Harvey Louis “Lou” Box II, 66, Spokane, WA

SPOKANE, WA  — Harvey Louis “Lou” Box II passed away Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021.

Lou was born in Kellogg, Idaho, on May 26, 1954, to Harvey L. Box and Leota R. (Morrison) Box. The Box family moved to Spokane, WA, before Lou started school, where he met and kept lifelong friends. He was known as a kind-hearted, generous boy, with a strong work ethic even then. Lou was also the self-appointed protector of his three sisters. Family was important to him.

During his youth you’d find Lou in the family garage tinkering with one of his cars. He drag raced his vehicles at the local raceway, earning him the dubious curiosity of the police.  He especially loved his candy apple red Chevy. It was awesome.  He owned  bicycles, motorized mini-bikes and a motorcycle too. If it was fun and fast, Lou enjoyed the ride. Lou made time for sports. As a boy he watched football with his dad, played Little League baseball, later was on a football team and played on community sport teams as an adult.

Lou’s parents owned a lake home outside of Spokane where Lou helped build additional rooms and remodeled existing rooms. He learned to side and paint the home, put in plumbing, and watched his electrician father wire the structure. In the summers Lou would be at the lake waterskiing, racing the boat or swimming with friends.  It was more like hanging with friends, because those friends knew that where Lou was, was the excitement… and maybe a little bit of trouble.  He always found joy in his activities. When he wasn’t at the lake in the summer, he was living with his father on a job site. Lou discovered he needed to learn to cook during these times with his dad because his father couldn’t put a good meal together.

Lou graduated from Shadle Park High School in Spokane, although he almost missed graduating with his class since he thought it was a good idea to race his hot, candy apple red Chevy muscle car around the school’s track and onto the baseball field, making all the bases to home. Crisis averted with lots of apologizing and parental conferences with the school administration. It was early 1970s and young people were opting to find themselves. Lou’s parents told him he could find himself a job.  That’s when he followed his father in the electrical trade.  Lou became an electrician apprentice which later opened a field of opportunities for this intelligent young man.

With Lou’s career established, he started building his own family. He had two children, Tawsha and Ryan, and he loved them dearly. At this time, Lou traveled out of state to construction sites for employment and lamented to his parents how much his missed his children. During this time period he worked in Washington, Oregon, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, Michigan, Alabama and New York.

Lou’s world shifted when he met his wife, Rhonda (Sidmore), in New York. He phoned family back in the Pacific Northwest and told us about this beautiful young woman who captured his attention. They were married for thirty-four years. Lou was warmly welcomed into her large family.

Construction jobs for electricians don’t last a lifetime, so eventually the couple moved to Spokane, Washington. Lou recognized he needed to build his career.  He worked as a labor organizer and negotiator for the Local 73 IBEW.  Within a couple of years Rhonda and Lou moved to Wenatchee, Washington so Lou could work for a small electrical construction company.  They bought a home and settled in for a few more years, knowing they’d eventually be heading back to upstate New York where huge construction jobs were in the planning stages.  Once back in New York, his journeyman electrician skills grew into project management and business development. He gained a degree in Project Construction Management along the way.

Lou was always active in organizations wherever he lived.  In New York he was involved in the Mad River Club and Sandy Pond Sportsman’s Club, both included hunting and fishing activities and youth oriented projects.

Upstate New York provided Lou with fun activities when he had time off.  He and Rhonda were avid hunters, but Rhonda always bagged the most deer each year. Snowmobiling and ice fishing in the winter; fishing, boating and camping were summer favorites.

Lou was known for his garage parties.  That’s where his fantastic cooking skills, he learned at an early age, came into play.  It was grilled meats or huge pots of Louisiana style cooking… whatever home-cooking he prepared was tasty.  If he didn’t know how to cook, roast, bake, or burn it, he’d figure it out. Friends and family looked forward to Lou’s generous hospitality.

Lou and Rhonda recently retired to Florida, their mutual dream.  They planned travel to Civil War sites because Lou watched the History Channel and wanted to visit historical areas.  They bought a tricked-out fifth wheel for ease of travel, bought a home in one of the retirement communities, and enjoyed the amenities: swimming, golfing, partying with neighbors, and riding around in their golf carts.  The weather suited them both.  Lou kept busy.  He was involved with the Spruce Creek Community Advisory Board and ARB.

Lou is survived by Rhonda, his wife of 34 years; his sisters Kathie Hayes and Kris (Val) Box; his daughter Tawsha (Janice) Box, his grandson Colton, and son Ryan Box. Also his sister-in-law Sherry (Steve) Ruoff, brother-in-laws Wayne and Bradley Sidmore (Kathy)and Bill (Karen) Dasher, in addition to nephews Ed (Holly) Hayes, Nick (Kristina) Dasher, Master Sargent Matthew Henry – Air Force, Joshua (Andrea) Henry and niece Sierra (Justin) Rudd.

He was preceded in death by his parents Harvey and Leota Box, his sister Karen (Bill) Dasher, his nephews Sean McCabe and Brian Hayes, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law Roy and Pauline Sidmore.

In lieu of flowers, Rhonda asks that donations be made to Hospice, American Cancer Society, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and for the New York family, Garrett Loomis Firefighter Fund.

Online condolences may be made at www.carpenterstoodley.com.