Obituary - Lloyd Lovaas

Tuesday, October 30, 2001
THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Lloyd Lovaas died June 13, 2001, in Seattle.

Born Feb. 13, 1914, in Cumberland, Wis. to C.O. and Jeanette Lovaas, he first came to Juneau in 1953 when he was transferred to the Juneau Alaska Communications System (ACS) office with the U.S. Army. With his wife Vivian, whom he had married in 1946, and her three children, Lovaas bought a house in Juneau and the family made the city their home. In 1965 he retired from the Army and began a new career with the U.S. Postal Service, where he worked until retiring for good in 1978.

He was a talented sportsman, and enjoyed playing pool at the Coast Guard Buoy Deck and shooting hoops with his grandchildren. He also enjoyed bottle-digging and refinishing antiques.

Lovaas was preceded in death by his daughter Darlene (Lynch) Vavalis; son L. Douglas Lynch; granddaughter Cynthia Lee Fijalka; and brothers Harold and Richard Lovaas.

He is survived by his wife, Vivian Lovaas, Juneau; daughter Karen (Lynch) Fijalka, her husband Jim and their children George Lloyd Fijalka, Heidi (Fijalka) Eastwood and husband Wally, and Edna (Fijalka) Blank and husband Matt, all of Las Vegas; "semi-adopted" son Mark Johnson and wife Vicki, Juneau; son-in-law John Vavalis, Juneau; grandchildren Dan Vavalis and wife Amber, Juneau; Deanne (Vavalis) Williams and husband Gregg, Lacey, Wash.; Tim Vavalis and wife Debbie, Wasilla; Cheri (Vavalis) Renner and husband Terry, Tavares, Fla.; Ron Vavalis, Juneau; sisters-in-law Doreen (Taylor) Kooistra, Edmonds, Wash., and Frances (Taylor) Myers of Port Angeles, Wash.; many great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and one great-great-grandchild in Juneau.

A remembrance for Lloyd will be held Friday, Nov. 2, at 4 p.m. at the Juneau Senior Center. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

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