Showing posts with label obituaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obituaries. Show all posts

Memorial service Saturday for long-time Shoreline teacher Eileen (Halferty) Aagaard

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Memorial services will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday September 7, 2024 at Edmonds United Methodist Church, Edmonds WA 98020 828 Caspers St, Edmonds WA 98020 for Eileen (Halferty) Aagaard, who passed away July 11, 2024 in Edmonds.

She taught in Shoreline Schools for 40 years, beginning as a music teacher and then moving into the classroom. Some will remember her from Hillwood or Syre.

"She was a sweet lady."



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Remains of World War I Soldier to be buried in Lake Forest Park

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Acacia Memorial Park Cemetery in Lake Forest Park

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The remains of U.S. Army Pfc. Charles McAllister, a Soldier killed during World War I, will be interred Aug. 21 at Acacia Memorial Park Cemetery, Lake Forest Park WA. Acacia Memorial Park Funeral Home will perform graveside services preceding the interment.

Pfc. Charles A. McAllister
A native of Seattle, McAllister was assigned to Company I, 3d Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Force, U.S. Army, in France. 

He was reported missing in action July 19, 1918, and subsequently presumed killed in action during the 1st Infantry Division’s advance in the Aisne-Marne offensive in France.

In 2002 a French archeology company discovered two individual sets of what appeared to be WWI remains in the village of Ploisy, which the company turned over to U.S. government personnel. Years later, McAllister was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency April 15, 2024, after his remains were identified through laboratory analysis.

The Past Conflict Repatriations Branch, under the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky, plays a key role in the process of locating Family members of missing Soldiers from WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The process begins with locating the Family member most closely related to the missing Soldier, known as the primary next of kin, followed by a request for Family reference samples or DNA, which are used as a main source in identifying remains.

Once a Soldier has been identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the PCRB notifies and briefs the Family about the results of historical, forensic and DNA reports, benefits and the mortuary process including burial with full military honors.

Anyone interested in obtaining more information about the funeral and interment should contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490 and/or Acacia Memorial Park Funeral Home, (206) 814-7224.

Updated with photo of Pfc. Charles A. McAllister


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Passing of former Shoreline Mayor Bob Ransom

Friday, August 2, 2024

Robert Ransom
Robert Ransom died at the age of 83 on July 29, 2024 in Shoreline. He was long in civic life in Shoreline, starting with eight years on the Shoreline School Board from 1983 to 1991.

When Shoreline incorporated, he was elected to the first city council, serving from 1995 to 2007, the last two years as Mayor.

After the city council, he was elected to the Ronald Wastewater Board in 2011.

Bob was a Retired Human Resource Director/Consultant (SPHR), and Licensed Mental Health and Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). He had a MS degree in Educational Psychology, and a MPA degree in Public Administration - Human Resource/Personnel.


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UW Med: Emergency Medicine legend Dr. Michael Copass passes away

Saturday, July 27, 2024

Dr. Michael K. Copass
Pioneer in emergency medicine
From UW Medicine

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing yesterday, July 26, of Dr. Michael K. Copass, a pioneer in emergency medicine and a cherished member of our community. 

Dr. Copass, 86, dedicated his career to saving lives and advancing the field of emergency medical care, leaving an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of working with him.

Dr. Copass' illustrious career began after graduating from Stanford University and receiving his M.D. from Northwestern University in 1964. 

He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps as a Major from 1965 where he was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for his outstanding service. 

He started his career at the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1969 as a neurology resident, and he went on to hold various prestigious positions, including Director of Emergency Services at Harborview Medical Center from 1973 to 2008 and Medical Director of Airlift Northwest from 1982 to 2008.

“Dr. Michael Copass was a visionary leader who revolutionized the field of emergency medical care," said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. 
"His innovative work to strengthen the Medic One program, a partnership between the Seattle Fire Department and medical providers, has become a national model for excellence in pre-hospital care, saving countless lives. He is a true hero and made an indelible impact on our city. My thoughts are with his family.”

"Renowned for his contributions to pre-hospital emergency care, Dr. Copass was instrumental in elevating Seattle’s Medic One program," said Dr. Michael Sayre, medical director of Medic One and an Emergency Services provider at Harborview Medical Center. 

Copass joined the program in its early years and played a crucial role in developing it into a world-renowned early-response paramedic initiative.

In 1975, he became the Director of the Harborview Medical Center's Paramedic Training Program. In this role, he shaped the careers of countless paramedics and established one of the most rigorous and respected training programs in the nation. 

His relentless dedication and innovative approach expanded the program's scope to include not only cardiac care but also trauma, obstetrics, pediatric care, and more. He also served as the Seattle Fire Department Medical Director, further solidifying his influence in emergency medical services.

“Dr. Copass originated a set of ideals that still defines to this day the gold standard for pre-hospital care. All of us at Seattle Fire are thinking of the Copass family,” said Harold D. Scoggins, Fire Chief of the Seattle Fire Department.

Airlift Northwest
Photo by Jan Hansen
In 1982, he founded Airlift Northwest, inspired by a critical incident in Sitka, Alaska, where he struggled to secure timely air transport for a severely burned child. 

To prevent such tragedies in the future, Airlift Northwest provides immediate and efficient air medical trauma care and transport. 

Since its founding, Airlift NW has transported over 100,000 patients to critical care facilities.

"For everyone in the world of Medic One, Dr. Michael Copass holds a profoundly deep and unique place in our hearts," said Michele L. Plorde, Director, Emergency Medical Services, Public Health Seattle & King County. 
"He not only had the vision to build a world-class paramedic program, but fought every day to make it available to everyone King County, and beyond. I’m forever grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Copass and witness the unparalleled level of care and attention he provided his patients, his students, and his community."

Copass served on the Medic One Foundation board
from 1978 to 2013, including a term as president from 2005 to 2008. During his time on the board, he was instrumental in securing critical funding for research and development of lifesaving innovations and in providing scholarships for smaller communities to send their personnel to the paramedic training program. His forward-thinking approach ensured that even the most remote areas had access to top-tier emergency medical training.

"Dr. Copass was a beacon of excellence, setting high standards for himself and those around him,” said Dr. Tim Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine and Dean of the UW School of Medicine. 

"Few individuals have had such a profound impact on the communities they served as he pioneered life-saving pre-hospital care and ensured Harborview was ready to provide the highest quality care for the most vulnerable and most critically ill when they arrived at the hospital. 

"He was admired for always being ready for an emergency, whether it was carrying a radio to go to the scene of an accident himself, providing medical advice to paramedics, personally attending to patients or mentoring colleagues.”

"Michael Copass was a great pioneer for trauma care at Harborview and a passionate advocate for our mission to serve the community,” said Sommer Kleweno Walley, Harborview CEO, “He was dedicated to making sure that people from all walks of life were treated with compassion and received the highest quality of care.”

“Dr. Michael K. Copass touched so many lives and played a pivotal role in advancing EMS for our region and beyond,” said Kim Duncan Martin, Medic One Foundation Executive Director. “His leadership and vision profoundly influenced the work of the Medic One Foundation, instilling the values of excellence, humility, and service. He will be dearly missed."

Dr. Copass’ legacy will live on through the countless lives he saved, the paramedics he trained, and the community he served. His dedication to improving emergency medical care has left an enduring impact that will continue to benefit generations to come.

"Dr. Copass was one of EMS's great giants. He will always be remembered for his leadership and exceptionally high standards," said Dr. Mickey Eisenberg, Director of Medical Quality Improvement, King County Emergency Medical Services.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Lucy, children Catharine, Michael and Cloantha, emergency medical services community, and colleagues during this difficult time. Dr. Michael K. Copass will be profoundly missed, and his spirit and contributions will never be forgotten


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Steven H Robinson 1949-2024

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Steven H Robinson
Photo by s cho

Steven H Robinson was born July 21, 1949 in Auburn, WA to Scott E and Billie Ann (Hitchcock) Robinson, and passed away July 5, 2024 in Shoreline, WA.

Steve graduated from Federal Way High School, attended Ricks College (now BYU-I) and graduated from BYU with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a Pre-Physical Therapy emphasis.

Steve attended the police academy (Class 70) and began his 30 year law enforcement career at the University of Washington retiring 2002 at the rank of Captain. He worked at Edmonds Community College as Director of Safety and Security and at Bellevue College as Director of Public Safety retiring in 2019.

Along the way he also served on the Shoreline Public School Board of Directors, was a staff photographer for the Shoreline Area News, a volunteer for the Shoreline Police Department and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, holding many ward and stake callings.

His circle of friends included many and encompassed all walks of life. He will be missed and especially by those who knew him as son, husband, dad, and grandfather (Poppi). The family that Steve loved so much and leaves behind includes his mother Billie Ann Robinson, his partner in all things his wife Leslie Jan Robinson, his pride and joy daughter Stacey Lynn Christine (Caleb) and son Brian K Robinson and three grandsons Peyton, Mather and Isaac Christine.

Interment was July 18, 2024 at Mountain View Cemetery in Auburn, WA.

A Memorial Celebration will be held August 3, 2024 from 1-4pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 14901 – 30th Ave NE, Shoreline WA 98155.


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Dorothy G. Loftman 1939-2024

Saturday, July 20, 2024

Dorothy G. Loftman
Dorothy G. Loftman, 84, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2024 at Evergreen Health Hospice Center in Kirkland, WA after a long, hard-fought battle with cancer.

Dorothy (Dottie) was born in Washington, DC on October 4, 1939 to Dorothy M. & Larry D. Winstead, and grew up in the surrounding area. She began her secretarial career with the federal government in 1957, working for the Naval Department and the GAO until 1971 when her family moved to Bothell, Washington. 

After enjoying time as a full-time Mom where she perfected her homemaking skills, including sewing, cooking and crafting, she began working at North Seattle Community College, where she worked for 25 years before retiring in 2004.

She is survived by her husband Allan of Mill Creek, WA; children: Gregory Averill (Cheryl), Shari Winstead (Stan), Bill Hanson (Myrna), stepdaughters Tana Boy (Walter), Tiffiny Sandquist (Mark), and Terra Loftman, sister Betty Meeks (Bill) of FL, grandson Daniel Hawkins (Shawna), and great-grandsons Cameron and Carson, as well as many nieces, nephews and treasured friends.

Dottie was known for her love of family, sense of style, zest for life and love of dancing, especially the Jitterbug! She enjoyed bowling and always had great fun, especially when making new friends. 

After retirement, she and Allan became snowbirds and spent their winter months at their second home in Bullhead City, AZ, where they made many new and lifelong friends. Dorothy will be truly missed by her loving family and her many adoring friends.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, July 28, 2024, 2pm at Northshore Church, 10301 NE 145th St., Kirkland, Washington.


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Donald Brion Norton 1940-2024

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Brion and Geneva Norton
Donald Brion Norton was born on March 14, 1940 to parents Donald Barron Norton and Doris Nuttall Norton in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

He was always known as Brion. At 2 and a half years old, the family, now including brother Leroy, moved to Palo Alto, California.

While in Palo Alto, the family grew with the births of his sister Gail and brother Eric. 

Brion was a witty, energetic, engaging, and driven child. He was named “Paperboy of the Year” by the local newspaper, earned the rank of Eagle Scout attending BSA jamborees worldwide with his brother Leroy, and was a top student in the Cubberley High School class of 1958.

After high school Brion graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Physics. In 1962, Brion served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan from 1962 to 1965, falling in love with the Japanese people, history, and culture. 

In 1966 he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Michigan, studying for a PhD in Japanese Literature. In 1969 Brion changed course, enrolling in the University of Washington Business School for an MBA. 

It was at church at the UW where he met the love of his life, Geneva Marie Fehlberg. The two were married in Idaho Falls Latter-Day Saint temple on August 19, 1971.

In 1975, while Brion and Geneva were building their lives and family together in Seattle, he completed his MBA. He worked for 41 years in the Systems Automation and Accounting fields, eventually retiring from the University of Washington in 2016.


It was the many joys in Brion’s life, and his stubbornness, that kept him going. He and Geneva had six children together, and there was nothing he loved more than time with family. 

Brion was also passionate about his faith, Scouting, Dutch Ovens, genealogy/family history, family reunions, thinking games, model trains, cheese, HAM radio, and marveling at how amazing his wife was.

Brion left this world in the early morning of July 3, 2024 after years of battling cancers and other health challenges. 

He is survived by his loving wife and partner Geneva, his brother Leroy, his children Alayne (Brett), Keri (Dave), Maren (Cara), Derek (Tricia), Clark (Anne Marie), and Leanne (Josh), his fourteen grandchildren, Paige (Paul), Anne, Emma, Kaj, Sam, William, Mariah, Libby, Sarah, Ben, Jed, Rory, Carter, and Abigail, his two great-grandchildren, Margo and Les, and countless other friends and family. He will be interred at Abbey View Memorial Park in Brier, Washington.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, July 19 at 11am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 102 N 132nd St, Seattle WA 98133.


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Charles Loeck Bolender 1932 - 2024

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Chuck Bolender
CHARLES LOECK BOLENDER, DDS, MS of Lake Forest Park, WA passed away after a brief illness on April 30, 2024. He was 91 years old.

Chuck was born in Primghar, Iowa on June 2, 1932, to Wilbur “Doc” and Louise Bolender. He graduated from Primghar High School and enrolled at the University of Iowa in September 1950. It was there that he met Mamie Jane Warnock at a church mixer during orientation week. They were married on September 4, 1955, just before Chuck began his senior year in dental school. Together they had three children: John Charles (1957), Susan Louise (1959), and Jane Marie (1961).

Chuck was elected to OKU (National Dental Honor Society) and graduated at the top of his class in June 1956. He remained at the University of Iowa for two years to complete his graduate training in prosthodontics. Following completion of his graduate program, Chuck served for two years as a prosthodontist in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Dix, NJ. In September 1959, he joined the faculty of the Department of Prosthodontics at the University of Washington, and in 1963 was selected to chair the department. He was able to create a thriving teaching program and assemble a quality faculty who all became the best of friends in and out of the dental school. For 17 years, he shared a part-time private prosthodontic practice with Dr. Dale Smith and Dr. Jim Lord.

In 1983, Chuck was instrumental in establishing five regional training centers in the US for the Nobelpharma Implant System. With the help of Swedish colleagues and others, he trained many prosthodontists and oral surgeons in the early years of dental implants.

His academic career included over 200 presentations outside of regular dental school curriculum in over 26 states and 10 countries. His work is widely published in journals and textbooks.

Chuck served as president of the Academy of Prosthodontics in 1983, followed by three years as Secretary-Treasurer. He was elected to the Pacific Coast Society for Prosthodontics in 1965 and served as President in 1979. His many honors include the “Fred E. Gulick Distinguished Life Member Award” from the PCSP in 2006 and the “Distinguished Service Award” from the AP in 2015. He was always grateful for his mentors and benefactors, and in turn he was a mentor and life-long teacher to many. He continued to be a positive influence in his profession long after retiring in 2000. Chuck led two Prosthodontic Study Clubs, one in Seattle and the other in Yakima; both remained active for well over 50 years. He remained active in the Seattle Study Club until his death.

Chuck enjoyed spending time with family, especially at their beach property on Camano Island. He would define a great day as one that included a family feast of freshly caught Dungeness crab, sweet corn and other produce grown in his garden. His hobbies of gardening, photography and fishing kept him very busy. He had a large vegetable garden that supplied most of the family’s produce during the summer months, an interest that began during the second world war with a Victory Garden. He started taking photographs about the same time. His father introduced him to fishing at the age of 5, which he then later introduced to his children and grandchildren. His passion was to catch Coho Salmon on a fly rod in Alaska and he looked forward to annual trips to Tsiu River with friends and family.

Chuck leaves behind his wife, Mamie and his children John (Theresa), Susan Chari (Ravi), and Jane Blaisdell (Mark), as well as six grandchildren: Daniel and Keith (Kylie) Bolender, Elijah (Alexa) and Joshua (Nan) Blaisdell, and Sara and Jason (Lauren) Chari. He also leaves four great grandchildren: Theodore, Phoebe and Eleanora Blaisdell, and Parker Bolender.

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 2:00 pm at the Lake Forest Park Civic Club, 17301 Beach Dr NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155.


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Celebration of Life of JHP Co-Founder/Board Member Philip Attipoe

Friday, May 10, 2024


Philip Attipoe February 1962 – April 2024

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Philip Attipoe. On April 14, 2024, he peacefully departed this life surrounded by his loved ones.

Philip co-founded JHP Cultural and Diversity Legacy and dedicated nine years to serving as a Board member, with five of those years spent as Chair. Additionally, he contributed to ShoreLake Arts as a board member from 2018 to 2022. His valuable contributions to the arts community will be greatly missed.

Philip Attipoe was a beloved father, sibling, friend, and community leader whose kindness, compassion, and love touched the lives of many. His memory will be cherished dearly by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

In celebration of Philip Attipoe's life, we invite friends and family to join us!

Date: May 25, 2024
Time: 5-10pm
Location: Edmonds College, Woodway Hall 202
Address: 20000 68th Ave. W Lynnwood, WA 98036

During this gathering, we will honor and remember the beautiful memories shared with Philip Attipoe. Please join us in celebrating his life and the impact he had on all of us.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Rosemary Melomey through CashApp/Venmo/Zelle on 206-909-9729

Your presence and support during this time of celebration and remembrance are greatly appreciated. For more information, please contact Eben Pobee on 206-393-8092 or Patrick Melomey on 425-870-2787.

With love and gratitude,

The Attipoe Family, Friends, and Community members.


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Brian Gooch 1943-2024

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Brian M. Gooch 1943-2024
Brian M. Gooch, beloved husband of Evelyn, passed away at home in Green Valley, AZ on January 3, 2024. 

He was born in Lombard, IL on February 25, 1943 and grew up in Long Beach, CA. He moved his family to Seattle, WA in 1979 where they lived for 36 years, and then retired to Arizona in 2015.

Brian and Evelyn enjoyed a wonderful life of 52 years (50 married) together. His greatest love was family. He was a man of great integrity, caring, kindness and humor and loved helping others. 

He was outgoing and affable and made thousands of friends in his lifetime. His passion for sports was lifelong and he enjoyed a long career as an umpire. 

He was top in his field of residential sales for moving and storage and won many awards over the years in both his professional and sports careers. More recently he enjoyed volunteering at his local fire department for the Fire Corp.

He is survived by his wife Evelyn of Green Valley, AZ; children: son Marshall Gooch; daughters Shawna (Robert) Grupe and Kelli (Craig) Trujillo; brothers Dan and George Gooch; and fourteen grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother Marie C. Gooch, brother Otis Gooch, and son Dana (Fish) Gooch.

A Celebration of Life will be held on April 27 at 4pm at the Nile Shrine (Country Club) Center, Mountlake Terrace, WA. All are welcome to attend.


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Beloved SW baseball coach Wyatt Tonkin dies at 69

Friday, March 29, 2024

Wyatt Tonkin
Photo courtesy Shorewood Boosters
Longtime Shorewood HS Baseball coach Wyatt Tonkin passed away this week. He was 69 years old.

He probably wasn't any taller than 6-1, but in every way he was a big big man. When he shook your hand, you knew your hand had gotten shook. You were just happy to even see it again. And you could feel one of his bear hugs for three days.

His life will be celebrated this Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 1:30pm in the Shorewood gym. Maybe bring a cushion to sit on. Given the number of young men he coached (as well as the people he saw for years on a daily basis at Shorewood), and all the stories they have to tell, the celebration could easily go extra innings.

In 2017 Tonkin was inducted into the Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Wyatt compiled an amazing record at Shorewood, posting 367 wins against 145 losses, for a winning percentage of 72%.

For reference, such a winning percentage taken over a major league 162-game schedule would work out to 116 wins.

The famous handshake. Photo by Wayne Pridemore
Five times he took his team to the State tournament semi-finals. His teams brought home two 4th place trophies, one 3rd place, trophy, and twice they came heartbreakingly close to winning the State Championship, only to fall just short. 

His most decorated former player is Blake Snell, two-time Cy Young Award winner, now with the SF Giants.

Wyatt attended the University of Washington. In 1976, he was drafted in the 20th round by the Atlanta Braves. 

He pitched three seasons in the minor leagues, rising to the level of A ball before he left the game as a player.

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Shorecrest Baseball Coach Alan Bruns has a unique perspective on Coach Tonkin, likely knowing him better on the baseball field than anybody.

Said Coach Bruns, "He brought me in as his JV coach in 1999 and I spent 6 seasons there before taking the head position at SC in 2005. This would've been our 19th year of going head to head (we lost the 2020 season of course). 
"Wyatt was always teaching, not just his players but other coaches as well. The baseball lessons came along with a terrific story from his storied baseball past. As a young coach he showed me the importance of building team camaraderie, paying attention to the little things, and making sure players understand the purpose of what they were doing in practice. 
"He's also the most observant coach I've ever been around. He was always noticing subtle tendencies of opposing hitters, finding "tells" in an opposing pitcher's delivery, and picking up on other coaches' habits in how they ran their offense on the bases. With all that said, everything Wyatt did and said was from the heart."

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Shorewood Principal, Bill Dunbar, kindly shared his thoughts on Coach Tonkin.

"Wyatt has been such a presence in our school for more than 20 years. 
"He was one of the greats in coaching in our region. He focused on character, teamwork, developing young players, mentoring and I've never seen another coach who could bring a group of athletes together to form a team the way he can. 
"Over the years Wyatt taught us all many things about school spirit, about life, about sportsmanship, teamwork and competition. He loved being here and being part of Shorewood in so many different ways ... as a coach for baseball and assisting in football, as gym manager for all of our gym events at every level ( basketball, volleyball, wrestling) and any other event we hosted. 
"He would chaperone social events (dances and prom) and act as a substitute school security monitor whenever we needed him. He was one of the finest coaches in realizing also the impact he could have as a mentor both on and off the field. "

Anyone who lingered in the gym after an event Wyatt managed knew what music he preferred. His gym, his music. Expect to hear the Beach Boys blaring Saturday afternoon.


Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Every summer Wyatt coached a local Select team, most of their games getting played after school let out in June, against the circuit of other like-talented teams. While those games didn't attract nearly the attention that HS games did, they were of high importance to him. It was well within his skill-set to give real-time evaluations to umpires, particularly those whose eyesight or judgement came into question.

His death occurred almost seven years to the day after his beloved wife Alice passed. It's safe to say he never got over it.

And it's safe to say no man ever loved his wife more than Wyatt Tonkin loved his Alice.

He leaves behind two outstanding sons, Shea and Tyler, and their young families.

They're hurting.

They could use all the bear hugs you've got.

--Frank Workman


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Leroy McVay - 11-3-1932 – 12-25-2023 - retired Shoreline Firefighter

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Leroy McVay 1932-2023
11/3/1932 – 12/25/2023

Captain McVay was one of the first full time employees hired by King County Fire District #4 (now Shoreline Fire) on January 1, 1957.

Leroy loved aviation and worked for Boeing in Seattle and was proud to be a flightline inspector for the first 707. Then, while visiting his wife’s parents one evening, the fire department arrived a couple of houses away and he watched as they extinguished a house fire. 

Leroy was so impressed with this, he signed up to become a volunteer firefighter just days later. He worked his way up the ladder to full time firefighter, training officer and retired as Captain of Shoreline Fire District 4 in 1982 after 28 years.

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Anne Morgan Stadler 1931-2023 - A remarkable life

Friday, January 19, 2024

Anne Morgan Stadler 1931-2023

Anne Morgan Stadler died of natural causes on October 28, 2023, in Seattle's Swedish Hospital, in the company of her family. She was ninety-two years old. She was born Anne Elizabeth Morgan on March 7, 1931, in Rochester, NY, to Martha Oliver Morgan, a school teacher, and Wesley Morgan, an electrical engineer. Wes and Martha took Anne and her younger sister, Mary, on winter picnics, packing food and skates and blankets to hike in the woods and play on the ice and snow, during the long upstate-New York winters. 

The family lived a comfortable working-class life in Rochester's 19th Ward. Martha taught physical education. Anne proudly recalled her mother umpiring the first game played at The Baseball Hall of Fame's Doubleday field, in Cooperstown, NY: as Anne told it, while teaching at a nearby school Martha took her girls to play softball on the field before the Hall of Fame used it. Wes was also an athlete, recruited as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. He turned down the offer when his mother told him to attend college, which he did at Cornell.

Wes fell sick when Anne was eight and he died when she was eleven. While she vividly recalled his presence early in life, she rarely spoke about his illness and death. Even her children didn't know until long into adulthood. 

Late in life, Anne wrote a brief recollection for her granddaughter to publish in a book of memories: "In 1938, during the second part of the Depression, dad had a psychological breakdown. He and his team had just invented a new set of signals for the Railway Signal Company, and he had presented their proposal to the big shots in Chicago. He'd been told they’d done a beautiful job. However, because the second phase of the Depression had happened, a few weeks after he came home the whole team was fired; the company decided it couldn’t invest in this at that time, and they needed to 'downsize.' It completely devastated him. He ended up in the Monroe County mental institution because my family didn't have the money for private care. The whole rest of his life was so tragic and sad. My father who had loved life so much, and had done everything he could for us and his work, was in an institution that didn’t have the resources to help people get better. I feel he probably died of a broken heart, isolated from us (he couldn’t see us), and from everything and everyone he cared about."

Facing loss, Anne found hope and growth, first of all from Martha, then widowed and raising two kids on a teacher's salary. Her job at a private school, The Harley School, led to a scholarship for Anne and an important teacher, Clif Whiting. Whiting told Anne to "stop being so nice!" Already skilled and confident as an athlete, Anne was able to grow into her social ease and boldness as teachers and friends showed their pleasure in her lively intellect. She read Ghandi, Rumi, and Rabindranath Tagore.

Far from the wealthy environs of Harley, Anne was exploring her own neighborhood and Rochester's polyglot working-class communities, which, in the manner of that time, thrived cheek-by-jowl, adjacent but split along racial and ethnic lines that could sometimes be crossed. The Morgans were Welsh and Episcopalean. 

Anne also attended the Catholic church because it was on their street, and her best friend was Catholic. Later she discovered the music of Black churches and the dancing at racially mixed "black and tan" clubs. Greeks ran the candy store, Italians, Irish, and Russians owned other shops where Anne took the family's ration stamps—her childhood world in Rochester was the same cosmopolitan world that she would grow up to do her work in.

Summers shaped who she would become. Clif Whiting and a friend opened a camp in Maine and staffed it with teenagers, including Anne, who was told to 'run the waterfront.' At Camp Joncaire, Clif Whiting's faith in Anne led to her take on all of the organizational and social complexities of what she'd later call 'a thriving community,' without a safety net. She learned by doing, and by listening to others affected by her choices. She loved canoeing. The pleasure of a canoe—its course set by responding to the flows around it—was a metaphor for her future journeys into collective work.

As a senior geology student at the University of Rochester, Anne was invited to tea by a young teacher, a man she and her friends called "Dr. Dimples." David Stadler had just finished his PhD in genetics at Princeton and taught for one year before he met and eloped with Anne. The newlyweds moved to Pasadena, California, where Dave had a post-doc at Cal Tech.

Anne recalled being "star struck" by their new friends in Pasadena, a worldly, brilliant group of young scientists, orbiting around the emigre physicist Max Delbruck and his wife Manny, who were as passionate about politics and social justice as they were certain that science had a key role to play in handling the moral dilemmas of a now-apocalyptic time—the nuclear age. 

Linus Pauling, Richard Feynman, the Delbrucks, and others held what Anne recalled as weekend-long gatherings, loud with arguments, music, and games. This was the milieu in which she became an activist, first protesting the threat of nuclear war that these scientists felt partly responsible for, and later in the civil liberties fight reacting to Senator Joseph McCarthy's witchhunt for Communists and their "fellow travelers." Anne met Quakers and other pacifists attending meetings at the ACLU and a Friends congregation.

In 1955, Anne and Dave and their two young kids moved to Seattle, where, as Dave explained it, he was offered a job at the University of Washington because the botany faculty needed a good left-handed hitter for their softball team. Anne explored the city by taking their children on city buses to the ends of the lines and picnicking. By 1960, Anne had four kids and a busy life of volunteer activism.

Through her ACLU and Quaker contacts she met a half-dozen other women, mostly mothers her age, who together created "The Peace Store" for the Seattle World's Fair in 1962. Anne's central, lifelong friendship with Lucy Dougall began here. From The Peace Store, two peace organizations were founded: Platform For Peace and Turn Toward Peace (which later became the World Without War Council), run by young parents raising their kids in the heady atmosphere of public protest. 

Dave was an equal partner, but Anne was the public face of the family's peace work. In addition to their local activism, Anne and Dave gathered and delivered nuclear disarmament petitions to Washington DC and Moscow's Red Square. In 1960, Anne was an Adlai Stevenson delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, where John F. Kennedy jr. won the nomination. 

In 1962 she traveled to Port Huron, Michigan, for the founding of the Students for a Democratic Society. Then Seattle's B'nai B'rith named her the 1962 "Woman of the Year" (calling her "Mrs. David Stadler"). The children were raised in the drudge-work of activism and the giddy optimism of collective work. Anne helped build networks linking Seattle's diverse religious communities with student activists and those in business, media, and government sympathetic to the cause of world peace.

Anne loved music and singing. She loved to harmonize. The anti-war and civil rights work brought with it long weekends of music, banging away on guitars and singing all the great protest songs. Pete Seeger played a small concert at one of these gatherings, after the venue that was booked for his fund-raising show barred him. 

Each Christmas the Stadlers hosted a Christmas caroling party that wandered the wooded streets of Lake Forest Park, often culminating at the house of U.W. orchestra conductor Stanley Chapple, whose conducting delighted Anne. Friends Richard Levin and Chris and Ellie Kauffman were among the talented musicians and political fellow travelers who filled Anne's life with music. 

In her last hours before dying, Anne's children sang these same songs to her, gathered around her hospital bed.

In Anne's early forties several profound shifts came all at once: she learned Transcendental Meditation (TM, a twice-daily practice of emptying the mind); she quit smoking (overnight—after twenty years of pack-a-day smoking); she took a workshop in transpersonal psychology (and later helped develop Process Work, the post-Jungian, dream-based, body-movement therapy pioneered by Arnold Mindell); and she began to learn Aikido (for several months, as a daily practice, she threw herself across the living room repeatedly, "learning to roll"). 

In 1973 Anne was hired by Emory Bundy at KING-TV to program and run a collaboration between KING and more than forty civic groups in Seattle, called "People Power." Quite suddenly, Anne Stadler, peace activist, was also Anne Stadler, TV-show producer, a field completely new to her.

With the keen interest and support of Mrs. Bullitt, as KING's charismatic executive director was known to her employees, Anne brought her curiosity and organizational skills to a job where she had to learn everything from scratch. KING's veteran crew of editors and cameramen helped Anne learn to craft TV documentaries of astonishing relevance and reach—including the first local coverage of the AIDS crisis, in the mid-1980s, and a historic exchange with Soviet television during Perestroika, building a 'space bridge' connecting GostelaRadio in St. Petersburg (then, Leningrad) with KING-TV in Seattle. 

Via live satellite, citizens of both countries were able to speak with each other directly. Anne and news anchor Jean Enersen, who worked as a writer and co-producer as well as onscreen host, were in Leningrad for two weeks of programming. Anne called television "a learning medium for our community." Using the shows as a catalyst, People Power helped the city become more self-critical and engaged, from the four-part "Classified Critical" series Anne produced, looking at our region's role in military defense, to "Target Seattle," and "City Fair," a grassroots celebration of urban problem solving. In her seventeen-year career at KING, Anne won six Emmy Awards.

More profoundly Anne's presence—echoing Mrs. Bullitt's leadership— catalyzed a group of talented young women working beneath KING's glass ceiling to help bring the station's programming into the widely respected position of industry leadership it enjoyed in the 1980s and 1990s, under Bullitt-family ownership. Lucy Mohl, Wendy Tokuda, alongside the more veteran Enersen, and others found a home and a road to prominence in their fields by taking to heart Anne's support and her frequent reminder to aim higher. 

Lucy Mohl wrote, "Anyone who thought peace, community, and love were laid-back concepts didn't know Anne. She was someone to live up to but also to laugh alongside. She never stopped being a work godmother, whether you liked it or not. Because those blue eyes would always tell you there was a high standard of excellence to meet and more work that needed to be done."

In 1981 Anne's first grandchild was born, followed by eight more in the decades after. As active as they were in civic life Anne and Dave loved being grandparents. Whether visiting Redlands, California, where eldest son, Mike, and his wife, Linda, were raising their six kids, or arranging summer visits to Seattle and the Northwest, Anne and Dave provided their grandchildren with an open door to the world and the love and support that helped them cross into it boldly. At age thirteen, each grandchild had their own trip to a city of their choosing, just them with grandma or grandpa. Great grandchildren came, beginning in 2004 (there are now seventeen), and filled Anne's life with an even greater level of joy and fascination.

On her own, Anne also wrote and painted. She wrote all the time, often refining her notes into essays or stories, for whomever requested it. She and Lucy Dougall delighted in writing parody send-ups of their peace-work colleagues, such as a fake fundraiser for "The World Without Issues Council" that they'd mimeograph and send to their targets. 

Anne loved to play Fictionary, inventing absurdities to make herself and her family laugh. More deliberately, she wrote books, one of which she published in 2015, a spiritual conversation called Burnished By Love, and a second that she completed a month before dying, The Way Home, about her understanding of Open Space and collective work. She painted colorful watercolors of vistas and plants, usually in small notebooks, as a kind of visual and manual meditation, another path toward empty mind. She would as often set them aside as she would give them to friends or display them at home.

The inner transformations that were catalyzed when Anne began TM and body-work practices shifted her attention toward the collective energies that shaped the work she cared about. Anne saw that groups shape their own potentials by the patterns and practice of listening, not just to oneself and each other, but to sources beyond the self. Seeking a practice that might enable collective work, Anne asked how can we together grow those capacities?

Anne left KING in 1990, discouraged by the new ownership, and a year later she began work as a "consultant and coach to communities." Later she described it this way, "I open space for personal and collective vision expressed in practical community-building outcomes." The problem of naming what she did was lasting. What Anne Stadler did was show up—she listened with curiosity, considered what she heard, and offered what came to her. She was honest and frank. She believed in abundance, not scarcity. She quoted Rumi, "let the beauty you love be what you do."

Anne was honored by Third Place Commons. On the left is Ron Sher, founder and owner of Third Place Books; on the right is Norman Lieberman, long-time board member of Third Place Commons.
Photo courtesy Third Place Commons.

Anne's "clients" (another misnomer) were communities of every size and character (from schools to board rooms to neighbors in conflict), from near and far (she helped reinvent her local shopping center as a Commons while also working in India, Hawaii, and The Netherlands), with rich or poor (in India she combined work for the Tata Steel corporation with the bottom-up reinvention of a local school for lower-caste kids). 

Locally, Anne helped found Spirited Work (guided by Angelis Arrien's The Four-Fold Way) at the Whidbey Institute, mentored at Antioch College, "showed up" to help the Richard Hugo House, El Centro de la Raza, Third Place Commons, MOHAI, and many others; while globally she opened space for India's School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL), the Ala Kakui group in Hawaii, and In Claritas, in Europe, among others.

Her inner work—to live in dialogue with "spirit" (which she said first began in the woods of Maine at age 18, lying in the bottom of a canoe at night, staring up into the stars)—was vastly enriched by her lifelong friendship with Lucy Dougall, who shared Anne's interest in Celtic spiritualism and the female-centered histories of pre-Christian cultures in the North Atlantic, especially Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Iona, and the Orkney Islands. They traveled together, or with their husbands and friends; their bond deepened as each was widowed, Anne in 2007 and Lucy in 2009.

Dave Stadler's death, from lymphoma, in 2007, was a major turning point. As with every profound loss in her life, Anne experienced it as, also, a new beginning. Old friend Lucy became a more frequent travel companion and their habit of walks and conversation at home brought them to an intimacy both named, "anam cara," the Celtic term for a unique friendship in life, a lasting communion of spirits. 

With others whom she met while "opening space for personal and collective vision" Anne learned techniques of "sourcing" that deepened her ability to sense the presence of truth or spirit. As she explained, when sourcing, "there's a feeling sense in my body that I call 'resonance...' I experience a shared presence with the speaker and/or the maker (a musician, artist, writer, actor, etc.). I sense deep trust and joy rising in me, and a feeling of tears...I listen to the Universal field and get messages, images, and practices that help me unite the spiritual with the material fields of my life." 

While she continued to explore the use of Open Space, sourcing, and other techniques in her work, Anne more often simply showed up as herself—a voice of curiosity, love, and optimism who could share the insights she gleaned by listening to herself, to "the field," and to others.

Anne Stadler was an inexhaustible learner. Having ventured far and wide, in her last two decades she found that most of what mattered to her was rooted in the same working class, ethnically-specific communities she'd grown up in, now in Seattle rather than Rochester. At El Centro de la Raza, in the leadership circle of the BIPOC Sustainable Tiny Art House Community (asked what Anne's job title there was, co-founder Carol Rashawnna Williams said, "she was just a really good friend"), with civic activists in Burien, at home with Lake Forest Park's Third Place Commons, and in smaller groups such as the Women's Giving Circle and the Heart Fire Circle, Anne found deep traditions of collective work, often female-centered and linked to spirit and faith. Her last decade was buoyed by the joy of inclusion in communities that had answered long histories of injustice with solidarity, hope, and abundance. As happened everywhere that Anne showed up, those of every age and temperament, the quietest most of all, found their voices supported by this affirming old soul.

Anne Morgan Stadler will be celebrated and missed. She is survived by her four children, Mike, Sue (and Sue's wife, Quince Affolter), Aaron, and Matt, nine grandchildren, and seventeen great-grandchildren. A memorial celebration of Anne's life is planned for the afternoon of June 23, at the Lake Forest Park Civic Club. 

--This account of Anne's life was written collaboratively by her children

Correction: Anne has 17 great-grandchildren, not 20 as previously reported.
Addition: a date has been set for Anne's memorial celebration


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Celebrate Anne Stadler: An Online Memorial, December 8 or 9

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Please join friends and family of Anne M. Stadler to honor and remember her love of life and the human spirit

December 8*
  • 5:30pm Hawaii
  • 7:30pm Seattle
  • December 9, 9am India
OR

December 9*
  • 7am Hawaii
  • 9am Seattle / Noon New York / 5pm London
Zoom link**  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81632260735

Our purpose:

To share what Anne meant to us through our stories and other creative expressions.

Add your pictures, links to videos and messages here: Send Anne Love

We’ll hold two online celebrations to welcome Anne’s friends from around the world. Both sessions will be recorded for the family.

With love,
Peggy Holman, Anil Sachdev, Matthew Stadler, Annick Corriveau, William Aal

P.S. Please spread the word.
-----

** Zoom Dial In Information

Meeting ID: 816 3226 0735

One tap mobile
  • +12532158782,,81632260735# US (Tacoma)
  • +12532050468,,81632260735# US
---
Dial by your location
  •  +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
  •  +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 816 3226 0735

Find your local number here


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Banchero Disability Partners mourn the loss of Frank Siderius

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

January 3, 1952 – November 8, 2023
Banchero Disability Partners is feeling the loss of one of the great past leaders of their Board of Directors, Frank Siderius. 

"He was instrumental in assisting with the purchase of both of our apartment complexes. 
"He will certainly be missed by all of us here at Banchero Disability Partners, his family, and his community. 
"Rest in Peace, Frank. You will not be forgotten."
His obituary is posted on Dignity Memorial.


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Passing of Lake Forest Park resident Anne Stadler

Monday, October 30, 2023

Anne Stadler

Following is a tribute to Lake Forest Park resident Anne Stadler, who passed after complications from an injury. She was a lovely person with a heart full of love and kindness.

This from Third Place Commons
Today it is with great sadness that we mark the passing of our dear founder, Anne Stadler, at 92 years of age. Anne suffered an injury recently that led to complications and she passed away peacefully on Saturday, surrounded by family. 
Anne and her late husband Dave were founders of our nonprofit organization after Anne famously overheard a conversation in the Honey Bear Bakery line 24 years ago. 
She lived her life as a testament to the importance of beloved community. And indeed, there is no one more beloved in our Commons community as a result of her dedication, kind heart, and boundless spirit. We extend our sincere condolences to her family and loved ones in this time of immeasurable loss. 
We owe Anne a debt that can never be repaid, but we will continue working to foster community every day in her honor. She will be greatly missed.

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Services for Briarcrest resident Afifi Durr Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Monday, September 4, 2023

Afifi Durr 1935-2023
Afifi Durr, beloved storyteller, peace activist, neighborhood leader and true force of nature, passed away peacefully at the age of 87 at her home at Crista Assisted Living Center on Friday, August 25. 2023. 

Her memorial service, graveside service, and potluck reception will be held Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

She leaves behind three sons, George, William and Charlie, a sister and two brothers, along with many friends, students, and storytelling fans. She will be missed by the many who loved her.

Originally from Lebanon, Afifi was a passionate advocate for peace in the Middle East, which led her, along with her friend and mentor Kay Bullitt, to establish the Middle East Peace Camp for youth as well as the Arabic Festival in 2002. 

Afifi remained active with both festivals until she moved into assisted living this past February.

Afifi was also passionate about storytelling and was a board member and Golden Circle inductee of the Seattle Storytellers Guild. Her very first public storytelling took place at Seattle's Folklife Festival! 

She loved sharing stories about her own larger-than-life experiences at American embassies around the world where she worked as a translator in addition to being married to a diplomatic corps officer.

Afifi Durr, Seattle Storytellers Guild Golden Circle Award 2021
After settling down in Shoreline in 1980 with her three boys, Afifi started her own business providing translation and interpretation services to attorneys, courthouses, hospitals and businesses including Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, and the Seattle school district. 

She also became a leader in the Briarcrest Neighborhood Association with whom she sponsored a very popular every-other-month storytelling gathering for neighbors, a number of community-wide events featuring well-known storytellers and poets, and a day-long storytelling workshop which taught attendees how to tell their own tales.

Afifi lived in the Briarcrest neighborhood of Shoreline for over 40 years. In addition to being a single parent, Afifi cared for her aging mother, whom she had brought from Lebanon to the United States. 

Afifi enjoyed cooking and gardening, chatting over mint tea and cookies with friends, watching Lebanese television, checking out new Mediterranean restaurants, and giving Arabic lessons to students of all ages. 

She was a devout Christian who was a member of three different church families, including the congregation of the Carmelite Monastery located in her own neighborhood of Briarcrest.

A memorial service will be held at Washelli Funeral Home, 11111 Aurora Avenue in Seattle, on Tuesday, September 5th starting at 10:00am. 

The memorial will be followed at 12:00noon by a graveside service at Holyrood Cemetery, 205 NE 205th Street in Shoreline, and a potluck reception gathering at North Seattle Church of the Nazarene, 13130 5th Avenue NE in Seattle, at 1:00pm. 

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared here for the Durr family. Her formal obituary, written by her son George, can be seen here.

Donations in Afifi's honor may be made to the Middle East Peace Camp for Children (MEPC), c/o Kadima, PO Box 28455 Seattle, WA 98118

--Jean Hilde


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Obituary: Ed Cruver 1938 - 2023

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Edward Lawrence Cruver
July 1, 1938-August 12, 2023

Edward Lawrence Cruver passed away at the age of 85 on August 12, 2023, after a brief illness.

Ed was born in Tacoma, Washington to Earle and Ferne Cruver. He grew up with his siblings Cami and Jim in a bungalow across the street from Greenlake in Seattle, Washington. He graduated from Lincoln High School. He was involved with the Guilio Theatre School of dance as a teen, playing piano for classes and dancing in productions. 

He loved cars and even picked up a trophy driving his Volvo sports car in a race. After many years as a resident of Seattle he, along with his wife, JonAnn, moved to the City of Shoreline. He loved taking part in the community. One of his favorites was playing the pianos scattered about the community, making it a goal to play a jazz tune at each location.

In his early years, he experienced perilous winds as he worked as a part of the construction crew building the top of the Space Needle. An accomplished jazz pianist, he spent his life sharing his talents with others wherever he was needed. 

Ed attended Central Washington University, where he earned his B.A. in Sociology and met his wife to whom he would be married for 56 years. He also earned his Masters from the University of Utah. Ed spent his career helping others in employment security for both government and private organizations, changing lives by giving aid and advice to the vulnerable.

He traveled the world with his wife, visiting China, Britain, Ireland, Spain, and France. He dearly loved caring for his three grandchildren. He was an advocate for several political issues. Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center benefited from his volunteer service; he enjoyed attending exercise classes. Ed loved his wife and family more than anything and was happiest in their company.

Ed was a friend to everyone, quickly making bonds with people he met from around the world to the staff at the counter of Little Coney at Golden Gardens where he especially loved to get a pre-walk affogato. The respect and interest he showed for all was an inspiration to many and is one of his greatest legacies.

He is survived by his wife, two children, and three grandchildren.

In his memory, suggested donations to the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, #1, Shoreline, Washington, 98155. Also, in his memory, go get an affogato at Little Coney at Golden Gardens and take a walk on the beach, if you can. That was his favorite thing to do.


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DeWayne Vernon Higbee 1951 - 2023

Monday, August 14, 2023

DeWayne Vernon Higbee
July 25, 1951 - July 14, 2023
The world bids farewell to a master of his craft, DeWayne Vernon Higbee, who took his final bow peacefully at home. 

DeWayne was born to Royal and Vera Higbee and graduated from Shoreline High School before joining the Army Reserves. Later he became a Journeyman Bricklayer at the early age of 21.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Darrell - with whom he shared mastering the art of bricklaying. Yet, his life remained rich with the love of his dear wife, Nancy, and siblings Jenell and Terry. 

His legacy further thrives in his beloved children: Brandon (Maren), Jennifer (Adam), Carleigh (Mike), Spencer (Ashtyn) and the joyous laughter of his grandchildren, Iris, Scarlett, and Olivia.

DeWayne crafted a legacy as sturdy as the bricks he laid and as enduring as the relationships he forged. His touch is evident from his formative years alongside his father and brother to the many editices that grace the Seattle landscape. 

None shines brighter than the graduation wall at Lakeside High School - a testimony to every dream embarked upon by its graduates. Passing down the family tradition he taught his son Brandon and nephew Travis, along with other cherished proteges, ensuring his imprint on the heart of Seattle for generations to come.

DeWayne’s life was more than bricks and mortar. His life was beyond the structures he created with the signature “Perfection in your best interest but in the moments he cherished with family and friends. 

Wrapping up a day with a martini in hand, its three olives symbolizing health, wealth and happiness, a toast to a life well lived.

In DeWayne’s memory and in place of flowers, donations may be made to Northwest Harvest.

A celebration of life will be held from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on August 26, 2023 at Lakeside High School, 14050 1st Ave NE, Seattle, WA


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Obituary: Sandre Carolyn Geyen 1945 - 2023

Monday, July 24, 2023

Sandre Carolyn Geyen
April 23, 1945 – May 6, 2023
Sandre Geyen was born in 1945 to Ruby (Patterson) Geyen and Clarence O. Geyen. She grew up in Shoreline at a time when few other families of color lived in the city and graduated from Shoreline High School in 1963. 

She attended the University of the Americas in Mexico City and graduated from Albion College in Michigan in 1967.

Sandre returned to the Pacific Northwest in 1987, and settled in Lynnwood, where she continued a career spanning more than 40 years in social work. 

She set up the first Alzheimer’s unit at a nursing home in Seattle in the 90’s. Sandre was proud to be a part of the Mayor’s Council on African American Elders with the City of Seattle Aging and Disability department for over 16 years till she retired in 2010.

She was active in three churches during that time: Ravenna UMC (since closed), Cedar Cross UM, where she was part of their Bells Choir, and Shoreline UMC, where she was an active member until her death. 

In addition to a creative approach in social work, Sandre regarded music as one of the two universal languages. Her motto, “Music, food, and a round table,” expressed the direction she wanted to take. 

Sandre revived the Shoreline Praise Team, which leads the congregation each Sunday in joyous music worship

In addition, Sandre developed a music workshop, designed for people “from 8 to 80” and requiring nothing but a desire to learn music. From the comments both during and after the four-week workshop, she hit her goal, and was planning another for this summer.

Sandre also spotted the unique talents of our church musician, Johnson and together they made an amazingly effective planning, instruction, and performance team. Before her death, she discovered that Johnson needed to sell his performance-grade piano and was working on ways to enable Shoreline to buy it to replace the current instrument which had outlived its usefulness. 

The piano for Shoreline was Sandre’s most recent project, and the Shoreline UMC congregation started a fund drive to purchase the piano as a memorial to her and Anita Proudfoot, our previous Praise Team Leader.

Sandre is survived by her daughters with their families; Katherine and Lisa; her grandchildren and great grandchildren; her brothers and sisters with their families; Barbara, Paula, Clarence, Donna, and Rick; and multiple generations of cousins.

A memorial service for Sandre will be held on Saturday July 29, 2023 at 1pm at Shoreline United Methodist Church, 14511 25th Ave. NE., Shoreline, WA 98155.


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