Wendell Berl McDaniel, age 87, a lifetime resident of Concrete, WA passed away Saturday, February 9, 2008 in the dream home that he built for his family. He was born August 28, 1920 in East Concrete, WA to Levi and Ethel Huestis McDaniel.
Wendell graduated from Concrete High School in 1939, attended college and worked at Boeing until joining the US Army Air Corps in 1942. He attained the rank of Master Sergeant placing in the top of his class at ‘secret’ radio school. He was later stationed in the Aleutian Islands in charge of maintaining all aircraft and tower radios for the island Air bases. During a routine inspection flight his C-47 crashed on Attu Island and he became a card carrying member of the ‘Lucky Horseshoe Club’ for surviving completely unscathed. Wendell was Honorably discharged in 1946 with a lifelong distaste for Spam.
After the war, he returned to Concrete and began working as an electrical machinist for Puget Sound Power and Light in 1947. Wendell made a career of Puget Power and loved his work there because ‘they always had the biggest toys’. He came up with many innovative ideas during his years there including an award winning method to siphon off ‘lost’ electricity when the generators were spinning down. He reluctantly retired at age 74 as Project Manager for the Upper and Lower Baker and Nooksack Hydroelectric facilities.
On June 24, 1950 Wendell married Tecla Cugini at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Sedro-Woolley and they celebrated 53 years together until her unexpected passing in May of 2004. Tecla and Wendell were an inseparable couple, they loved dancing and could really ‘cut a rug’ at the Elk’s Club Purple Bubble Ball. Tecla loved traveling and was able to drag Wendell away from his shop long enough for them to enjoy trips and cruises to exotic locales including Italy, the Amazon, Hawaii, and even back up to Alaska.
He loved all things mechanical and electrical, and could literally build anything in his gigantic shop. If it broke, all the Upper Skagit knew ‘Wendell could fix it’. As an example he helped rebuild the Upper Baker Locomotive for the last run down river to its final display location on Hwy 20 in Sedro-Woolley. His other projects and interests were innumerable, ranging from ski tows to a WWII tank retriever and everything in-between.
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Wendell was a member of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, BPO Elks, American Legion Post 132 and a proud life member of the NRA. He also found time to serve as fire chief of the Grassmere Volunteer Fire Department for several years, helped establish the ambulance service and was one of their first certified EMTs.
He is survived by his daughter, Wendy McDaniel of Everett, WA. and son, Marc McDaniel and his wife Cheryl and their children Ryan and Kira of Lake Forest Park, WA. and his cat, Boots.
A Funeral Mass will be held Friday, February 15, 2008 at 12:00 PM with Father Emmanuel Azike, OP as Celebrant at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Sedro-Woolley. Interment will follow at the Forest Park Cemetery in Concrete with military honors provided by members of the American Legion and Washington Army National Guard. A reception will follow the services at the St. Catherine’s CCD Center. Visitation will be available at Lemley Chapel on Thursday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Friday prior to the Funeral Mass.
The family would like to extend a special ‘thank you’ to the family friends and health care professionals who aided Wendell in his final years. Arrangements and Services under the care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.
