Richard Lane

November 24, 1956 — March 11, 2022

Richard Steven Lane was born Nov. 24, 1956, to Robert (Bob) L. and Geraldine (Gerri) M. Lane, in Granger, Wash. He passed away from complications of diabetes including kidney failure on March 11, 2022, in Wenatchee, Wash., at the age of 65.

Rick (or Rich, or Richie) made his mark in the community early in life as a standout athlete at Granger High School in multiple sports as a quarterback and running back in football, a guard in basketball, and a wrestler. His senior year in football, he led the entire state in scoring for most of the year before injuring his shoulder late in the season. During summers in high school and college, he worked for the Department of Agriculture as a hop sampler.

Rick attended Seattle Pacific College and Linfield College. He took some time off from school to travel, touring England, and returned to Tacoma to take a management training position at Puget Sound National Bank. He became a loan officer and an assistant branch manager, and after five years at the bank, decided to return to college to complete his degree at Central Washington University in accounting in 1985. Immediately after graduating, Rick took a home-based course to prepare for the Washington state exam to become a certified public accountant, and he passed the exam on his first attempt.

Rick went to work as an accountant for the Department of Corrections. After a handful of years in Corrections, he took a position as the chief financial officer for the Quileute Indian Nation in Forks. He also worked for the state Auditor’s Office, conducting public audits all over north central and northeast Washington. Later he moved out of the Auditor’s Office and became the business manager for the Brewster School District. Rick ended his work career as a special projects accountant with the Grant County Public Utility District.

Rick was a good friend to all kinds of people from many cultures. He was kind and helpful to people in need and people around him. He made lifelong friends working in the fields as a hop inspector and visited families in Mexico. He met Ukrainian migrant families in Soap Lake and made great friends with them. Though he didn’t speak either Spanish or Ukrainian, his authenticity and care cemented his place in their families. Rick was considerate to and remembered fondly his friends back in Granger. He always wanted them to know he was thinking about them over the years.

As Rick’s parents began to suffer from declining health, Rick moved them from Granger to Ephrata with him. After his dad died in 2012, Rick became caretaker for his mom, who was mostly blind with macular degeneration. At the same time, Rick was suffering from diabetes, and stopped working. Rick cared for his mom and their two cats until his mom passed away in late 2020.

Rick was someone anyone could talk to, and everyone could rely on. He loved sports, both as a participant and an observer. He loved listening to rock music, tempered with soul music. He was the guy in college with the largest speakers in his dorm room. While working at the bank in Tacoma, he was a coach for the bank’s women’s softball team and was a beloved teacher and leader. He had a great sense of humor, a soft spot for animals, and an affinity for underdogs. He leaves behind lots of people whom he loved and who loved him.

Arrangements are assisted by Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee.