Carwash Benefits Storer Memorial Fund

The LeMay family decided to take a day out of their busy lives to do some good for a dear friend that was recently lost in a plane crash. Grieving the sudden loss of Brian Storer and his father Mark, the LeMay’s were determined to help since the day of the accident.

On a sunny Saturday this month, the LeMay family set up a car wash outside the B&E Meats store in Burien to raise money for the Storer Family Memorial Fund. Brian Storer left behind a wife and two small boys, Sam & Toby, ages 2 and 1. The Storer family has since set up a benefit for the two boys.

Children and adults worked side by side to keep up with the steady line of cars that pulled in for a quality hand wash. The LeMay family worked all through the day to keep the donations coming in and to do some good for a family that is in need of support.

Donations are being accepted for the Storer Family Memorial Fund at all Sterling Savings Bank locations and through PayPal.

2008 Tow Show

Our founder, Mark Storer, and son Brian Storer were honored by the Towing & Recovery Association of Washington at the Northwest Tow Expo in Ferndale, WA on August 23rd, 2008 for their professionalism and contribution to the industry. Airport Towing & Burien Towing would like to thank the members and officers of TRAW for acknowledging the two men who have been the heart and soul of our business for many years.

The fatal crash that took their lives came as a shock to the entire towing industry this summer. Mark was particularly active in his towing association over the past 20 years and both he and Brian were well known throughout Washington State among towers, law enforcement officers, fire personnel, and many others.

Mark particularly enjoyed working behind the scenes for tow companies, especially when doing what he described as “killing a bill without any help” in order to serve the the towing community of Washington State. When Mark noticed that a proposed bill had the potential to become a law that would put unnecessary stress on local towing companies, he would lock himself in his office and call Legislatures and Representatives throughout Olympia, persisting over the phone until he was sure that the bill was dead. Most associations pay a lobbyist to perform these types of functions, but Mark carried the mentality that he would rather get things done himself in order for them to get done correctly; and he was very good at whatever he set his mind to.

Mark was also a contributor to his regional towing association for many years. He always paid his dues. He met with their lobbyist in Olympia almost every year. He served on the board in years past. Mark educated his drivers thoroughly and sent them to classes organized by the association. He attended the towing expo most years and contributed through donations and fundraisers. He purchased equipment via local vendors affiliated with the association. Mark also attended hundreds of monthly tow meetings and never hesitated to speak his mind for the good of the industry.

Airport Towing contributed to the show by displaying Mark’s original antique towtruck, a 1925 Ford Model TT Tow Truck, along with large photos of the proud father and son. Mark’s antique trucks have won many awards since he fully restored the Model T. There are now 12 antique trucks in the Storer Tow Truck Museum thanks to the hard work of Mark Storer and his employees.

Family History Behind Airport Towing

Mark Storer started Airport Towing 20 years ago with a loan from his father, a single tow truck, and a supportive wife. While running a day care out of her home, Lynette answered the phones for the business 24 hours a day. Both were hard working and committed themselves to providing a better life for their children.

Brian, the youngest child of three quickly developed an interest in the towing company. He was always the first to volunteer to ride with his dad when Mark was called to assist the police at an accident scene, or when he had to go up to Canada to pick up a rental car. Brian always wanted to work with his dad. He loved watching his father pick up cars from the cab of the tow truck, and occasionally work the controls when Mark thought the situation was safe for his youngest boy.

When Mark & Lynette acquired first acquired property in Burien to use for the business, all three children found themselves to be a part of the company. The entire family spent their evenings and summers at the office. Everyone in the family worked when needed. Everyone worked hard, including Brian who started driving a tow truck full time as soon as he turned 18; right out of high school.

Since 1988 our family has committed to providing quality towing services to the greater Seattle area, and we will continue serving our customers with the same values that Mark and Brian worked hard to establish.

Ron Storer, Mark’s brother, along with his family created a slide show as a tribute to Mark and Brian. It contains photographs from throughout their lives. Many thanks to Ron, Denise, & Jenny for putting together this excellent video for the memorial service.

Supporting the Next Generation

Airport Towing is moving forward amidst the tragic loss of two family members in a recent plane crash. For 20 years, our company has been committed to excellence and quality service and promises to retain such goals in an effort to honor the memory of our dedicated founder and his son, Mark and Brian Storer. We will now focus on how we can better serve our customers, our employees, and the next generation of our family.

Burien and Airport Towing will continue to progress in the Seattle area. We remain committed to keeping the business within our family and would like to let our customers know that we aren’t going anywhere. As a well established, customer service oriented towing business celebrating our 20th Anniversary, we look forward to another 20 years. Many thanks to our loyal customers who have remained by our side during this difficult time.

Our committment to our reputation:

Airport Towing - Prompt, Courteous, Dependable.  Since 1988.

-photos by Ron Storer

The Memorial Fund to benefit the family of Brian Storer is at Sterling Savings Bank. Brian’s sons are ages 2 and 1.

Understanding Mark’s Flying Habits

Misconceptions about the crash:
There are some discrepancies as to what happened when Mark and Brian were on Lake Nahwatzel moments before the crash. Some witnesses stated they were inspecting the airplane before takeoff. Some say they made several attempts at taking off. Some have said that the motor was unusually loud, and one even said they were looking at the engine.

More information & facts about the crash:
Mark Storer, the pilot, always follows proper protocol when performing a water take off. When there is no wind, it is common procedure to run the plane up and down the lake to create a wake and allow the pontoons to lift out of the water more easily. Mark also performs a 360 degree circle before takeoff, so that he gets a visual of all boats and swimmers in the water for safety reasons. If there is any wind, every pilot knows it is most beneficial to position the plane so that it takes off into the wind. I have flown with Mark in his Cessna 185 many times and he always runs through his preflight checklist item by item before his assent. This particular motor has about 400 horse power and is louder than most Cessna engines. We have been given official word by the NTSB that the prop was not turning at the time of the crash, so it is possible that without warning or signs of a problem, the motor stalled or the prop failed shortly after takeoff. The coroner ruled the crash an accident and stated that Mark and Brian were killed on impact, not as a result of the fire which burned hot and fast because of the aviation fuel which is located in the wings.

We also know that Mark and Brian traveled to Lake Nahwatzel for fun. Mark likes to take his family on short trips around the Puget Sound area. He leaves from his hanger at Auburn, lands on a lake, picks a nice spot to sit and have lunch, turns off the motor, and we usually sit on the pontoons and talk until we decide to leave. Mark has a crossover wire toward the front of the plane so that we can walk back and forth between the pontoons. I always grab the prop when I am crossing over as to avoid falling in the lake, and it could easily appear to onlookers as though I am looking at the engine, when I am not actually doing so. Everything Mark and Brian did before the crash was normal and there was never any indication of a problem with the aircraft.

Our Appreciation to the Media

I would like to thank all the media for being respectful to the Storer family over the past week. As you know, this has been a difficult time for all of us. Nothing could have prepared us for the sudden loss of our beloved family members, Mark and Brian, but thanks to the coverage of Komo 4 News, Q13 Fox News, Kiro 7 Eyewitness News, and King 5 News we were able to reach thousands of friends in a short period of time. I would further like to thank the media for portraying Mark and Brian as the wonderful, caring people that they were.

Storer Memorial Service & Procession Widely Attended

Airport Towing & the Storer family would like to thank everyone who attended Mark & Brian’s Memorial Service. The number of attendants is a tribute to the wonderful men that were loved by so many different people. Both Mark and Brian would have been proud of the service. Thanks to all the volunteers of Church by the Side of the Road, John Knox Presbyterian Church, Normandy Christian Church, Mars Hill, Riverview Community Church, and all other groups for helping organize the service and reception.

Attendance at the procession was equally as impressive. Special thanks to North Highline Fire District, Bellevue Fire Department, Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department, Washington State Patrol, King County Sheriff’s Office, Port of Seattle Police, members of the Towing & Recovery Association of Washington, and all other towing companies, security agencies, and other friends who drove in the procession. Your overwhelming support is appreciated by the Storer family and is a true honor to Mark and Brian.

We estimate approximately 800 people attended the service and roughly 150 vehicles took part in the procession, primarily emergency vehicles such as patrol cars, fire apparatus, and tow trucks.

The memorial and procession were covered by Komo4 and Kiro7. We would like to thank all media for treating the family with respect and professionalism during this time of great difficulty.

Donations to the family of Brian Storer are currently being accepted at Sterling Savings Bank locations. The Storer Family Memorial Fund will benefit the 2 and 1 year old boys who lost their father this week.

Procession & Service Details - Office Closed

Our office will be closed for business and we will be taking messages only beginning at 2200 hours July 30th to 2200 hours July 31st, 2008 to honor Mark and Brian Storer. For Procession and Service information, see details below.

Procession & Service Details:

7/30/2008 Order of Service

• 9:45am:   Assemble for Procession (Airport Towing)
• 10:00am: Procession Departs (Airport Towing)
• 10:30am: Family Arrives at Church (CBSR)
• 11:00am: Church Service Begins (CBSR)
• Reception Following Service (CBSR)

The procession route will be as follows:

• Begin at 817 SW 149th St Burien, WA
• East on SW 149th St
• South on 8th Ave SW
• East on SW 152nd St
• South on 1st Ave SW
• East on SW 156th St
• North on Hwy 99
• West on S 148th St
• End at 3455 S 148th St (S 148th & Hwy 99)

Click and drag the map to view entire route

View Larger Map
The family of Mark and Brian Storer would like to encourage all attending the Memorial Service to bring any photos and stories of Mark & Brian to the memorial service. Memories are being collected for the two young boys Sam and Toby who have lost their father and grandfather.

Obituaries have been posted online for Mark Storer and Brian Storer through Bonney Watson. We encourage you to sign the guest book with some of your memories or submit them to Airport Towing.

Memorial Fund for Brian Storer’s Family

A fund has been established to support the family of Brian Storer, who was killed Thursday in a plane crash. Brian & Christy Storer were married three years and have two young children, Sam & Toby, ages 2 and 1.

The “Storer Family Memorial Fund” is accepting donations at all Sterling Savings Bank locations.

Memorial Service for Mark & Brian Thursday

A memorial service for Mark and Brian Storer will be held this Thursday, July 31st at 11:00am at Church by the Side of the Road. The address for the Church is 3455 S 148th St. Tukwila, WA 98168. We invite all who would like to support the Storer family to attend the service.

Prior to the ceremony, a procession will lead the family to the Church from the Airport Towing office at 817 SW 149th St. Burien, WA. The lead car will leave the office at 10:00am.

If you would like to join the procession, please arrive prior to 9:45am at the Airport Towing office for staging. All law enforcement vehicles, fire apparatus, tow trucks, and motorcycles are welcome in the procession. For more information on the procession, fill out the Contact form and Jared will respond to your inquiry.

Following the service will be a reception at the Church. All are welcome to attend.

A fund is currently being set up to benefit Brian’s family. Brian leaves behind a wife of 3 years and two sons, ages 2 and 1. Information on the Storer Family Memorial Fund will be posted when available.

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