Joseph 'Ozzie' Vallieres, 93

Joseph "Ozzie" Vallieres, 93, a resident of Olympia, Wash., died of congestive heart failure on Sunday, April 30, 2006.

A gathering of family and friends will be held from 2:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2006, at the Carlyon Beach Club House, 2719 Island Drive NW, in Olympia. Interment will be held at the Tahoma National Cemetery.

He was born Aug. 1, 1912, in Millardville, British Colombia, Canada, the son of Oswald and Bertha Marie (Gauthier) Vallieres.

On Oct. 2, 1942, he married Audrey Zimmerman in Truro, Nova Scotia.

He served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from March 1942 to September 1943 and with the Unites States Army Air Corps from September 1943 to November 1945.

Joseph was a greenhouse owner and florist, a city commissioner in Sandpoint, Idaho, and the planning commissioner in Woodburn, Ore.

He lived in Olympia from 1941-1942, Sandpoint, Idaho from 1952-1975, some time in Woodburn, Ore., Grangeville, Idaho, from July 1992-October 2002, and back to Olympia until his death in April.

Joseph enjoyed gardening, flying and keeping journals.

He was with the Boy Scouts of America, earning the Silver Beaver for longtime leadership.

Joseph is survived by his wife, Audrey, of Olympia; three sons, Gary and his wife Dolly and their son Brian, of Kalispell, Mont.; Bill and his wife Maxine, of San Diego, Calif., and their sons, Danny and Joe, and their daughter, Cula; Roger and his wife Lisa, of Newport, Wash., and their son, Jason and daughter, Laurie; one daughter, Joy Higgins and her son, Darin and daughter, Marci, of Olympia; one brother, Bert and one sister, Jenny, both of Canada; and also nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Eddy and Lawrence; one sister, Valeda; three grandchildren, and his parents.