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Obituary Notices

John Robert Loihl Age 67, died at his home on January 15, 2013. During his final bout with melanoma, he was cared for by his beloved wife of 26 years, Susan Schreurs, and his children. John was immensely proud of his family, and is survived by his son, Bob (Brandy), granddaughters Abigail and Charlotte, his daughter Angela, and his sisters Joyce Murphey and Judy Lemburg.  John was born along the Mississippi River, in Davenport, Iowa on December 29, 1945 to Robert and Mary Loihl. Blessed with height and natural athletic abilities, he was a basketball star in high school and went on to play at St. Ambrose College, until his love of ice cream malts exceeded his athletic abilities. After obtaining a masters degree in industrial relations, he worked for the National Labor Relations Board in Chicago.  Tapped at the age of 28 by the governor of Iowa to become a board member of the newly created Iowa Public Employment Relations Board, John helped to implement and shape the development of the Iowa public employment collective bargaining law. An excellent writer, he crafted hundreds of decisions impacting thousands of Iowa’s public employees and their employers. Although born a Midwesterner, John loved mountains. Summer vacations always involved family camping trips in the mountains. In 1983 he moved to Tacoma to be close to mountains and began a career representing employers in labor relations. He joined Washington Employers in 1986, retiring as Director of Labor Relations in 2008. He formed lasting friendships with many with whom he worked and provided a sterling example of how to resolve labor conflicts with dignity, integrity and fairness. He will be remembered for his wry sense of humor, intelligence, and kindness. John was a Renaissance man: a skilled clock maker, stained glass artist, craftsman, baker, political analyst and avid hiker and climber. He and his wife built a beautiful mountain cabin near Roslyn, Washington, complete with a world-class picnic shelter, where they spent as much time as possible with family and many friends. In recent years, John and Susan travelled widely to remote mountainous places, including Peru, Chile, Bhutan, and Tibet.  A memorial service to celebrate John’s life will be held on January 23, 2013 at 11 A.M. at the Aspen Chapel, Celebration of Life Center, Mountain View Funeral Home, in Lakewood, Washington. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift in John’s name to his favorite charities, Habitat for Humanity or Tacoma Community House.  Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home.  Please sign the online guestbook at www.mountainviewtacoma.com.

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