William Odell Lovett

William Odell “Bill” Lovett

1926 ~ 2011

William Odell “Bill” Lovett , 84, passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 19, 2011.  Bill was a loving and devoted husband; marvelous father, grandfather, and great-grandfather; and an extraordinarily funny teller of jokes who could deliver a punch line in such a devastatingly perfect way that it could leave an entire room of people heaving with laughter. Bill’s family and friends and all who knew him will miss him terribly.

Bill was born September 7, 1926, in Winchester, Virginia. Bill, affectionately known as “Billy” among his Winchester family, and as “Willie” by his wife Lee’s family, spent his childhood exploring the environs of Winchester. Bill and his brothers loved spending time at the Capon River in West Virginia and going to frequent Riley reunions in the area. He graduated from John Handley High School where he played on the football team with his younger brother Bruce. Claudine Riley Lovett, Billy’s mother, was a huge influence on him and his brothers. Claudine was an affectionate, mirthful woman, well remembered for her great good humor, laughter, and love of family; all these traits were inherited by her son “Billy.”

As a young man, Bill joined the navy during WWII. He was stationed at the U.S. Naval Station, Seattle, WA, in 1945 when the war ended. As part of his navy duties, Bill was trained in communications. He got a job with the CAA (precursor to the FAA, the Federal Aviation Administration) in the late 1940s and was sent to Alaska. There, Bill met a young secretary named Lee Marlowe, originally from San Francisco. They were married in 1952 and lived in Anchorage where their sons Mike and Tom were born. In 1957, Bill moved his young family to the California Bay Area where he worked at the Fremont Center for the FAA. The family’s third son John was born shortly after this. The fifteen years which Bill and his family spent here, on Westchester Street, in Hayward, were among the happiest and most significant in the life of Bill’s family.

In 1972, Bill took a job as the Chief of the Salt Lake Center for the FAA. He was Chief there until 1979, when he and Lee moved to Denver for a management job with the FAA. The couple then moved to Kent, Washington, in the Seattle area, for another FAA position; they remained there for four years.

Bill retired from the FAA in 1986 and accepted a position at the consulting firm SRSA. This position allowed Bill and Lee to return to “Billy’s” roots in Virginia; they resided in Fairfax, VA., until 1994 and enjoyed the chance to live among many of Billy’s old friends and family members. There were many wonderful parties, celebrations, and reunions during those years.

After leaving Virginia, Bill’s second retirement, the couple spent eleven glorious years in Santa Rosa, California. Bill and Lee moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2005.

If it could be said about any man, it could be said about Bill, he was greatly loved.

He was preceded in death by his father Brown Lovett, his mother Claudine Riley Lovett, and his brothers Brown Lovett Junior (“BJ”) and Bruce Emery Lovett.

Bill is survived by his wife of 59 years, the love of his life, Lee; their sons Michael Lovett (Theresa Martinez), Thomas Lovett (Jan), and John Lovett (Amanda); two women whom he loved and considered as daughters, Kathie Lovett and Jean Blackmon; grandchildren Jared Lovett, Jennifer Cooney, Kyle Lovett, Erin Finkbiner, Cy Finkbiner, and Ryan Yant; and by eight great-grandchildren. Bill loved everyone unconditionally and without judgment, and this included his many surviving cousins, nephews, and nieces, and especially his sister-in-law, Cathy (Winchester, VA).

The Lovett family wishes to thank the home-care Eucharistic Ministers of St. Vincent Catholic Church for their ministry to Bill and Lee during these past few years; and the dedicated staff of The Wellington Senior Residence and Haven Hospice for all the excellent care given to Bill during his final days.

Private Services for family and close friends will be held at Starks Funeral Parlor.  He will be laid to rest at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery.