Willard "Max" Rafferty, 89, passed away at his home in Sandpoint, Idaho, surrounded by his family on Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, after a long battle with dementia.

Max was born on March 15, 1931, in Dubois, Pennsylvania, to James Willard Rafferty and Nellie Jane Hetrick. There were seven siblings: Mary Jane, Don, Bonnie, Patricia, Shirley, Max, and Bill.

Max was a Korean War veteran. After the war, he worked on jet engines and then began working for NASA. He worked on the command modules for all of the Apollo missions. When the Apollo program ended, he worked for Rockwell International on the B-1 Bomber, which was coincidentally retired the same day he died.

Max married Davida Jane Finley on September 15, 1961, in San Bernardino, California, where they had two boys. In the late 1980s, they moved to Sandpoint, where they lived for almost 30 years. They were part of a group of friends called the Upper Pack Irregulars. Max got bored in retirement and found a job working for Leadlok in Sandpoint because he liked to stay busy. He was a lifetime member of the VFW, where he and Davida ran the bingo for years, only stopping when his memory failed him.

Max loved working on cars and motorcycles. At the first classic car show he ever entered, he took first place for his ’34 Ford pickup that he restored from the ground up. He was always working on a vehicle for himself, family or friends. Most weekends he enjoyed going to El Mirage with his kids, brother and nephew to ride dirt bikes and watch people try to break the land-speed records. Here they all met up with old friends from his hot-rodding days. But most of all, he was known for his sense of humor and easy-going personality.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Davida, three years ago. He is survived by one sister, Shirley, and her husband Dick Caldwell of San Marcos, California; sons, David and wife Amy Rafferty of Sandpoint, Maxwell and wife Michelle Rafferty of Hayden; stepson Kevin and wife Alice Hefner of Phoenix, Arizona; grandchildren, Calvin Rafferty of Post Falls, Hailee and husband Isaiah Grey of Sandpoint, Chloe and husband Adam Reynolds of Sandpoint, Joseph and wife Chrystal Rafferty of Kootenai, Sabrina Rafferty of Maricopa, Arizona, and Luke and Joshua Rafferty of Hayden; step-grandchildren, Kreg and wife Liz Hefner of Phoenix, and Kory Hefner of Phoenix; great-grandchildren, Emerson, Reuben, Noah and James Grey of Sandpoint; Leeland and Lucy Reynolds of Sandpoint; and Paris and Rio Thomas of Maricopa.

Max will be honored at a remembrance on Saturday, May 1, at 10 a.m. at The Assembly Sandpoint, 423 N. Lincoln Ave., in Sandpoint, Idaho. Immediately following will be a burial with military honors at Forest Cemetery at 1001 N. Government Way in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.