Lori Giersdorf

She died in the arms of her loving husband, Bob Giersdorf -- with her daughter, Debbie; son, David, and her two sisters, Laura and Shirley, at her side.

A memorial service to celebrate Lori's life is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sunday in the chapel of the Evergreen-Washelli Funeral Home at 111th and Aurora Avenue North.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius of the Russian Orthodox Church, a longtime family friend, will officiate.

Lori was born July 20, 1936, in Missoula, Mont., to John and Bertha Heinle. She was one of nine children. The family moved to Sunnyside, Wash., in 1944. After graduation from high school, Lori moved to Seattle, where she enrolled in a training course for airline flight attendants and reservations agents.

She was hired by Alaska Airlines and posted to Anchorage, where she worked as a flight attendant, a reservations agent and ticket-counter supervisor. Then she became manager of reservations for the airline.

It was during this time that she met her future husband, Bob, who then was an executive with Alaska Airlines.

Lori and Bob were married in May, 1969 in Kent, Wash.

They lived, loved and worked together as partners in their personal lives and in their businesses for more than 33 years, both sharing a strong entrepreneurial spirit that characterized their ventures in the travel industry.

Lori and her husband were in love with Alaska -- its peoples, cultures, history, wildlife and scenery. Of particular interest was Alaska's Russian heritage.

In 1972, the Giersdorfs were co-founders of Alaska Tour & Marketing Services -ATMS, as it was known in the travel industry. They purchased the tour operations of Alaska Airlines and Wien Airlines in Nome, Kotzebue and Point Barrow, then inaugurated tours to the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. They soon were recognized as pioneers in developing tourism to remote areas of Alaska.

Later, Lori and Bob assumed marketing responsibilities for Glacier Bay Lodge in what now is Glacier Bay National Park - eventually becoming the concessionaire for the park and eventually owners of the lodge.

They also purchased the House of Wickersham and its Wickersham Collection in Juneau. There they worked with the late Ruth Allman, niece of Judge James Wickersham for whom the historic house is named to have the State of Alaska acquire the house and collection as the first historic home in the inventory of Alaska' state parks. The Alaska Legislature was able to fund only about half of the appraised value for the purchase, so Lori and Bob donated the balance of the value to insure that the home and the important Wickersham Collection would be preserved for the people of Alaska. Judge Wickersham was Alaska's delegate to Congress in territorial times and was among the first to reach the summit of Mount McKinley.

Successful dayboat excursions from Glacier Bay Lodge, designed by Bob and Lori to provide visitors close encounters with the park's spectacular tidewater glaciers, led the couple into pioneering the introduction of small, U.S.-flag overnight cruise ships in Alaskan waters.

Soon that aspect of the business grew into a fleet of seven vessels that operated the first such overnight cruise itineraries in Puget Sound, British Columbia, the Columbia and Snake Rivers, the California Delta wine country, and Mexico's Baja and Sea of Cortez. The company also offered seasonal cruises in Panama, Tahiti and the Caribbean.

Lori took on the responsibility for all phases of the company's reservations, documentation and communications functions. She was loved and respected by hundreds of employees over the years.

But as health issues challenged both Lori and Bob, they sold their Alaska, Puget Sound and the Columbia River sternwheeler, Queen of the West, operations in order to have more time to travel together on world-wide cruises.

During the past three months, when severe health problems overtook her fragile body, Lori remained strong of spirit, facing the inevitable with dignity, grace and courage.

Lori was a most loved and precious member of our family, and is remembered as a gentle and caring person. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She found great pleasure in family activities, and loved animals, sport fishing and travel.

Lori was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, Edna and Freida, and brothers, Herb and Elmer -and Pugdorf, her faithful cat for 24 years.

Lori is survived by her husband, Bob, of Seattle; her daughter, Deborah Ritchie, of Sammamish; her son, David Giersdorf, of Bellevue; sisters, Laura Stahl, of Seattle, and Shirley Warmenhoven, of Spokane; brothers, Walt Heinle, of Salem. Ore., and Fred Heinle, of Fallon, Nev.

She also will be missed by her grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, her brother-in-law, Bill Warmenhoven, her sisters-in-law, Viola Heinle and Mary Heinle, and a legion of great friends, former employees and associates - and Junior Pugdorf, Lori's present cat that has given her much company and affection.

Floral tributes for Lori's memorial service may be sent to Evergreen-Washelli. The family also is suggesting memorial contributions to PAWS the Pet Animal Welfare Society - [email protected], on the internet.