Bert G. Navone

Bert G. Navone April 19, 1929 ~ May 21, 2012 Bert G. Navone, 77 year resident of the Wenatchee Valley, passed away May 21, 2012, at the age of 83. Born in Seattle on April 19, 1929, he moved to the area at the age of six. After graduating from Wenatchee High School, he attended Wenatchee Valley College and Seattle University, before entering the U.S. Navy. A crew member of Patrol Squadron One out of Whidbey Island, WA, he was stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War and flew patrol missions over the Korean peninsula and Japan. Upon his return to civilian life, he completed his teaching degree and later his Master's at Central Washington University. Bert taught for 25 years in the Eastmont School District, primarily sixth grade at Kenroy Elementary, where he was noted for his unique methods of discipline such as "dictionary," which required a student to copy definitions from the dictionary word for word, often taking hours. He loved Outdoor Education and developed a teaching curriculum for the annual week spent at Lake Wenatchee with his students. He also worked as an advocate for his co-workers, serving as President of the Eastmont Teachers Association, as well as being on the Negotiating Board for the Washington Teachers Association and later serving as the representative for District 6 of the Retired Teachers' Association. In his retirement, Bert was elected to the Orondo School Board and was actively involved with the LeMaster Scholarship Fund. He remained a resource for all his students and when called upon, helped and supported them long after they left his classroom. Bert had a second career in agriculture. While teaching, his summers were spent first harvesting the cherries in his own small orchard, before moving on to run picking crews during peach and nectarine harvests at Auvil Fruit Company in Orondo, WA and Sundale Orchards in Roosevelt, WA. After retiring from teaching in 1983, Bert went to work full-time at Auvil Fruit Company, where he developed a new position in quality control. Working with Washington State University and the Tree Fruit Research Station, in his small lab Bert would test apples with the goal of identifying the optimum level of maturity at which to harvest, meeting both the needs of consumer satisfaction, as well as the challenges of long-term storage. He also worked with WSU on diseases and pathogens specific to the industry. Bert had the distinction of being a lifetime member of the Lions Club, where he contributed countless volunteer hours in service to our community. He was honored in 1968 by being named "Lion of the Year." Bert also belonged to the Holy Apostles Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus, where over the years, he contributed much of his time and resources where needed. Despite his constant activity and the demands on his time, Bert remained devoted to his family. Throughout the lives of his children and grandchildren, while his health allowed, he was in the stands at every event, despite the distance, at the other end of a phone line, regardless the hour, and a constant source of unconditional love and support. We will love and miss him forever. Surviving are his wife, Deanna of East Wenatchee, WA; three sisters, Dolorse Gere of Bellevue, WA and Angela Hall and Norma Clark, both of Conconully, WA; three daughters, Anna Wright (Jim) of Manson, WA, Laura Navone of Woodinville and WA Jenny Vannier (Mike) of East Wenatchee, WA; four grandchildren, Erin Lewis (Tony) of Kelowna, B.C., Andrew Wright (Holly) of Dallas, TX, Casey Wright of Spokane, WA and Hunter Vannier of East Wenatchee, WA; and two great-grandchildren, Madilyn and Adella Lewis of Kelowna, BC. Funeral Services were held at Holy Apostles Catholic Church in East Wenatchee, Tuesday, May 29, 2012, with Interment following at Evergreen Memorial Park. Memorial donations, in his name, may be made to the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society and the Literacy Council of the Wenatchee Valley. Arrangements are by Telford's Chapel of the Valley.

Bert G. Navone

April 19, 1929 - May 21, 2012