Lawrence “Larry” Sienko Jr. passed away peacefully on Jan. 24, 2021. He was 81 years old.

Larry was born April 23, 1939, in Raymond, Washington, to Lawrence and Mary (Drevniak) Sienko. He attended Valley High School and graduated in 1957, participating in many sports. A basketball highlight for Larry was when he and his team defeated the state No. 1 rated team in a game that went down in state tournament history as one of the all-time thrillers, with Larry swishing the clincher shot with seven seconds to go and the crowd stood up and roared. Many of Larry’s schoolmates became his life-long friends and Larry always enjoyed his annual class reunions.

After high school Larry enlisted in the Army Reserves, honorably served for six years, and began working for Weyerhaeuser, spending most of his career as a log scaler in the sorting yard in Raymond. Larry married Myra Portmann in 1959 in Frances, Washington and they had four daughters. They were members of the St. Lawrence Catholic Church and the Lewis Pacific Swiss Society.

After he retired from Weyerhaeuser in 1995, Larry enjoyed managing his tree farms, operating a commercial skidder and consulting work on timber thinning. Larry loved the outdoors and was always up to something whether it was planting trees, clearing land, harvesting Christmas trees, making firewood, damming up creeks, building lakes, trout farms, hunting elk and deer, trapping, fishing, clam digging, peeling bark: and picking ferns, cones, wild berries and mushrooms. Each year Larry had a garden and would drop off strawberries or buckets of vegetables to family and friends. Larry would often talk about these experiences and liked to share what he learned along the way with his kids and grandkids.

Larry was locally renowned for his almost encyclopedic knowledge of timbering. He was a member of the Pacific County Forestry Association for many years, awarded Tree Farmer of the Year in 1975, and again in 1999 in recognition of outstanding stewardship and forest management in Pacific County for the 18-acre tree farm he planted in 1976.

Larry was preceded in death by his mother, father, brother George and brother Frank. Larry is survived by his sister Irene (Inglin) and her husband Bob, his four daughters: Jean (Cobbs), Carla (Keeler), Celia and Janelle; four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, two nephews, 11 nieces and several great-nieces and nephews.

Larry will be dearly missed by his family and friends. A graveside service will be held on Saturday April 24, at 1 p.m. at Fern Hill Cemetery in Menlo. A reception (location to be determined) will follow. Arrangements are in care of Stoller’s Mortuary in Raymond, Washington. You may visit www.StollersMortuary.com to leave condolences for the family.