William H Boelke (Bill), surrounded by his family at his Spokane, Wash., home passed away peacefully on Dec 4, 2012, from lung cancer.

Bill was born in Jamestown, N.D, on Nov 3, 1930, to William and Bertha Boelke.

Bill served in the U.S. Army with the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment from 1951 to 1954 as paratrooper, achieving the rank of sergeant. He was an Electrical Engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers for 30 years. Working on the Oahe Dam in South Dakota, John Day Dam in Oregon, Libby Dam and the Portland District Office and Bonneville Dam in Oregon.

He was devoted to his family and led a quiet life with his wife, Vivian, for 57 years. 

He was preceded in death by one sister and his parents. He is survived by his wife Vivian, of Spokane, Wash., children Denise, of Libby, Gaylen, of Troy, Lori and Gary, of Spokane. Grandchildren, Sean of Seattle, Wash., Luke of Missoula, and Jake of Libby.

Surviving great-grandchildren include Caden and Carter of Missoula and Makayla of Libby, and one sister, Patricia of Jamestown N.D.

Private family services were held at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Medical Lake, Wash.