Clete Sweezea

Clete C. Sweezea, 84, was born July 11, 1929 in Birch Tree, MO, to Ira and Letha (Montgomery) Sweezea. He passed away peacefully October 9, 2013, at Cottage in the Meadow. He obtained his G.E.D. from Carbondale High School in Carbondale, IL. In May of 1947 the family moved to Granger, Washington looking for a better life. In 1950 he married Lorena Fay Long in Toppenish, Washington. He joined the army February of 1952 and was honorably discharged on February 27, 1954. Their first son Keith Sweezea was born in 1953 while Clete was serving his country. When he returned from the service he went to an auto parts school in Astoria, Oregon. Son, Ron Sweezea was born in 1957 while Clete was manager for a local parts store. Deciding they couldn’t stand the rain anymore, in July of 1959 they moved to Sunnyside, Washington, where he worked as a parts manager for C-Speck motors. He then became parts manager for John Harrison Ford in Toppenish, WA for many years. Their son Tim was born in 1961. Wanting to start his own business, he purchased the Krieger building in Zillah, Washington and opened the Zillah Auto Parts store. He sold the store and retired in 1994. June of 1995 he married Jan Phelps and they spent the next several years wintering in Arizona, riding their Goldwing motorcycle and hiking in the desert. He thoroughly enjoyed riding his motorcycle with Jan along or with the Goldwing Road Riders of Yakima, Washington, where they made many friends. He had had a love for blue grass music and around the age of 77 he purchased a guitar and began taking lessons. Clete Sweezea is survived by his wife Jan; three sons: Keith (Donna) of Marysville, Washington, Ron of Selah, Washington, and Tim of Kalispell, Montana; four siblings: Glenda (Chuck) Davenport of Spokane, Washington, Joan (Jerald) Elsberry of Chehalis, Washington, and Joyce (Tom) Henry of Yakima, Washington, and Dennis (Georgia) Sweezea of San Antonio, Texas; eight grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. Three step-children and their spouses. Six step grandchildren and a step great grandson. He is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Lorena and great grandchild Bela. He was a member of the Zillah Church of the Nazarene. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to Parkinson’s Research at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Grand Central Station, PO Box 4777, New York, NY 10163, Zillah Church of the Nazarene, PO Box 166, Zillah, WA 98953, or the charity of your choice. Viewing will be 12-5pm Friday, October 11, 2013 at Valley Hills Funeral Home in Zillah. A graveside service at the Zillah Cemetery will be held Saturday, October 12 at 10am with a dessert reception following at the Zillah Church of the Nazarene, 203 Miles Drive. Valley Hills Funeral Home in Zillah is in care of the arrangements. Online tributes for Clete may be left at www.valleyhillsfh.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Clete Sweezea, please visit our flower store.