki and Gloria were very alarmed by his nearly comatose state and rushed him to the Newport Hospital where he was admitted to the Critical Care Unit and died nine days later. Fred is survived by his wife of 64 years, Gloria Vogel (they would have celebrated their 65th Anniversary in August); his son Vance Vogel (Debbie) of Spokane; his daughter Vicki Vogel Steff of Usk; 2 sisters, Sharon Enos of Long Lake; Hazel Vogel of Beverly, MA and his grandkids: Jaron Paige of Minneapolis, MN; Lindsay Paige Beaudry (David) of Oakland, CA; Shely Vogel Buker (Will) of Seattle; Raelyn Vogel (& partner Tyler Nelson) of San Diego, CA; Zachary Vogel of Spokane;and great-grandaughter Alaya Beaudry. Fred is also survived by two younger sisters, Sharon Enos of Long Lake and Hazel Vogel of Beverly, MA and numerous nephews and nieces and their families. Services will be held on Saturday, February 1st at 1:00 pm at the Cusick High School Gymnasium, Pastor Steve Power of Dalkena Community Church officiating. A potluck dinner will follow in the school cafeteria. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association, Inland NW Chapter, 1403 S. Grand Blvd., Spokane, WA 99203.