Lloyd McLean Martindale's Obituary
Lloyd McLean Martindale, beloved husband, father, and friend, was born in Eagle Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada, on April 23, 1914. He died January 28, 2005 in Tacoma. Mr. Martindale was a gentle man of great Christian faith. He loved to fish, woodworking, and the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest. He was a retired marine shipwright carpenter.On January 6, 1945 he married Esther Holte, his wife and keeper of his home for over sixty years. There he resided in comfort with family about him, until after his ninetieth birthday. He is survived by his wife Esther, son Lloyd Jr. (Sandra) of Bellingham, daughter Karen (Paul) Riveness of Tacoma, and son Donald of Bellingham. Grandchildren are Lori (Walter Pritchard) Martindale Pritchard, Lisa (Sergey) Kovalenko and great-grandchildren Joshua and Jacob Kovalenko. A sister, Grace Lorraine Kennedy, resides in Tacoma. He relates to many nieces, nephews and cousins. Mr. Martindale served in the United States Army during World War II in Europe and North Africa. He was an assistant chaplain and a conscientious objector, a most beautiful man of principle. An avid reader he loved language and literature. Often at family gatherings he would spontaneously begin reciting a poem, continuing on stanza after stanza, from memory.A private family chapel service will be held at Mountain View Funeral Home. His sons, grandsons, and great grandsons carry him for burial with United States Army Honors at Tahoma National Cemetery.Â"Listen my children, and you shall hear, .Â...Â"In Memory of Lloyd McLean MartindaleGarden Chapel Mountain View Funeral HomeTacoma, WashingtonPrivate Family ServiceFebruary 4, 2005, 11 a.m.Officiate:Lloyd M. Martindale, Jr., &Reverend Raymond WuerchReverend WuerchOpening Invocation & Reading of ScriptureÂ"Address to MotherÂ"Mother:Esther, Mother, Grandma, Esther Holte, Mom, Grandma E., we, your children, and grandchildren, thank you today, for your fine care, for our father who lies here with us, your care for him in his final years. Your ceaseless love for Dad, your family and our family home, added joy and length to his later years, as he slowly began to decline in health. All our love and thanks to you. It was basically a tough job at times in recent years. IÂ'm quite glad for all of us that you were raised on a farm in Minnesota.Your husband, and our father, is here with us. You have placed a bible with him, containing letters and notes to your husband. We respect your wishes for a closed casket; but nonetheless, he is right here with us today. And we his sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons, will carry him from here to Tahoma National Cemetery, where we will be with him, where I will read from his bible here with me, we will speak with him there again, I will offer what I term an Â"Address to My FatherÂ" with final benediction, his country will salute him, you will place the roses, perhaps giving one to each of we children to place in turn with him, and there he will rest.I am sure that the notes and letters you have placed with him, represent in final gift and placement, your sixty years of marriage, the love between you, the home you shared and nourished, where your children and grandchildren flourished, basking in the sun of safety, joy and happiness. What a time we had there with you both together. As a child I assumed it would just go on and on. Thank you. The family gathering will continue, but it will be different. That is the natural course of life, and so it will be the course of our family, as well.Now we, you and I, Mother, have planned this day together. We have a bond, a trust, such that no force can sever. And so from this day and thereafter, I offer my hand, and ear, to aid you. And you and I have decided, that today, we will officiate here, our right to do so. And Reverend Wuerch is here to later take the service and offer his comfort in speaking. But for now you and I will speak for Dad. So I will speak for you. And should you choose to speak to me, you will do so. I figured you would feel free to do so. And should I take this proceeding in any direction, or subject matter, or tone, that you prefer it not go, that you will so advise me, or simply wave your hand. We will not shrink from some difficult issues. Thank you for the trust you have in me today, it certainly makes this go easier, and so how can we go wrong, in speaking for a man such as Dad?Words of Family in excerpt:Wife Esther: Â"tell my brothers one of the very best men, who has ever lived on the face of the earth, has just gone to heavenÂ".Son Donald: Â"Dad worked his whole life to raise us kids with nothing more than a cup of decafÂ' coffee ..Â"Daughter Karen: Â"He was a good DadÂ".On Principle:Another example of the man is exemplified in a story I have heard from mother, that Â.... At a very young age, I had a very strong sense, that there were principles, higher moral order, which may be more important than oneÂ's own individual interests. And that further, it may be morally necessary to rise and stand for a principle, even at cost to oneÂ's own position and interests. And yet again, that a (1) principle, or (2) moral issue, may be exclusive, from a (3) dogma of faith. My father was very tolerant of anotherÂ's position, and anotherÂ's right to hold, such position or belief.Dad fully embraced his faith. Non-judgmental.Dad had an aspect of spiritual largesse, or soul, capacity, separate from the dogma of faith. Deep and abiding reverence, affectionate awe, for life, all aspects and participants.On Pathos of Mankind:Immense compassion. Some difficulty philosophical reconciliation, practical life, ideologically, the pathos of mankind. Thus compassion, gave pause, arena of action.Suspension of two conflicting ideas.On Wisdom:What is the value of kindness, consideration, and fairness?Â"Is kindness weakness? Is basic respect for another a weakness?Â" Is gentleness a weakness?Â"Is courtesy, listening, acknowledging anotherÂ's position, or opinion, or wishes, and then complying with due respect; are those actions weakness?Â"Or did he grasp something more, perceive a truth not common?This gentle man, unique and unusual. IÂ'm not sure he is understood or fully recognized even now, lying here. On Natural Death: The experience of seeing, Â..., process of physical death, liberating. A certain Â"savage beautyÂ", relentless force of natural life, resolution of balance, moving in our continuum of time. Later poetic expression, given sensitive issues here today./////Original Motion Video ofMarriage of Lloyd & Esther MartindaleJanuary 6, 1945Tacoma, Washington///Granddaughter Lori:Reading of poetry Â"I Wandered Lonely As A CloudÂ" by Wordsworth, which grandfather recited to her spontaneously at family gathering, the Â"Historian of My InfancyÂ", reflections at grandfatherÂ's knee. Sister Grace Lorraine (Donald Kvamme):Reading of poem, examination of character depictions. Reading of scripture, stories of horseback-riding./////On Dad History:Dad loved the rain, winter, and Puget Sound. He loved the sea, the soft mist and fog. He left this world shortly before 1 a.m. January 28th, a clear, quiet, moon-filled night in the Northwest. He lived 33, 153 days. Lloyd McLean Martindale was born April 23, 1914, a birthday he shares with William Shakespeare. Dad was a lover of language and poetry, likely derived from some mystical side to the English and Welsh, reading to us all every evening. Dad graduated from Stadium High School in 1935.He is of the Martins oÂ' the dale. His speech was at times peppered with old phrases, nineteenth century, English antecedents, such as Â"ScallywagsÂ". He, as it were, discovered a quiet inner place, an inner self. He was a spiritual man, in temperament. As mother has said, Â"He did not say much, but somehow he was a great comfort to have around.Â"Dad was a carpenter, finish carpenter, craftsman. In his later years he specialized in marine finish carpentry, furniture quality workmanship. Fine craftsmanship, precision, detail, were skills he shared with his brothers, and his father.He was one of six brothers, and three sisters, all with wonderful enchanting names. Our aunt Grace Lorraine is here today, the last of her familial generation. On Conscientious Objector:Dad was a conscientious objector, serving his country as a chaplainÂ's assistant. He was subject to chemical agents, and was personally impacted from the effects of the experience of war.On War:Dad experienced intense physical contact, and participation, in the active trauma of World War II. His faith sustained him. He did not speak of it much, but I have heard terrible stories a few times. From what I have heard him say, he was very close to his own death several times. Perhaps that is why after the war nothing much of the general practical matters of life seemed to bother him, or even concern him at times. He received two Â"Commendations for Meritorious ServiceÂ" and one Â"Good Conduct MedalÂ".On Fishing:Dad loved to fish, very happy when salmon fishing, dawn to dusk. On Faith: Â"What does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?Â"Pictorial Presentationwith musicÂ"Amazing GraceÂ" Elvis PresleyÂ"To Where You AreÂ" Josh Groban///Reverend Raymond WuerchGroup ChorusÂ"In the Sweet By & ByÂ"Message of Love & CompassionReflectionsÂ"Unwavering Faith in the LordÂ"Â"Fruits of Life & PrinciplesÂ"Â"The Good NewsÂ"Â"Standing in the LordÂ"Solo, Reverend WuerchÂ"Where the Roses Never FadeÂ"George Wagner, PianistÂ"///Graveside ServiceTahoma National CemeteryLloyd M. Martindale, Jr.February 4, 2005, 2 p.m. Reading of Scripture Â- Paul David RivenessI Corinthians 15, verses 51 - 55///Â"Address to My FatherÂ" & BenedictionLloyd McLean Martindale, Jr.Almighty God, vast Creator, we stand in the UNIVERSE,In this place and time, free men without fear.Father, my Father; God has seen us,Seen us in our weakness, seen us in our strength.Beautiful man full of Goodness, Lover of Justice, Mercy and Truth;Faithful protector, husband, and friend, Champion of Kindness;Your people are gathered about you,Your sons have now carried you here, give me your mantle so heavy,We will never forget you, you will always be with us,We will never forget you, I am and remain, your son.In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, andIn the name of the Holy Spirit, sweet, precious Presence, Amen.Lloyd McLean Martindale, Jr.Graveside ©////United States Army HonorsThree Volley Â- Â"twenty-one gunsÂ" Â- M-16 Rifle SaluteFolding of the Flag Ceremony////Â"Placement of RosesÂ"Esther Martindale///
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