Wilbur Wayne Mead, 86, passed away at his Post Falls home Wednesday, May 22, 2013, with his family by his side. Wilbur was born July 12, 1926, in Bend, Ore., to George and Ethel Mead. He lived in Marcus, Wash., Medford, Ore., and Post Falls during his school years.

Wilbur married Florence Watrus in Post Falls on Sept. 20, 1947, and they spent most of their married life at the family home in the Pleasant View area, where he raised cattle and farmed in addition to his outside employment. They also resided in Wilsonville, Ore., for 12 years and moved back to Post Falls after retirement. Early on Wilbur worked for Jacklin Seed and later he spent his career in the timber industry, working as a slicer operator at Idaho Veneer in Post Falls and plant manager for Conrad Veneer in Tualatin, Ore. He and Florence were avid western dancers enjoying grange dances and hosting dancing parties at their home.

Wilbur was preceded in death by wife Florence Mead; parents, George Mead and Ethel Blossom; stepfather Glen Blossom; sisters, Phyllis Takehara and Ramona Francis; brother Glen Blossom Jr. and son-in-law Neal Spencer.

Wilbur is survived by sister Bonnie Guindon; daughters, Elizabeth Williams (Butte, Mont.), Edith Spencer Groff (David) (Othello, Wash.), and Cynthia Mead (Post Falls); grandchildren Shelly Cleverly (Sean) (Butte), Jeanne Grabow (Neal) (Springfield, Minn.), Donna Massey (Aaron) (Moses Lake, Wash.) and Charles Spencer (Valentina) (Moses Lake); 10 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

As a youngster he spent many hours fishing and roaming the river bank along the Spokane River above the Post Falls Damn. He and his best friend Chuck Sanders were lucky to survive their log-boom river crossings and fishing along the third channel. Wilbur was a 4-H leader for many years, a member of the Pleasant View Community Association and a charter member of the Post Falls Historical Society. While living in Oregon, he and his family enjoyed many fishing trips to the Oregon coast and on the Cowlitz River. He loved his fishing trips with Dan Essenpreiss and Tom Pringle. Wilbur also loved working in his garden and sharing his bountiful harvest with friends and family. He took great enjoyment and pride in working the timber on his land. He also had many great hunting trips with Post Falls friends and family, especially to Elk City. Wilbur valued his family above all things and was a great help to many family members when the need arose. He was always thrilled to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He deeply believed it was each person’s responsibility to leave the world a better place for having been a part of it. In his later years he displayed great strength and fortitude in dealing with health issues.

The Mead family would like to express deepest thanks to caregivers Janina Green and staff of River City Hospice.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 25, 2013, at English Funeral Chapel, 1700 N. Spokane St., Post Falls. Graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at Evergreen Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Pleasant View Community Association or the Post Falls Historical Society.