In Passing – April 2015

William F. Lehmann

William F. Lehmann

William F. Lehmann

William F. Lehman (age 82) was born to Martin and Evelyn Lehmann in Bingen, Washington, on October 20, 1932. He married Barbara K. Maresh in 1958. He is survived by his wife Judith Hartman-Lehmann and three siblings, Helen Watkins, Norma Kerby and Michael Lehmann and three wonderful daughters, Jennifer Schilz, Cynthia LaPrelle and Amy Adkisson; seven grandchildren: Russell Pihl, Nolan Schilz, Anders Schilz, Luke Schilz, Morgan LaPrelle, Ryan Adkisson and Cynthia Adkisson. In 1990 he remarried Judith A. Hartman and loved and lived happily until his death.

Bill grew up on a farm in White Salmon, Washington. He enlisted and served in the U.S. Army 1951 to 1954, serving in combat in Korea with the Third Infantry Division. He worked in many jobs, beginning at age seven: farm worker, truck and heavy equipment operator, logger and forester, welder and machinist. Mr. Lehmann graduated with a BS from Washington State University in 1958, earned an MS from North Carolina State University in 1960 and a PhD. from Colorado State University in 1970. Bill worked 35 years in the field of adhesive-bonded wood composites and did research at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. He also worked for the U.S. Forest Products Lab in Madison, Wisconsin and Weyerhaeuser Company R&D in Federal Way, Washington. He published more than 50 research papers in this field.

Bill enjoyed travelling and camping with his family and fishing, hunting and hiking, especially his daily walks in the desert with his dogs the last 15 years. Bill and Judy moved to Tucson (SaddleBrooke), Arizona, in 2000 from the gloomy Seattle-Tacoma area and began a wonderful 15 years of happy retirement activities.

Bill said that his two main regrets were being born too early for the sexual revolution and never winning the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. Bill will be remembered for his devotion to his family, love for nature and his dogs, dry wit, gun expertise and strong political views.