Lon was born in Klamath Falls in 1956, and was the oldest of three children. He grew up in Bellevue, and graduated from Interlake in 1974. And from a very early age, he loved hydroplanes. Starting as a child, he loved pretty much everything about hydroplane culture.
Lon’s love of hydros eventually became the thing he was most known for in his life. He grew to become HUGE in the competitive hydroplaning community. His photography and documentation of the sport has been unrivaled over the years, and he made many friends and colleagues in the community along the way.
Lon was mostly known for his work with the Unlimited NewsJournal, a monthly hydro publication, where for many years he was an author, a photographer, a webmaster, and a proofreader. He was also the Vice President of the company that produced the journal. On top of that, he also booked the locations for all their monthly meetings, and he was the ultimate fact checker. Basically, if you wanted to know ANYTHING about the competitive hydroplane world, you asked Lon. He was one of the most passionate fans of the sport you were ever going to meet. He even had a leadership role in the Royal Order of the Turbine (ROTT).
Outside of the world of hydro, Lon worked for many years in management at Lamont’s Apparel stores in Washington and Alaska. After Lamont’s closed, he finished his working career as a sales representative/operations manager. He also cherished times with his father, frequently taking day trips with him. And he enjoyed dinners out with his sister and brother. The three of them were very close.
Sadly, Lon passed away in Bellevue on November 20, 2024, after a brief, private battle with cancer. He was 68 years old.
