Max Dunlap

Max "Al" Dunlap In early November of last year, our Dad looked out the window at Tacoma General and asked, "Do you think Mom and her sisters are making sauce in Heaven?" We assured him they were cooking up a huge pot and would have it ready when he joined them and all the other departed family members. On March 12, Dad joined Mom and all the relatives for sauce and pasta. Dad was born October 1, 1914 in Spokane. He was orphaned at an early age and grew up on farms in the Spokane and Reardan areas. After graduating from Reardan High School, his first job was as a laborer at Grand Coulee Dam. He greatly enjoyed relating his experiences on this monumental project. With the completion of Grand Coulee, Dad moved to the Tacoma area and joined Local 252 Labors Union. He worked on area dams, Alder, LeGrande, and Mud Mountain, large regional projects like the County-City Building and Interstate 5, and residential homes and area businesses. Dad worked hard all his life. At age 58, he said he'd worked long enough and retired. Retirement years were spent pruning his roses, tending a large garden, tinkering around his shop, fishing, and traveling with our mother. Until our mother Yolanda's passing in November of 2004, Dad was her care provider for nearly 5 years. He is survived by sons Jerry (Maren), Larry, and Dick, all of Tacoma, and daughter Donna Burt (Dan) of Spokane, 10 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. Dad was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Helping Hands Adult Family Home in Lakewood for the love and care they provided our father during his stay there. A family celebration of our father's life will be held at a time when the weather is warmer and his roses and other flowers are in bloom.