October 22, 1933 - December 24, 2022
In the early morning of December 24, 2022, Leonard Duane Sonneson of Clearwater B.C died peacefully at the age of 89 years.
Len was born to Arthur and Mazie Sonneson on October 22, 1933, in Enumclaw Washington, USA. He was the oldest of four children.
He attended school in Enumclaw and graduated in 1952. During his teen years, he worked at the local grocer and became the manager of the produce department. When he was sixteen, he made his first attempt to join the Marines however the recruiters caught on pretty quickly and sent him home and told him to come back when he was eighteen.
When Len finally turned eighteen, he was able to join the Marines and attended boot camp in San Diego. After boot camp, he was deployed to the first of many aircraft carriers during his three-year stint with the Marines. Len served on five different aircraft carriers, the Yorktown, Wasp, Oriskany, Essex and Midway, under eight different admirals in the next three years. He was an admiral's orderly during this time so whatever the admiral of the day wanted Len procured.
The US Marine Corp. motto of Semper Fidelis, or "Always Faithful", is an apt description of Leonard's character.
After his honourable discharge from the service, he took up a job as a lithographer which he did for many years. Later Len moved the family to Canada and was part owner in the Clearwater Times and worked as a lumber grader in the sawmill in Vavenby.
Len met Loisann Hoirup in 1952 and they married in October of 1956.
In the spring of 1960 a son, Paul Wayne was born, and a daughter Carole Elizabeth joined the family in the fall of 1963.
Leonard is preceded in death by his wife Loisann, brother Wayne and sister Sonja.
He is survived by his two children Paul and Carole, his brother Howard and his grandchildren Eric, Mitchell, Cadence and Nelson, and great-grandchildren Spencer, Zella, Rhett and Madilynn.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.