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BROGI, STATIA A.
Born and raised in Fall River Massachusetts she moved to Orcas to be with her family at the age of 87 yrs. She was noted for her fine cooking and candy making abilities. She lived at Longhouse where she had many friends, and passed away peacefully at the Islands Convalescent Center in Friday Harbor.
She leaves behind three sons Raymond and John Brogi of Orcas and Peter Brogi of Mt. Lake Terrace and a daughter Binka Nicol of Orcas.Grandchildern Mandy Nigretto, Janis Greenizer, Justin Brogi, and Samuel Brogi, and several great grandchildren. She will be missed by her family and friends.
MYERS, JAMES MILTON
James “Jim” Milton Myers, 48, a loving husband, father, son, brother, friend and 19 year resident of Anacortes, died unexpectedly in an auto accident on Saturday, April 14, 2007 in Anacortes. He was born on March 5, 1959 in Midland, Texas, the son of John R. and Agnes M. (Gibbs) Myers. Jim worked for many years in the maintenance department at the Port of Anacortes.
There aren’t words big enough to describe the man he was. He was the first to give his time, share a joke, or help a friend. He loved his family, his wife Pam, daughter Amanda & son Cody. His biggest joys were to coach his kids and share time with them camping. He was always up for a good BBQ, but don’t try to take the tongs! Jim had a passion and love for the Fire Dept. and the friends he made during his time with them. That time was some of the greatest and most memorable for him.
Jim gave his time to help so many people. If it wasn’t coaching, it was flipping burgers, changing a light bulb, or towing a float in the parade. If his kids had a game, he was always there to cheer them on. He was a huge support to Pam. The best word to describe Jim was “giver”. He was always thinking of and wanting to do for others. Jim was a quiet guy with a heart that never stopped giving.
A lesson Jim always tried to teach his kids was to never give up and always do your best. This is something I know he would want to say to the boys on his baseball team. He truly enjoyed every minute with them. Playing ball and sharing that experience with his kids and the kids he coached was very special to him.
Jim was preceded in death by his father, John Myers, Sr and his father-in-law, Fred Holmes. He is survived by his wife, Pam Myers; his children, Cody and Amanda Myers, all of Anacortes; his mother, Agnes Myers of Anacortes; his brothers and their families, Rex Myers and Kristen Breen of Portland, Ore., John Robert Myers, Jr., (Carol, Grace & John Robert) of Dallas, Tex.; his brothers-in-law and their families, Tim and Marcie Holmes (Dyan & Dylan) of Eastsound, Mark Holmes of Mill Creek, Wash., Jason Fisher of Oregon; and his mother-in-law, Betty Eastman of Lynden, Wash.
A memorial service was held on April 19 at South Harbor Park/Seafarer’s Memorial Park in Anacortes. Memorial gifts may be made for Jim’s family at any Whidbey Island Bank.To share memories of Jim, please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com.
GROPPER, ROBERT FRASIER
Robert Frasier Gropper passed away quietly of age-related complications on April 13, 2007 at the age of 96. Born November 5, 1910, in Missoula, Mont., he had nine siblings, all of whom had preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his beloved wife of sixty years, Gladys, in May, 2006. He is survived by three sons, Robert (Jean), William (Suzanne) and Wilbert, four grandchildren, Jennifer (Mike), Rob, Mark (Terese), Gretchen (Bryan), twelve great-grandchildrn and three great-great-grandchildren.
He was proud of having participated in the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. During WWII he was a ship builder at the Long Beach, Calif. shipyards and also the Vancouver, Wash. shipyards, where he met his wife-to-be, Gladys McLaughlin. After marriage, they moved on to the Willow Run, Mich.? Kaiser Auto Manufacturing Plant. There began a longtime association and friendship with the Kaiser family that led to his becoming the overseer of the Kaiser estate on Orcas Island, Wash.
He was an avid hunter and fisherman and proud owner of his boat, "Bear, " that was the site of many family outings.
Robert had over fifty happy years on Orcas Island, which was dear to his heart. A celebration of his life was held April 28 and 29 at the family home in Deer Harbor.
RUTHERFORD, JOHN S.
John S. Retherford died April 13, 2007 in Sun City, Ariz. Born August 29. 1918 in Pocatello, ID; he lived on both Mercer and Orcas Islands and Sun City, Ariz. A memorial service was held on Friday, April 27, 2007 in Sun City, Ariz.
Lavender, Jessie
Jessie Lavender was born at Eastsound December 12, 1918. She was the fourth of seven children born to James Tolbert and Louise (Loos) Lavender. She is survived by an older brother and sister and one younger brother. Also she left six nephews and nieces and three grandnephews and grandnieces.
Jessie graduated from Orcas Island High School in 1936 and enrolled that same year in the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. Upon graduation with degree and license in hand she practiced first in Washington, then in New Jersey and then in California in 1948. She was at the Owl Drug in Sacramento for several years before joining the staff at Fairmont Hospital in the East Bay.
On one of her leaves of absences from Fairmont, she traveled around the world spending days in the Orient, Asia, Middle East, East Africa and on to Spain where she represented her pharmaceutical society at a world conference.
After retirement from Fairmont Hospital she opened a small bookstore and tea room in Castro Valley, California. Her next move was to Cull Canyon where she participated in the building of her home in a secluded setting.
Jessie spent her retirement years as a Master Gardener, an organizer for social and environmental affairs in her community and as an attentive aunt to the younger generation who adored her independent life style and ageless presence.
Her ashes will be inurned at Woodlawn cemetery, Eastsound. At her request there will be no formal graveside service.
Stanton, Denise Irene
Wife to Roy, Mother to Dan, Derrick, Sarah and Adam Shaefer and Cetacea Stanton, Daughter of Esther Pargeon, Sister to Tovi Daly and Carol Bechen, Grandmother to Hatchford and Hayden.
Denise was born in Akron Ohio, attended Northland High School and Ohio State University. She was born an artist. Her dream was to do animation for Disney. As her dream matured, she moved towards medical illustration, which lead to a fascination with molecular biology and nutrition. Denise decided to obtain a degree in nutrition at a time when nutrition was a small part of Home Economics. So in her usual inimitable style, designed her own curriculum, hand picked her faculty and convinced the administration to approve her a Bachelors of Science degree, which she used to counsel children with behavioral problems, taught workshops in the ways dietary changes and nutritional supplements can correct physical and emotional problems, supported local health food stores and set up networks in her wake.
Her organizational skills were of benefit to the Nissan Corp where she tracked all vehicles imported into the US from Japan to the dealer lots. She was often recognized for her performance and received accolades, less than typical at the time for a woman within that corporate structure. Nissan lost out when Denise left them to take on the challenges of organizing a new business startup. What started out as an option on a warehouse full of used cable boxes and a cigar box full of receipts became 4 separate businesses employing 12 people. The bench test facility was organized to certify and resell cable control boxes. Next came “Head End”, which upgraded small cable systems to allow them to remain competitive with the larger media corporations. This was followed by commercial and residential satellite installation, culminating in building the state’s most profitable cable systems from the ground up.
After moving to Orcas, Denise started her own mail order book business and worked with her sister Tovi and Brother-in-law Greag Daly on Island Pacific Publishing, helping new authors to get published. Denise worked with Children’s House, managing Second Hand Rose and lent her organizational expertise and unique fashion sense to revamping their inventory and relocating the shop to a larger facility. She invited school kids in and taught sewing and design classes, nurturing the aspirations of future “fashionistas”. The Orcas Christian School benefited from motherly nurturing and organizational talents with everything from dispensing band-aids and booboo bears to setting up and receiving certification for the OCS Library. Fire District #2 was also the beneficiary of her ministrations of the Medical Reimbursement Program, the Auxiliary and the Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
Denise’s five year journey with cancer tapped her stamina but not her passion or spirit. While undergoing treatment for her own cancer, she was instrumental in the formation of The Cancer Support Network.
Denise was and her family remains, deeply appreciative of the outpouring of assistance received throughout her treatment. To the Fire District, Auxiliary, Mercy Flight Pilots, Orcas Christian School, the 7th Day Adventists Church, The Cancer Support Network, Rosario Resort and Utilities staff, Lahari and the community at large, they give their sincere and heartfelt thanks for bringing light and hope at a time when both were often hard to find.
Services will be held at the Eastsound Fire Station on Saturday, April 28th 1 pm.
Heinmiller, Harold Henry
Harold Heinmiller, known by all for his wit, pranks, sense of humor, and his memorable one liners, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on April 1, 2007.
Harold could not have picked a better day for his final voyage, April Fool’s Day. In a typical Harold fashion, he left his family wondering whether it had really happened. Harold was born Aug. 31, 1921 to Edwin and Charlotte Heinmiller, in the Province of Saskatchewan, Prince Albert, Canada. At age seven he moved with his parents and eight siblings to Santa Monica, Calif. where Harold graduated from high school.
After graduating from high school he went to work for Clark Boat Service operating a water taxi, transporting passengers between Long Beach and Catalina Island, Calif. On Jan. 5, 1942, Harold enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. He was stationed in San Pedro, Calif. until his deployment to the Asiatic-Pacific aboard the Amphibious Attack Transport - APA 224 - USS Randall.
During the war he earned a Good Conduct Ribbon, Pacific Theater of Operation Ribbon, and an American Theater of Operation Ribbon. Attending a USO dance, Harold met his bride-to-be, Jackie Fine, who was also enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. They married
on Dec. 7, 1944. After their tour of duty ended they moved to Catalina Island.
It was on this island that they celebrated the birth of their first daughter, Sherry. In 1949 they moved back to Long Beach to give birth to their son, Wesley. The zest for adventure called when Harold accepted a position as foreman of Building Operations on the island of Taveuni in Fiji. Harold being as he was, he couldn’t just put his family on a plane and fly them to Fiji. He opted to put them on a 72-foot yawl he was skippering, the Baruna, and sailed them to Fiji.
Harold ran Building Operations on the Songulu Plantation over the next four years. In 1974 the family returned to their home in Long Beach where Harold went back to work skippering private yachts out of the Long Beach Yacht Club and surrounding area. Harold could always be seen skippering some of the well known yachts; White Light, Adagio, and Summer Song. In 1978 he moved to Palm Springs where he continued to commute to the coast and skipper yachts between Long Beach, Catalina Island and Mexico.
In 1993 he retired to the San Juan Islands in Washington. He lived out his life on Orcas Island in Deer Harbor, living on the water’s edge, the only way he would have had it. His street was called Legend Lane, which was a fitting name for one of life’s great legends. Harold will be missed by all! He was laid to rest on Friday, April 6, 2007 at Woodlawn cemetery on Orcas Island. Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Inc., Anacortes, Wash. To share memories of Harold, please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com.
Blake, Mary Irene
Mary Irene Blake, age 87, passed away peacefully on March 17, 2007 in Bellingham.
She was born October 30, 1919 to Gerta and Alfred Quinn in Vancouver, B.C. She grew up in New Westminster where she met and married
her husband, Bob. They moved to Coquitlam when their children where young. Mary was elected to two terms as president of the PTA at Mountain View Elementary School where her children were students.
Mary and Bob became naturalized citizens of the US in 1968. Mary continued to be active in numerous organizations. She received her Masters degree in China painting, was a singer in the choir at the Orcas Island Episcopal Church and enjoyed many winters golfing on Kauai and Palm Springs. Mary loved flowers and created beautiful gardens wherever she lived. She was also a beloved member of the 'Red Hat' ladies group and loved to model in fashion shows. Everyone who knew her admired her vitality, strength and love for family, friends and flowers. She left a mark on many peoples lives.
Mary was most recently and sadly preceded in death by her brother, James Quinn; sisters, Gertrude Armstrong and Freda Drake.
Mary will be sadly missed by her loving husband of 68 years, Robert E. Blake of Bellingham; daughters, Jeri O'Hara (Warren) of Vancouver, B.C., Sharon Haire of Newport Beach, Calif.; granddaughters, Chantelle Blake of Orcas Island, Cherie O'Callaghan (Michael) and great-grandson, Finn 0"Callaghan of Haverford, Penn. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Whatcom Hospice. A Memorial Service was held Saturday, March 24, 2007 at 2 p.m. at Merrill Gardens, 4414 Columbine Drive in Bellingham. Arrangements under the care of Jerns Funeral Chapel and On-Site Crematorium, Sunset and James.
Deane, MD, Philip G.
Phil Deane, a good man who lived and passed on strong values, died of cancer March 15 at his Shaw Island home. He was 83. Phil’s life reflected the advice he gave a grandson the day before he died: Live well, make wise choices, be ethical. His daily life was based on faith in God and service to others, as a physician, a contributing member of his communities, a husband, father, grandfather and friend.
He added to that a highly developed sense of humor that usually began, “That reminds me of a story...”
Phil was as strong physically as he was spiritually. He began serious ski jumping at age 7, served three years in the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army in WWII, skied cross-country and ski-jumped on a collegiate championship ski team, and fished, hiked, and camped with his large family and friends, sometimes literally pulling his kids up steep hiking trails with a rope tied to his backpack. Through much of his adult life he participated in yearly treadmill tests of stamina at the University of Washington, usually outperforming world-class athletes many years younger.
Phil was born January 20, 1924 in Greenfield, Mass. to Harold and Eunice Deane, and raised with sisters Shirley and Judy, who survive him. Dyslexia complicated Phil’s learning process, but thanks to gifted teachers at Deerfield Academy and his own persistence, he overcame his reading problem to graduate Cum Laude from Middlebury College after WWII. He graduated with honors from Yale University School of Medicine in 1952.
Joining classmate John Arnold, he traveled west to Seattle’s Harborview Hospital for his medical internship and residency. It was at Harborview that he met his wife, Lola, a nursing student. He opened a pediatric practice on Mercer Island with Dr. Alfred Skinner in 1957. In 1985, he and Lola took early retirement to work in medical service and teaching for the next seven years in American Samoa, Zimbabwe and Peshawar, Pakistan, to work with Afghan refugees in 1989-90. Upon their return to the United States they spent another 3 years working with the Tulalip Tribes, where Lola had worked prior to going overseas. They finally retired full-time on their beloved Shaw Island. His and Lola’s community involvement, on Mercer Island and Shaw Island and San Juan County centered on church and social welfare, which meant helping others less fortunate than themselves, often in concert with their children.
Phil was a man of many talents. He built his Shaw home with his sons and became a skilled watercolorist, whose paintings hang proudly in many Shaw homes.
Family was at the heart of Phil’s life. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Lola, and children Doug, Dave, Paul, Cynthia, Charlie and Chris and their spouses, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom he adored and advised. In lieu of flowers Phil would prefer memorials to Holden Village (HCOO, Stop 2, Chelan WA 98816), where the fishing for trout and inspiration never failed him.
A celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 7, at the Shaw Island Community Building. Anyone needing transportation from the ferry landing should contact Alex MacLeod (360-468-3742).
Dalgarno, Diane
Friday, 11 Aug 2006 Islands Sounder Eastsound, WA
Diane Dalgarno of Eastsound passed away at her home on Aug. 11, 2006.
She was born in Olympia, Washington on June 30, 1942, the daughter of Edward and Iris (Land) St. Clair. Diane moved to Orcas Island in 1973 and enjoyed living on the island for 34 years. She held the beauty of nature, her family, friends, and the island community close to her heart.
Wherever she saw the opportunity, Diane created beauty, whether by planting a garden, teaching her grandson to kayak, or giving a bulb to a friend who might enjoy seeing the flowers in the spring. She was blessed with a kind, loving, compassionate heart, a tremendous positive attitude, abundant wisdom, and a wonderful smile. An elegant spirit, a beautiful soul, she will be profoundly missed.
Diane and her family would like to express their deep gratitude to all those who offered their prayers and support over the years. “Blessings to all of you.”
Diane was preceded in death by her father, Edward. She is survived by her husband, Rick Dalgarno; daughter and son-in-law Kimberly Rogers and Chandler White; and grandson Alex Meares Rogers, all of Orcas Island; son Kerry Morgan of Gig Harbor; and mother Iris St. Clair; sister and brother-in-law Linda and Greg Lawrence; and brother and sister-in-law Fred and Sandy St. Clair, all of Olympia.
At Diane’s request, a private family service will be held at her special beach house. Memorials may be made in Diane’s name to, The Marsha Rivkin Center, 1221 Madison St., Suite 1401, Seattle, WA, 98104.
Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Inc., in Anacortes. To share memories of Diane, please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com.
Miller, Glenn
Friday, 04 Aug 2006 Islands Sounder Eastsound, WA
Glenn Miller died peacefully at Swedish Hospital in Seattle on Friday, Aug. 4. He was 89.
His connections to Orcas began as a boy and continued throughout his life.
With partners Marlowe and Betty Jo Hartung, Glenn owned Doe Bay Resort in the 1960s and early '70s.
He was predeceased by his son Jeff, and is survived by his wife, Mona Belle Miller of Kirkland; his son, Michael Miller of Anchorage, Alaska; and his daughters, Molly Kaiserman of Kingston and Marcia Spees of Eastsound.
Cichy, Trevor A.
Sunday, 06 Aug 2006 Islands Sounder Eastsound, WA
Trevor A. Cichy, 35, died tragically in a car accident on Sunday, Aug. 6.
Trevor lived his life to the fullest- always the life of the party, leaving a footprint on every life he encountered. Remember him with love and laughter. He is survived by his father Steve in Arizona, mother and step-father Helen and Bill on Camano Island, sister Stephanie from Orcas Island, aunts Leslie and Claudia in Arizona, uncles Marc on Lopez Island and Gary in Seattle, many cousins and thousands of friends.
A celebration of Trevor's life will be held Aug. 20 at Bill and Helen's house on Camano Island at noon. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Trevor A. Cichy Childrens FUNd at any Washington Mutual branch.
Oliver, Doris E
Doris Oliver, whose generous spirit, hard work and good humor made her part of the Shaw Island community over the past 30 years, died June 30 in a Seattle hospital following a brief illness. She was 78.
“Doris’s ability to make friends was extraordinary, ” said Ralph Wedgwood, a longtime friend and neighbor. “With Doris, it didn’t matter who someone was. She just made friends.”
She was born Doris Elizabeth Everett on Nov. 3, 1927, in Santa Rosa, a third-generation Californian. After graduating from Oroville Union High School in 1946, she attended Mills College, then the University of California at Berkeley.
She married
Thomas K. "Tim" Oliver Jr. in Oroville on June 18, 1949. His medical career meant a number of moves, which took them to New York City, Columbus, Stockholm, Seattle, and Pittsburgh. While in Columbus, they had two children, Katherine and Thomas.
Whereever they went, she made lifelong friends.
While living in Seattle from 1963 to 1970, Doris was a PTA volunteer at Lowell Elementary School and an education activist who helped organized a march of mothers from Seattle to Olympia to try to convince the legislature to fully fund K-12 education and eliminate the burden of having to pass annual operating levies.
When her friend Kay Bullitt of Seattle recalled the mothers’ march, she said, “It was January and we all had on these funny umbrella hats. We’d walk all day, then rush home to cook dinner for our families. Then we’d pick up where we left off the day before. It took us four days. I’m not sure the legislature paid much attention, but it was important to us to make the statement.”
Doris’ introduction to the San Juans was an August camping trip with the Wedgwoods on a friend's Henry Island campsite. “There were 10 of us camping there all month, and Doris was the one who made it all click, ” Wedgwood said. “We had such a good time we went back again the next summer.” That led to the four families purchasing 60 acres on Shaw in 1964. Virginia Wedgwood remembers the first time she and Doris set foot on the property, in pouring rain.
“Doris, the Californian, smiled and said: “This is just like Muir Woods. I love it!” Doris was often the first to invite island newcomers to dinner and frequently filled her house with friends and “strays” for holiday festivities. She was an excellent cook who loved cooking for her friends.
“Dinner at Do’s’ was always a special treat. More than 200 cookbooks crowd sagging shelves next to her kitchen, ranging from “The Art of French Cooking” to “Beard on Bread.” One cookbook’s title particularly captures her spirit: “Come for Cocktails, Stay for Supper.”
Doris also was an accomplished weaver and a member of the San Juan County Weavers Guild. She served many years on the county fair board, and gave her time to virtually every organization on Shaw, including the Shaw Island Library and Historical Society, Shaw Islanders Inc., 4-H, the Women’s Club and the cemetery Board, and she often provided help to individuals in need. She made gifts for many new Shaw babies.
Doris is survived by her son Tom, his wife Becky Oliver and grandchildren Kelsey and Thomas Oliver III of Sumner, WA; her daughter, Kate Oliver, and granddaughter Emma Dixon of San Jose, CA; brother Henry Everett and sister Katie Larsen, both of California; and many loved cousins, nieces and nephews. Her deep devotion to family was clear from the photos of her family and friends which covered the walls of her home.
A memorial gathering will be held Aug. 12 at the Shaw Community Building from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Another gathering of friends will be held August 13 in Seattle at a private home (206-325-6353 for details).
Remembrances may be made in Doris’s name to three Shaw Island organizations - The Shaw Island cemetery Association (PO Box 301), Shaw Inc, Landscaping Fund, (PO Box 443) or the Shaw Island Library (PO Box 844) — all on Shaw Island, WA 98286.
