Obituary of Fred Roy Nuffer

Fred Roy Nuffer was born in Norwalk, California on September 22, 1937 and passed away in Puyallup, Washington on May 18, 2019. Fred was born to Roy and Ruth Nuffer.  He had one older sister who preceded him in death, Ellen Gail (E.G.) Chamberlin of Newport Beach, California.

Fred and E.G. were raised in what once were the orange groves of  Whittier, California. He and his father built a family cabin together on Mt. Whitney and spent time with the Nuffer family. His Uncle, John Henry Nuffer (Uncle Jack) was a well respected member of the Norwalk, California community and served on the School Board from 1934-1944. After his passing in 1953, they named a school John H. Nuffer Elementary in his honor.

Fred joined the local Whittier Marine reserves at the age of 17. After graduating from Whittier High School in 1955, he joined the United States Navy. He served aboard the Air Craft Carrier Shangri-La (CVA 38) in 1955-56, joining the 7th Fleet in West Pac to Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. He then served on the USS Midway (CV 41) at Naval Station Puget Sound in Bremerton, Washington, where met Joanne Marie Hubbell at the Christian Servicemen's Center. He took the USS Midway to Alameda, California and was Honorably Discharged in 1958, He and Joanne were married in Oakland, California, and lived in San Francisco while he attended Simpson Bible College.

In 1960, they moved to Spokane, Washington so that he could attend Whitworth College. He worked on campus and as a jeweler for Teneff Jewelry, and was eventually offered a job with Pacific Northwest Bell. In 1962, their daughter Fara Joan was born and in 1965, their daughter Shanna Ruth. They were active members of their churches, Rock of Ages and Christian Life Center. They became Foster Parents in January of 1974, fostered then eventually adopted Kevin, Doreen and Karena Berg. With a transfer to the Pacific Northwest Bell substation in Deer Park and a growing family, they bought a home there and recreational property on Mt. Spokane.

Fred enjoyed camping, electronics, visiting his family in California, fishing, travelling,  photography, working in the yard and garden, and remodeling one of the oldest homes in the community. He was also an active member of the City Council and volunteered with Deer Park Fire & Ambulance, which later became a part of Spokane Fire District 4. He had a joyful laugh, a beard, and enjoyed dressing up as Santa Clause, to ride on the fire truck during the holidays. 

In 1980 he and Joanne divorced and in 1983 he began construction of a very progressive solar home with heated floors near the Deer Park Golf Course. He was also proud to lay the ground work during the new era of fiber optics for the phone company. In 1984, after a vacation in California to visit his sister, he became ill and ended up in Deer Park Hospital, where he met Kathleen Neitzel. They married in 1984 and Fred adopted her children Kevin, Kyle and Kimberly. They enjoyed spending time at her families Ranch on "the Hill" near Clayton and their recreational property on Waitts Lake.  After the children had graduated, he and Kathleen bought a home overlooking the Spokane River, where they enjoyed their dogs and traveling. Due to illness, he later moved to Riverview Retirement Community, where he lived until his move to Puyallup, so that he could be cared for by his daughter Fara.

He leaves behind eight children, Fara & Brian Fox of Puyallup, WA, Shanna Phillips of Bothel, WA, Kevin Berg of Oregon City, OR, Doreen & Roger Griffin of Oregon City, OR,  Karena Wilcox of Malden, WA, Kevin and Kyle Nuffer of Clayton, WA, and Kim & Heath Sandall of Ellensburg, WA, as well as his Grandchildren Caleb, Rebekah, Kate & Hope Fox, Mika, Asa & Crispin Phillips, Michael & Kylie Griffin, Hailey & Rhianna Crump, Carter Wilcox, and Ethan Nuffer.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 28, 2019 at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington.