Nick Zaklan, 86
Nick Zaklan, 86, passed away, Wednesday, April 28, 2004 in Sandpoint.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, May 3, 2004, at the Lakeview Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Nancy Copeland-Payton from the First Presbyterian Church officiating.
Nick was born on a stump farm in Oden on Feb. 8, 1918, to Dan and Amelia Zaklan. He attended the Oden grade school during yhe Great Depression, and later attended Sandpoint High School. Nick worked on the farm during those difficult depression years, and found summer employment in FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps.
Nick served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was trained as an ironworker in the Seattle shipyards, and continued to follow that trade for the rest of his life. During the war he was stationed in the South Pacific. He didn't see any front line action, because he was welding and repairing the broken down equipment far behind the front lines. He said that was as close as he wanted to get.
After the war, he continued as an ironworker in Alaska and the Northwest. He bought a home in Sandpoint so his mother could live with him, and later bought a home on Lake Pend Oreille.
When asked why he was always smiling in old family pictures while the rest of the family was grim faced, he replied, "Hell, I don't know, it's a lot easier than screwing up your face."
Nick was a life member of VFW Post No. 2453, and a member of Elks Lodge No. 1376. He enjoyed golfing, restoring old furniture bought at garage sales, growing dahlias and strong garlic, and he loved to go huckleberrying.
Nick is survived by his three sisters, Helen Johnson of Sandpoint, Julie Whalgren of Sandpoint and Sophie Guichard of San Francisco, Calif.; a brother, Stan Zaklan of Portland, Ore.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and five brothers Mike, George, John, Bob and Peter Zaklan.
Memorial donations may be made to The Nick Zaklan Scholarship Fund to benefit Sandpoint High School students, c/o Phyllis Goodwin, 64 E. 94th St. No. 4F, New York, NY 10128.
Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Nick's memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his online guest book.