...who defended his country in war and operated the first Ace Hardware store in the Northwest
Edward Lubin, long a mainstay of the Queen Anne and Magnolia communities, died Oct. 20. He was 91.
Born May 2, 1916, in Kenosha, Wisc., he attended school there and then went on to the University of Wisconsin and the University of Montana.
In 1940 he married Leona Kinas and they made their home in Seattle. Two years later he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force and, after studying aviation and astronautics, he was commissioned a second lieutenant. During World War II he served as a bomber pilot flying B-17s and B-29s. He also served as an aviation instructor.
Following the war, the Lubins moved to Aberdeen, Wash., where their two children, Sherry and Wayne, were born.
In 1952 the family returned to Seattle, and Mr. Lubin joined Shifton Plywood. Later he established Allied Plywood and Door Company. After a time he left the plywood business and purchased Queen Anne Hardware. He would affiliate with Ace Hardware of Chicago in the early '60s, making his Queen Anne store the first Ace franchise in the Northwest. Mr. Lubin continued the operation of Queen Anne Ace Hardware umtil 1982. He also served as the Northwest district manager for Ace.
After retiring from hardware, Mr. Lubin became a licensed investment broker. As his family fondly recalls, he enjoyed the stock market and playing with money.
Mr. Lubin was active in Magnolia Lutheran Church, where he served on the Church Council and was treasurer. The friends he made there remained close to him throughout his lifetime.
Some of the most special times in Mr. Lubin's life were the trips he and his wife took, many of them to foreign lands, including the British Isles, Europe, Russia, Asia and Australia.
He loved the theater, and his favorite show was "The Music Man," which he saw again and again. Mr. Lubin enjoyed golfing and played until leg problems forced him to give up the game. His health deteriorated during the last several years of his life.
Mr. Lubin is survived by his wife Lee of 67 years; a son, Wayne (April), and grandson Schuyler, of Seattle; and a daughter, Sherry (Joe) Podolak, of Victoria, Texas.
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