(Longview, WA) – A former Red Devil track & field star who hit the big time in the world of engineering has passed away.
 
Lou Mace passed away last week at the age of 89 at his Rancho Mirage home in California.  Mace graduated from R.A. Long in 1953 and graduated from Lower Columbia College in 1955 after a stellar athletic career where he was an all-WSJCAA pole vaulting champion. He won the Washington JC pole vault championship with a vault of 12'9" 1/4", a record at the time. Mace was inducted into the LCC Hall of Fame in 2014.
 
After LCC, Mace went to Oregon State University where his engineering skills made him a top student and coveted talent.  He began his career working on hydro projects on the Columbia and Snake rivers. He went on to form his own company which was eventually purchased by S.J. Groves Construction.  Mace led some notable projects including the I-205 Bridge, the widening of I-84 in Portland and construction of five major dams along the Columbia-Snake river systems.  He started another company and performed specialty contracts with the F.A.A. and the U.S. Air Force.
 
Mace always supported his first college LCC and he was honored as the Alumni of the year and the Lower Columbia Hall of Fame.
 
Mace is survived by his wife of 68 years Jeanne, their three children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
 
Services will Tuesday November 5th at 1 pm at Longview Memorial Park, followed by a remembrance hour at the Longview Country Club.