Loren 'Butch' Hull, 62

Loren "Butch" Hull, 62, passed away at home on Dec. 23, 2010, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was born Oct. 30, 1948, to Eldon and Evelyn Hull at Lake City General Hospital in Coeur d'Alene.

The family lived in Post Falls where he attended school along with his four brothers and three sisters. In November 1969 he completed basic training at the United States Army Training Center at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Wash. He served one tour of duty in Vietnam where he was gunner on a command track. In July 1969 he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal of Valor for Heroism and the first of three Purple Hearts. After discharge from the service he returned to Coeur d'Alene where he met and married Sandra Williams in 1974. The birth of their son in 1975 completed their family of six children as Sandra already had five children when they married.

Butch was a well-known and popular chainsaw mechanic for Kootenai Saw and Cycle for 23 years, and had also worked off and on for several area loggers as a sawyer. In 1977 he and a friend opened and operated Post Falls Saw and Equipment until closing its doors in 1982. Butch enjoyed competing and over the years he raced motorcycles, snowmobiles, crosscuts, chainsaws and hot saws. He loved the challenge of building machines that would go a little faster than his competitor's. Butch was well known for his great love for the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman. Of course Butch entered most of the salmon and trout derbies in the area, placing in many and winning the Big One Chinook Derby on Cd'A Lake in 2001. He had been a proud member of the Skipper Bill's Fishing Team since 2004 and a long-standing member of the Lake Cd'A Anglers Association.

Butch was preceded in death by his parents and sister Anna May Hagnes. He leaves behind his wife, Sandra, at the family home, son Don Hull and wife Julie; daughter Renee Hull and friend; son Scott Hull and friend, all of Spokane; stepsons Timothy Hogan, Howard Hogan and wife Pat, Coeur d'Alene and Russ Hogan and wife Carla of Worley. He also leaves behind 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; two sisters, four brothers, old Army buddy and special friend Glen Stegill of Oregon and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at Yates Funeral Home Hayden Chapel, 373 E. Hayden Ave. Viewing for family and friends will be at 10 a.m., with burial to follow at Riverview cemetery in Coeur d'Alene.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Hospice for excellent care and consideration they gave Butch and the family during this difficult time. In honor of Butch the family requests that memorial donations be made to Hospice of North Idaho.

Please visit Butch's memorial and sign his online guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.