Lee POWERS

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the death of my beloved, caring, funny, handsome blue-eyed husband Lee Powers. Lee was 83 and passed away at home on the afternoon of June 5th after experiencing heart issues while watering his fruit trees. And that's how the end of life should have been for Lee, as he so wanted to stay as long as possible on his beloved acre and a half. Being physically active up until the end, enjoying quality vs quantity of life was always Lee's priority.



Lee was born December 30, 1937 in Portland, OR to Ann & Willie Ervin. His childhood years were spent living in various communities….Umatilla, Pasco, Walla Walla-all of which claim him for class reunions. As a very active youngster, Lee was soon recognized for his many athletic talents. He played baseball, football, ran track and wrestled….excelling in each sport and culminating in a football scholarship to WSU, where he was also a part of the boxing team under legendary coach, Ike Deter.



Lee often said he had the perfect childhood, as he was free to roam the prairie, catch polliwogs in the pond, and ride his horse. Yet it was a childhood also filled with trauma. When Lee was just 7 he caught his hand in a cable pulley, resulting in a mangled hand. Years later a friend nicknamed him "claw," a moniker that stayed for life. At the age of 11 it was a freak accident on his horse that made the hometown headlines. The end of the story had Lee impaled on the 8" hood ornament of a 1947 Mercury where he remained for well over an hour with an angry crowd yelling at the ambulance driver to pull him off. Instead Lee was taken to the hospital still attached to the hood of the car. Such events were just a small part of the Powers' legend.



Lee's tenure as a special education teacher for the Pullman School District lasted 29 years, mostly at the high school. In the beginning years Lee also taught a special group of students he affectionately referred to as Banditos….beer drinking, women chasing, rednecks….and only Lee knew how to keep them in check. Now, as reformed, well respected adults, these former students have become lifelong friends.



Lee was beloved for his unique teaching style, caring nature, and tough but fair discipline. As one student put it, he loved Mr. Powers, but you "didn't want to piss him off." One of Lee's favorite sayings as a teacher was "there is no magic unless you are willing to put the work and effort into achieving a goal."



Lee spent many of his HS years as head wrestling coach. His teams were successful throughout the state. To this day Lee enjoys a special relationship with his former wrestlers and is still referred to as "Coach." That same passion for teaching Special Ed was passed along to three of Lee's children; his son Art also coaches wrestling.



Lee was a teacher/coach until the very end. Believing that all kids should know how to defend themselves, he instructed his grandkids how to punch the heavy bag which still hangs in the garage. He took special delight in teaching grandson, "little Lee," how to box and in passing on what he knew about the sport.





Lee's heart issues had been with him for many years. After surviving one open heart operation when he was 70, Lee later received an assistive device (LVAD) that was to keep him going another 1-5 years; Lee was in year eight. He always kept a cheerful, positive, robust attitude. As one cardiologist stated, "Lee you are a hard man to kill."



Lee was preceded in death by his parents and his son Jason Powers. Lee is survived by his wife, Beth; 5 children from his previous marriage to Cary Romp, Art (Fran) of Pullman, Krista (Ken) of San Francisco, Jane (Jim) of Seattle, Megan (Sammy) of Reno and Danielle of Reno; 2 stepchildren Amy (Blake) of Orlando, and Ben (Rachel) of Savannah; 9 grandchildren, Ava, Blake, Gina, Jonah, Kaylin, Lee, Sebastian, Sienna, and Zelda.



For those wishing to make a donation in Lee's memory, the family suggests contributions to the Pullman Education Foundation to be focused on PHS wrestlers or to the food bank at the Community Action Center, 350 Fairmount Dr. #1, Pullman, WA 99163.



A memorial Celebration of Lee's life will be held at 1 PM on Sunday, July 18th at the Gladish Community & Cultural Center's View Room in Pullman, WA. Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman, WA has been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.kimballfh.com