Clyde B. Aukerman

Published in The Olympian on August 6, 2009

Clyde B. Aukerman, 90, a resident of the Olympia area the past 68 years, died Tuesday, July 28, 2009, of congestive heart failure at Providence Mother Joseph Care Center.

Clyde was born May 2, 1919, in Lincoln, NE, the son of Lloyd and Pearl Aukerman.

Following his high school graduation, Clyde attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he played football for two years. The St. Louis Brown professional baseball team then drafted him and for two years he played in their farm league system.

On Christmas Day, December 25, 1940, Clyde was united in marriage to Doris Mae Marsh. In 1941, they settled in the Olympia area where he worked for the Olympia Fire Department. Clyde enlisted in the US Navy in 1943 and spent time in the South Pacific.

He later served at the at the navel fire fighting school on Treasure Island. He was an instructor, and taught naval personell how to extinguish boiler room and other fires on ships at sea. He was honorably discharged on November 15, 1945, and returned to his position at the Olympia Fire Department. Clyde was also instrumental in the development of the area in and around Thurston County.

He started a commercial and residential construction company that built many homes and apartments in the area. The company also built many of Panorama City Retirement Housing and Clyde was later hired to over see all construction for the Panorama Corporation.

In 1963, he was hired by the Labor and Industries Department, as a Washington State Fire Marshal. He retired from this position in 1983, He was an avid golfer, hunter, fisherman, who in later years enjoyed the winters in Arizona, playing golf and making new friends.

Mr. Aukerman is survived by sons, Terry Aukerman of Renton, John (Charlene) Aukerman and Robert Aukerman of Olympia; daughter, Judy (Donald) Wirtz of Jesup, IA; 7 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; one great great-grandson. His wife, Doris, preceded him in death in 1999.

Memorial services and inurnment in Masonic Center & Memorial Park Cemetery will be held at a later date. The family request memorial donations be sent to the American Heart Association.