We mourn the passing of retired Journeyman Inside Wireman Arthur (Art) Luhnow, on January 15th. He was 82 years old, and had been a Local 569 member for 62 years.
Art received his 60-yr. Service Pin at the Retirees Club Lunch in August 2018. He was a native San Diegan, and attended Sweetwater High School, before he attended San Diego Junior (now known as City) College from 1957 – 1960. This is the campus where Local 569’s apprenticeship training took place, until our Joint Apprenticeship Training Center (JATC) opened in the early 80s. During his apprenticeship, Art was trained at Stereovision, South Bay Electric, Federal, and Bell Electric. He continued with Bell Electric (for a few years) after he became a journeyman. In the mid-60s, he worked for a brief period at Solar Electric. Art then went “out of town”, securing work through Local 11. He came back to San Diego, and was dispatched to Stringer Electric for a few years. Out of town, again, in the late 60s, and back in San Diego to stay, from 1971 until he retired in late 1999. In the 70s, Art worked for Webbco, Foshay Electric, Hamilton (2 dispatches), Baker Electricians (as they were known then) for 2 dispatches, Smith, H&R, Amco, Siegel, and Schwarz Electric. In 1976, Art was dispatched to (then Union) Berg Electric, and stayed with them for ten years. He then took a ‘breather’ for several years. When he returned, he would work as a foreman for Morrow-Meadows, and then as a foreman for Southland Electric. Art has left a legacy of electricians with Local 569: his brother, Keith Luhnow (now retired), his nephew, Kevin (Keith’s son), and his nephew, Channey Doud.
Whenever Art came into our office to “take care of business”, his quiet demeanor and kindness was evident. He was no “pushover”, though. Those who learned their craft as apprentices, under Art, will tell you that if he saw them struggling with a task, he would take them aside, and quietly show them how to accomplish the task with more economy of motion and in a safer manner, without fanfare. But, if one continued to perform in a sub-standard manner, one would probably hear their name loudly called, and they wouldn’t be the only one in earshot.
Memorial Service/Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, February 29th, at Noon, at the Sweetwater Community Church, located at 5305 Sweetwater Road, Bonita, CA 91902.
