Grant Leroy Powell

Grant LeRoy Powell, 87, Dad passed from this earth on July 13, 2020 at The Spokane Veterans Home. He moved from his longtime home in Newman Lake to the veteran’s home eight years ago. Grant was born December 1, 1932 in Spring Canyon, Utah to Kaziah Beatrice Stevens Powell and Barney Grant Powell. After his mother’s unexpected death in 1932, he lived with his paternal grandmother in Price, Utah until the age of twelve. At the age of twelve, he moved to Colville, Washington to live with his aunt and uncle, Jerry and Fern Stevens. He attended public school in Colville, Washington. Grant enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in December 1951. He served his first two years at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in El Toro, California. At El Toro, he trained pilots to fly using instruments only with 8 SNB Beach Craft planes. In 1953, he was transferred to Itami Air Base in Kobe, Japan where he repaired and maintained U. S. Navy jets. He was honorably discharged from the U.S.M.C. on December 3, 1954 and is considered a Korean War veteran. Grant served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1955 to 1957 in the Western States Mission, which consisted of Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska and Wyoming. After his mission, Grant enrolled at Utah State University and attended for one quarter before returning to Colville, Washington where he met and married the love of his life, Yvonne Beverly Brown, on August 15, 1958 at the Salt Lake Temple. After their marriage, they moved to The Dalles. He worked at Harvey Aluminum in The Dalles, Oregon for four years. After that, he worked for Stadelman Ice before starting with the Union Pacific Railroad in 1966 in The Dalles, Oregon and retired in 1985. He enjoyed raising his sheep and other animals and working in his garden. He was very active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He continued to serve others until the time of his death. He was well loved by all his caretakers at the Spokane Veteran’s Home during the last eight years of his life. Grant is preceded in death by his parents Kaziah Beatrice Stevens Powell and Barney Grant Powell; two step-mothers Pearl Della Locks Powell and Sarah Melba Parkinson Powell; two half-brothers Clifford Dwight Powell and Blaine Powell and one half-sister Bessie Lu Powell. He is survived by two half-brothers, Byron Powell of Spokane, Washington and Stanford Powell of Bountiful, Utah. Grant is survived by his wife Beverly Powell and his five children Kevin Powell (Sandy) of Orem UT, Karin Bigney (Keith) of Rancho Cordova CA, Mark Powell of Austin TX, Lisa Powell of Newman Lake WA, Camille Blackmore of Spokane Valley WA. He has 14 grandchildren, Chelsea Castaldo (Tyler), Julie Powell, Cody Powell, Morgan Biggs, Jesse Powell, Brandon Bigney, Paul Powell, Courtney Bigney, Lindsay Powell, Clayton Bigney, Jalen Bigney, Luke Blackmore, Mia Blackmore, Aaron Blackmore and 2 great-grandchildren, Christopher Castaldo and Irelynn Anne Powell. Family and friends may pay their respects at Bell Tower Funeral Home, 3398 E Jenalan Ave, Post Falls, Idaho on Friday, July 17 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The family will have a private graveside service due to COVID-19 restrictions.