Fred Westphal never lost his zest in spite of turmoil

Fred Westphal's public story made international news, but his private life was all about his family and friends.

He was thrust into the glare of the public spotlight in May 1999 when 21-year-old Lonnie Davis' murderous rampage ended inside the Westphal family's rented home near Interstate 5 in Shoreline.

After breaking in, Davis barricaded himself inside while the family was away and then armed himself with Mr. Westphal's numerous guns and ammunition. A police sniper eventually ended the standoff, killing Davis.

The Westphal house was in shambles and many family possessions had been contaminated by police tear gas.

Yet in addition to receiving sympathy as a victim of Davis' crime, Mr. Westphal also endured the criticism of gun-control advocates who said it was a bad idea to keep such an arsenal in a home with three teenage boys.

Such comments irked Mr. Westphal, said Chrystine Westphal, his wife of 25 years.

"He didn't like that he was made out to be some kind of gun nut," she said. "PTA ladies called us and said, 'Oh my god, your kids were in that house with all those guns?' We even got a letter from an anonymous person on Whidbey Island, scolding us. It all really bothered him because my husband would have never done anything to endanger our sons or their friends."

Mr. Westphal, 45, died Jan. 5 after a lifelong battle with diabetes.

Mrs. Westphal said the proof of her husband being a good father is the couple's three sons — Austin, 20; Taylor, 17; and Garrett, 13.

"Now that Fred is gone, people are calling and telling me that Fred was so proud of how the boys were turning out," she said. "Our boys tuck their shirts in, their hair is always combed nicely. They have never said 'no' to us as parents."

Taylor, for example, is a high-school senior who is an exceptional student and a candidate for a full-ride college scholarship, his mother said. Not even the tumult the family had to tolerate after the Davis incident dispirited the boy, she said.

The family moved to Mountlake Terrace shortly after the Davis crime took place. With the help of $15,000 that King County paid the family to replace damaged possessions, the Westphals began to recover.

About one year after the crime, however, Mr. Westphal contracted a diabetes-related infection that resulted in the amputation of his left leg, below the knee. Around the same time, he suffered a stroke that left him weak on his left side, and his kidneys failed, which necessitated dialysis every other day. His health forced him to retire early from Boeing, where he had worked 24 years in a warehouse.

"I don't know if the stresses of the Lonnie Davis episode or the criticisms that came after were enough to bring everything on that he suffered from in the final years of his life, or whether it was just his time," Mrs. Westphal said.

In spite of his failing health, Mr. Westphal refused to take life lying down — and he kept a good humor about it.

While riding motorcycles with his oldest son, Austin, Mr. Westphal inadvertently triggered the release on his prosthetic leg, which then fell off in traffic. As motorists watched in shock, Austin, who was riding behind his father, turned around to retrieve the leg.

"He stayed optimistic right to the very last," Mrs. Westphal said. "With all the things that happened to him, he never gave up. That's an awful lot to put on one person's plate, and yet he still had plans every day to do something. He even got up early every day."

While sorting through her husband's belongings, she found a fishing license in his wallet and noticed that he had packed his fishing gear. He'd had plans.

Family and friends will remember Mr. Westphal at a private gathering at the family home on Sunday. He is survived by his wife and three sons, who all live in the family home; his mother, Faye Westphal of Arizona; father Hans Westphal and stepmother Dorri Westphal of Seattle; a brother and a sister. Memorials may be made to: American Diabetes Association, Memorial and Honor Program — Call Center, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, OH 44720, or online at www.diabetes.org/main.

Stuart Eskenazi: 206-464-2293 or seskenazi@seattletimes.com.