Michael Paul Lofing's Obituary
Michael was born 3/24/1944 in Tacoma Wa. He attended Mary Lion grade school, Stewart Junior High, and Lincoln High School, graduating in 1962. He was in the Coast Guard 1965 through 1970. He started working right after high school at Valu Mart and stayed there until he was 30 and then worked out of IBEW as a marine electrician for several years till he was injured on the job. He married Diana Lofing in 1978 and adopted her son Christopher and later they had a son, Paul together. After his job injury he began working for the state government as a clerk and worked his way up to claim manager at Department of Labor and Industries in Olympia. His last job there was working for the auditor helping to calculate how much worker compensation claims would cost. The family moved to Olympia in 1985. He worked as a claim manager from 1988 until he and Diana retired in 2008. They then moved to Austin Texas for five years while Paul went to school there. They moved back to Olympia 2013 and he had back surgery in 2016 at which time he had complications and ended up being able only to walk with a walker. But his spirit remained high and he continued to keep active. He loved to cook dinner and he always took care of his personal needs. He always had a smile on his face and was optimistic about the future. He never gave up. In his last two years he broke his leg and had two years of recovery with heart and breathing problems going to the hospital 15 times and recovering at a rehab facility seven times. He had 46 years with his wife and he will be greatly missed by his family.
What’s your fondest memory of Michael?
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Share a story where Michael's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Michael you’ll never forget.
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