Dr. Edwin Herbert Lofquist, Sr.

Dr. Edwin Herbert Lofquist, Sr. - 7ABH, W7ABH
July 6, 1909 - April 19, 2002

Edwin H. Lofquist, Sr. was born in Portland, Oregon, passed away in Tacoma, WA. He attended school in the Portland area, graduating from Jefferson High School in 1928. He developed an avid interest in amateur radio at this time; he operated under the call sign W7ABH. In 1928 he was one of the handful of operators who heard and reported the SOS call from the Italian zeppelin “Italia”, which had crashed in the Arctic while on an expedition to the North Pole. After high school, he began to go to sea as a ship's radio operator. Later, he used this job to finance his way through Oregon State College and the University of Oregon Medical School, working one year and going to school the next. This culminated in 1944 when he was in the Mediterranean with the U.S. Merchant Marine in combat conditions, for which he was awarded the Merchant Marine Combat Bar. At this time, he also doubled as a ship's medical officer, due to his medical training. In 1944, Dr. Lofquist returned home, working as a physician at the Kaiser Shipyard Clinic at Swan Island in Portland. There, he met and married Delia Lybarger of Greenbrier, AK, a nurse at the clinic. After the war, he entered private practice for some years, but eventually entered the U.S. Army Medical Corps at the time of the Korean War. Dr. Lofquist served as both a field doctor and unit commander in this war, finishing his service with a year's duty in Japan where he was able to be with his family. After this, he worked as a physician for the Veterans' Administration. He saw service with the VA in a variety of locations: Portland, OR; Vancouver, WA; Sepulveda, CA; Martinez, CA; and Seattle, WA. He re-tired in 1979. In 1982, he and his wife retired in California, returning to the Northwest in 1996. Delia Lofquist predeceased him in July of 2001. He is survived by one son, Edwin H. Lofquist, Jr., and a daughter-in-law, Barbara, of Tacoma. Dr. Lofquist's interests included amateur radio and stamp collecting. He was a member of the American Radio Relay League and several stamp collector organizations. Dr. Lofquist was a very special individual. He was a kindly man, a dedicated father, a friend, a counsellor in time of need. He will be greatly missed. Rosary was at 7:00 pm, Wednesday, April 24 in the Mt. View Garden Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial wass held 11:00 am at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, with burial at Tahoma National Cemetery. Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home, 584-0252.
Apr 24, 2002
Seattle Times

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