Lemley Chapel
Serving Sedro-Woolley &
All of Skagit County Since 1935
1008 Third Street
Sedro-Woolley, WA
360-855-1288
www.LemleyChapel.com

Adolf ‘Ade’ Karl Eitner

Adolf ‘Ade’ Karl Eitner

Saturday, October 29th, 2022

Our beloved dad, Papa, and Uncle Ade was born to parents Adolf and Irma (“June”), on January 20, 1933, in San Francisco California.  Ade attended Loyola High School with his younger brother Don. He completed his engineering degree at Santa Clara University, where he was in ROTC, player-coached their wrestling team, and established lifelong friendships. While at Loyola, he met the love of his life, Irma Darrow (our beloved Mom, Nana, and Auntie Irma). They married in October, 1955.  Ade and Irma moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where dad served as 1st Lt. in the US Army, and where their first child, David (Loni) was born. Following his service, they returned to California, where their three daughters were all born: Kathryn (John), Mary (Duane) and Jeanette (Vince).

Dad loved his family, God and his Catholic faith. He was dedicated to his work and career, yet always made time for family, church and community.  Ade was an athlete and extremely competitive. He loved and appreciated good food, friendships, and travel.  He found great joy in his home, garden, entertaining, and friendships old and new.

Ade had a long career at Western Gear Corp in Everett, where he was General Manager and Vice President. They moved to Everett in 1967, raising their family there, returning to California in 1984, where he worked at WesTech Gear Corp.  Dad then purchased and ran his own company, LJ Engineering, in Huntington Beach, selling in 2001, but continued consulting until 2006.

Irma died in 2008, and in 2012 Ade returned to Everett.  In later years, he valiantly took on the ailments associated with Parkinson’s Disease, and was blessed to have an amazing care team, therapists, doctors and coaches.  He especially enjoyed his time in Rock Steady Boxing!

Ade was preceded in death by his parents, wife, brother, a grandson and two sons-in-law, and we are all taking comfort in imagining joyous reunions in heaven.

His surviving four children, 13 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren (with one on the way) will all miss him dearly.  Ade was above all, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and brother and we will never forget his love in our lives.

Ade’s funeral will be Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 1:00pm at Our Lady of Hope Church (formerly Immaculate Conception) 2501 Hoyt Ave, Everett, WA 98201. A Rosary will be offered Friday evening at 6pm in the church.  Reception immediately following funeral.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our Lady of Hope Church, Everett WA or Rock Steady Boxing, Snohomish WA.

Please share your memories of Ade and sign the online guest register.

 

 

Guestbook

  • Ron Wright

    Dear David, Kathryn, Mary, and Jeanette:

    I was working on Christmas Cards and my instincts were having me check to see if Ade had moved. My heart sank when I saw his obituary on the internet, saying he passed on this October 29th.

    I know he suffered during the past few years and was amazed but not surprised that he took on his Parkinson’s like a competitor in a tennis match. I last talked with him when he talked about the Rock Steady Boxing process he was involved in. What an amazing man! Ade took on every challenge as if they were simply an exciting new athletic event or a meal he had never tried before.

    I first knew Ade when I joined Western Gear’s fledgling new Flight Structures Division, in Everett. That was in 1970, and Ade was Division Manager. He was such an amazing leader, and was continuously coaching us all on how to win… win contracts, win negotiations, win enormous challenges such as moving a highly-industrialized business to a wheat farming area in North Dakota where the future employees were eagerly jumping off their tractors and joining and learning precision machining, assembly, tooling, and engineering. I had just joined the company from ten years at Boeing. I thought the idea was nuts. But Ade and Stu Kale and Saleem Naber explained to this Boeing-lingo educated young man that this would be just one more very exciting chapter in my life and to pack my bags and go make it happen. Ade was part of a conspiracy made up of the other two persons I just mentioned, that got me to notice Saleem’s beautiful administrative assistant, Susan, at WGC’s Corporate headquarters in Lynnwood, CA. Eight years later, the three conspirators attended Susan and my wedding in Bellflower. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary.

    Ade made a major impact – and all good ones – on my education, upbringing, and ability to pick myself off the floor and keep meeting challenges head-on. He was, in my opinion, a true Servant Leader. He didn’t order or “boss” people. He served us with whatever we asked for.

    Your dad and mom were fantastic people and were loved, as if family, by an enormous amount of people just like me who had our time with Ade.
    May God rest his soul and give you all, his family, enormous peace in the knowledge that Ade was, in my humble opinion, God’s faithful servant.

  • Joan Kafer

    Sending prayers to all the Eitners. You had wonderful parents, and I hope you find peace in many lovely memories. xo

  • Maureen Buennagel

    I have 3 very vivid memories of Mr. Eitner. The first one is at the Western Gear Picnic. Picture this…forehead on bat turning fast circles around the bat then trying to run in a straight line. My second memory is watching the Eitner car fly by us on Sunday mornings on highway 2 on the way to Stevens Pass. Yes, he was a fast driver! My third memory is him racing down the slopes at breakneck speeds.
    My dad used to say that “Ade worked hard and played hard”. I know he loved his family and was proud of them.

  • Mike Schireman

    Ade was truly a great guy. Being my brother’s father-in-law, I was fortunate to spend some great days and evenings with him, together at family events and holidays. Each time he greeted me the same way, a firm handshake, with his other hand on my shoulder and a big smile. He was so proud of his family, each and everyone of them, and it showed each time they were together. I count myself as blessed and very fortunate to have known him and been able to spend special times him. My prayers and love to all the family and those who called him friend.
    With love,
    Mike, Allison, Taylor and Carson

  • George M Metcalf

    Ade was a wonderful family man. I feel truly honored that I could call him friend. He and I had many conversations about my military time and law enforcement. He always showed genuine interest. He also was supportive when my wife (Angel) died. He will be truly missed by so many. My prayers go out to his beautiful family. May God bless you all and find consolation he is in a much better place now.

  • Judy Edmund

    My sincere condolences for your loss. i worked with Ade at Western Gear from about 1974 until he went to California including a number of years as his secretary. He was a great boss. Since I live in Germany I did not see him often, thr last time about 5 yesrs ago. He will be missed.

  • Lisa Fox-Soreff

    I will never forget the kindness he showed us at the adoption of our daughter in China. All of the photographs we have of our very first meeting with our daughter were so lovingly taken by him. He will be in our hearts always.