David F. Lentz passed away on April 1, 2011 at the age of 83 from complications of pneumonia and congestive heart failure. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Leo F. Lentz, Sr. and Bessie (Klotzsche) Lentz, and his two brothers, Daniel Lentz and Leo F. Lentz, Jr. Born in Belleville, Illinois on August 25, 1927, he joined the Navy in 1944 at the age of 17, with his fathers permission. After his military service, he attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, where he met and married Dorothy Samuelson. Upon their graduation, they moved to Eugene, Oregon where he entered the University of Oregon Law School, graduating three years later in 1953.
He entered private practice in Eugene as an attorney at law, at which he worked for several decades. In later years he moved to Albany where he was involved in housing development. Approaching retirement, he moved to Gates, Oregon in the foothills of the Cascades, living beside the North Santiam River. Always a devoted camper and outdoorsman, he enjoyed to the fullest hunting and fishing in the Cascades and whenever possible along the Oregon coast. For over 30 years he was a very visible and sociable member of the Santiam River communities and an active member in particular of the Moose Lodge in Mill City. He was also an active member of the Eagles, the Masons, the Oregon State Bar Association, the Scottish Rite, and the Shriners, among other organizations. In retirement he enjoyed managing the multiple rental and business properties he had acquired over the years. He will be remembered for his willingness to help others, for his loyalty each season to the Portland Trailblazers, for his high standard of ethics in business, and for his unpredictable, endearing and at times outrageous sense of humor.
David Lentz is survived by his three children, Loran (Jean) Lentz (Wisconsin), Heidi (Fred) Warren (Illinois) and Bonnie (Dale) Riek (Wisconsin); five grandchildren, Heather (Chris) Hengst, Bart (Nicole) Warren, Delt Warren, and Nathaniel and Matthew Lentz; and five great grandsons and one great granddaughter.
A celebration of life service will be held at the Moose Lodge in Mill City, Oregon at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9, 2011. The service is open to the public and guests are invited to bring a dish to pass to complement the chili bakeoff. Flowers should be sent to Weddle funeral home in Stayton, which will be coordinating services with the Moose Lodge.
Arrangements entrusted to Weddle Funeral Services Stayton, OR.
