Harry Lefebre November 22, 2024

On August 31 st 2023, Harry LeFebre, 94, went home to be with his Lord and Savior who he served faithfully for over 60 years. He was born in 1929 in Great Falls, MT. The family moved to WA in 1932, eventually settling in Granite Falls in 1936.

Harry learned his incredible work ethic from his father Joe, who was the “Town Marshall, street and water department superintendent, garbage collector and dog
catcher”. Growing up during the great depression was hard, and at an early age, Harry worked to help his family financially. He had 2 paper routes and was often seen carrying his father’s double bit axe around town splitting firewood for families for 20 cents a cord.

At 15 he applied at one of the local sawmills, and because of that work ethic, he was hired. He was proud of the fact that he was the youngest worker there by 10 years, but because of his hard work was accepted as “one of the men”. Harry joined the army in 1947, and spent 27 months overseas, 6 of which were in the Marshall Islands. He was present during the atomic bomb tests and saw Albert Einstein who was there to witness the testing. He spent 12 months in Japan on occupation duty with the 97 th AAA serving under Gen. Douglas McArthur. While there, he was able to climb Mr. Fujiyama, which he said was “quite an adventure”. Harry was honorably discharged in July of 1950 as a corporal. He said, “I got back to Granite Falls on a Sunday, and Monday morning I was back in the woods”.

In 1951, he went to work for Hoglands Transfer trucking company in Everett, where he worked for 15 years. He quickly became one of their “go to guys” for hauling loads no one else wanted to do. One of the more notable items he hauled was the Space Needle rotating ring that the restaurant sits on, which was built in Everett. In 1966, Harry went to work for the Snohomish County PUD as a ground man and worked his way up to equipment operator. In 1980 management approached him and asked him to start a training program, which he did. He ran that
program for 10 years before retiring in 1990. Harry continued to do contract work, training equipment operators across 8 states, before finally retiring to their property in Stanwood.

On a personal level, Harry met the love of his life Mary in 1973 at a check stand at a local grocery store inn Marysville where she worked. He learned that she had recently become a Christian and was attending the Basic Youth Conflicts conference in Seattle, which he also was going to attend. He offered to drive and she accepted. This led to a whirlwind romance, and on June 3rd , 1973 they were married.

Outside of work, Harry served at Community Bible Church in Granite Falls as a Deacon, teen leader and Sunday school teacher, at Burley Community Church in Gig Harbor, and most recently in Bryant Community Church outside of Stanwood.

Harry was many things to many people. A trusted coworker, a devoted friend, a poet, a loving husband and father, and devout man of faith. He is one of those rare individuals that made a positive impact on all he encountered. He will be sorely missed, but we rejoice that he is in Heaven today with the God he loved.

Harry was proceeded in death by his father Joseph and Mother Lorene, his first wife Patsy, and his sister Clarice Matson. He is survived by Ted LeFebre and his wife Donna, Mary (Thompson) LeFebre, Sue Albin, Steve Woge and his wife Vicky, Leslie Campbell and her husband Ed, and Steve LeFebre and his wife Tammie. He has 12 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

A celebration of Harry’s life will be held on Saturday, September 16^th at 1pm at Bryant Community Church, located at 26830-53^rd Ave NE Arlington, WA 98223