Good, William ‘Bill’ Sunday, 12 Mar 2006
William “Bill” T. Good, 87, died at his home on March 12, 2006 following a courageous battle with congestive heart failure with his loving family at his side.
He was born April 26, 1918 in Everett to the late William (Sam) Samuel and Mary Louise Topping Good. He attended grade school in Tacoma, and was a graduate of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, class of 1936.
Bill attended Washington State University but World War II interrupted his education. Bill served his country faithfully in the United States Navy on the USS Munro in Melbourne, Australia.
Following the war, he returned to school to finish his bachelor of arts degree in history in 1946 and his bachelor of arts degree in education in 1947 at WSU. Bill obtained his master’s degree in education at the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1951.
Bill began his teaching career in Camas, teaching for one year. He was then recalled to active reserve duty during the Korean War, going first to Moscow, Idaho to teach NROTC, then transferred to Newport, R.I. and then to Key West, Fla. In 1953, the Reserves were taken off active duty.
Bill and his family moved to Aberdeen where he taught history and math at Miller High School. Always looking forward, the family moved to Warden in Eastern Washington, where Bill was superintendent of public instruction for the Warden School District from 1963 to 1970.
In 1970, the South Whidbey School District was recruiting for a new superintendent. Looking to better himself, Bill moved the family back to Western Washington. Bill was superintendent of public instruction for the South Whidbey School District from 1970 to 1978, when he retired.
Bill was a member of St. Hubert Catholic Church, serving as Lector. He was also a member of the South Whidbey Kiwanis Club, serving as their president; Lions Club in Aberdeen and Warden, also he was a Third Degree Knight and founding member of St. Hubert’s Knights of Columbus.
Bill is survived by his family, loving wife and partner of over 61 years, Barbara Jean Good at the family home; beloved son William D. Good of Freeland; beloved daughters Karen Kinder and her husband Jerry of Warden, Deborah Medina and her husband Victor of Kent, Kathleen Good of Federal Way, Laurie Strempel and her husband Ron of Clinton; grandchildren Thomas and Heather Kinder, Andrew, Brian, and Christie Medina, Amanda, Sara and Jessica Strempel; numerous nieces and nephews and many friends who will miss him dearly.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated for Bill at St. Hubert Catholic Church, Langley at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 18. Father Rick Spicer will be the celebrant. Private family graveside will be conducted at Mount Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent with full military honors.
Memorials in Bill’s name may be made to the St. Hubert Building Fund.
“Bill (Dad, Grandpa) we love you dearly. You will be missed very much and forever.”
Full funeral and burial arrangements have been entrusted to the care and direction of Affordable Burial & Cremation Services, Mount Vernon.
Condliff, Alexander Sunday, 12 Mar 2006
Alexander Ferguson “Ferg” Condliff, 75, died at home on March 12, 2006, surrounded by his family, from pulmonary fibrosis.
Ferg was born in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and grew up in the Philadelphia vicinity. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in metallurgy. He met his wife, Nancy, while at Penn State, and they were married April 17, 1954. After residing in Corvallis, Ore., for many years, he and Nancy moved to Oak Harbor in 1994.
Ferg worked for a variety of metals companies, ending with a career in research and development at Teledyne Wah Chang in Albany, Ore. During his years of active service with the Navy in the 1950s, he worked at the guided missile program at White Sands, N.M. He stayed in the Reserves for 25 years.
Ferg was active with the North Whidbey Lions Club and New Leaf. He enjoyed golfing, boating, and spending time with his family.
Ferg is survived by his wife of 52 years, Nancy; his three children, Ken, Karen, and Chris, and their spouses; his six grandchildren; and two brothers, Tom and Dave.
The memorial service for Ferg will be held at Family Bible Church, 2760 Heller Rd., Oak Harbor, at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 16. Arrangements were entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Nelson, Elma Loretta Friday, 10 Mar 2006
Elma Loretta Nelson, 78, passed away March 10, 2006, at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, after several months of illness.
Mrs. Nelson was born Oct. 10, 1927, to Elmond and Nettie Masscey in Bernard, Iowa. She married Bernard (Ben) Nelson June 25, 1947, in Piggott, Mo. They moved to Bothell in the summer of 1957. Elma worked for Physio Control in Kirkland for 20 years. When she retired they moved to Oakville until Ben’s passing in 1998. Elma moved to Oak Harbor in April 2004.
She is preceded in death by her husband Bernard (Ben) Nelson; son Mitchell Dean, sisters Vivian Potter and Helen Smith. Elma is survived by three daughters, Brenda Maxwell and Lorae Dutcher and husband Alan, all of Coupeville, and Vicky Henderson of Lyman; one son, Bruce Nelson and wife Darlene of Libby, Mont.; grandchildren Rodney and Stefanie Maxwell of Mill Creek, Jason and Patricia Maxwell of Snohomish, Tracy and Brian Linson of Coupeville, Kimberly and Joe Ugolini, Robin Hoskins, Katie and Scott Bodeau, all of Spokane, Garrett Dutcher of Coupeville and Trevor Caldwell of Montana; great-grandchildren, Kail, Zoey and Kaleb Linson of Coupeville, Nathan and Sydney Maxwell of Mill Creek, Jerica and Isabella Ugolini of Spokane, Noah and Aidan Bodeau of Spokane; one sister, Mary Morris of Independence, Iowa; and one brother, Carl Massey of Iowa.
Mom spent her last years with her beloved companion, Robert P. Banks of Oak Harbor. They enjoyed family, friends, dancing, nature and traveling. They traveled the summer of 2005, visiting their families in Iowa, Illinois, Georgia and Virginia. They also spent a week in Hawaii in November 2005.
In keeping with her wishes, a memorial service was held at Burley Funeral Chapel on March 13. Cremation will follow. At her request, her cremated remains will be scattered near Libby, Mont. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.
Koontz, Laura Ann Wednesday, 08 Mar 2006
Laura Ann Koontz 81, died peacefully on March 8, 2006, at her daughter’s home in Auburn, where she had resided for the past year due to poor health. Three of her children were at her bedside at her passing.
Laura Ann was born Oct. 18, 1924 in Lavernne, Okla., to Bernice Robinett and Harvey O’Hair. They migrated to Kennewick, Wash., in 1937 during the “Oklahoma dust bowl.” Ann had known the hard life of the Great Depression. She married Dale Kramer, a soldier from Colorado. This short marriage produced one son, Richard Lee, who died after only one day on earth. She then met a handsome sailor, Paul Koontz while she was working in a cafe in Kennewick. They married and traveled the U.S. with the military having four children in four different states. They moved to Whidbey Island from Jacksonville, Fla., in 1955. When Paul retired they decided to stay on their Whidbey acreage not far from Deception Pass Bridge. Her beloved husband died in 1996.
Ann worked for short periods for Henni Farms, candling eggs, and as a secretary to her husband in their business of Koontz Appliance Repair. In later years you would find her working in the kitchen of King’s Table Restaurant washing dishes or preparing delicious salads.
In the past nine years, Ann had enjoyed going to the Senior Center in Oak Harbor to play bingo; a place where she had made many friends, one in particular, Patrick Bisch. He lit up her life with his love for her. She enjoyed her declining years traveling with Pat.
Laura Ann is survived by her four children Patricia (Vernon) Coates of Auburn, Michael Koontz of Oak Harbor, Kathleen (Gary) Jackson of Arlington, and Barbara (Ron) Brandelli of Oak Harbor; and two brothers, John O’Hair of Arlington and Jimmy O’Hair of Kennewick. One brother and two sisters preceded her in death, HB O’Hair, Nina Gosselin and Eulah Peters.
Funeral services will be at Burley Funeral Chapel, 30 SE Ely Street in Oak Harbor, on Saturday, March 18 at 2 p.m. Interment
will be held at Valley, Wash., at a later date. Arrangements are entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.
Speck, Eleanor M. Tuesday, 31 Oct 2006
Eleanor May Speck passed away on Oct. 31, 2006 at Fairhaven Adult Family Home, Oak Harbor at the age of 82. She had been a resident of Fairhaven for the past two years. She was born June 17, 1924 in Elizabeth, N.J., to Harry and Ruth (Lee) Cope.
Eleanor spent most of her early life in Maplewood, N.J. Following high school she worked for the utility company. She met Edward Speck and on May 10, 1947 they were married in Maplewood.
The United Counties Trust Company in Berkeley Heights, N.J., hired Eleanor. She spent the next 40 years in banking, retiring as a vice president. She was president and long-time member of the Business and Professional Women’s organization of Berkeley Heights. She was a lifetime member of the Union Village United Methodist Church of Berkeley Heights. Eleanor and Edward moved to Oak Harbor in 2001 to be closer to their son, Greg. She and Edward became members of the First United Methodist Church of Oak Harbor when they moved to the island. She enjoyed gardening, reading, shopping and travel.
Eleanor is survived by one son Greg Speck and his wife Donny and by numerous nieces and nephews. Her husband Edward preceded her in death in 2001.
Graveside funeral services were held at Maple Leaf Cemetery on Nov. 2 with Pastor David Lura of the First United Methodist Church officiating. A reception for family and friends followed at Fairhaven Adult Family Home. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.
Christian Jr., Paul Bynum Sunday, 29 Oct 2006
Paul Christian, 75, died at his home on Oct. 29, 2006 after an extended illness. He was born July 31, 1931 in Memphis, Tenn., to Paul B. and Cara Christian, Sr.
Paul spent 20 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, entering the service in 1949. Paul met Margaret J. “Peggy” Eggiman, the love of his life. They were married in February of 1953 in Los Angeles. Together Paul and Peggy raised four children.
Paul and Peggy moved to Whidbey first in May 1994, then moved away to Bend, Ore., before returning to Whidbey to be close to two of their children.
Paul is survived by his wife Peggy in Oak Harbor; his mother, Cara L.Twiest of Gold Hill, Ore.; his son, Ronald L. Christian with wife Bonnie of Sutter Creek, Calif.; son Duane Christian of Oak Harbor; daughter Cherilyn Swanson of Florida; and daughter Robin L. Dix with husband Leion of Oak Harbor. He also leaves 11 grandchildren, Shannan, Renee, Krista, Jeremy, Dominique, Tami, Brandon, Sean, Christen, Ricky, Jonny and seven great grandchildren, Giovanni, Isaac, Amadeo, Kaylee, Elora, Ceira, and Dominic. Paul is also survived by brothers Jonathan Christian with wife Suzie, David Christian with wife Tish, and Richard Twiest with wife Lynn, and sisters Judy Lowry, Suzanne Woodworth and Mary Beth Robertson with husband Chris.
A gathering of friends and family will be held at Burley Funeral Chapel on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 3:30 p.m. to celebrate Paul’s life. Arrangements were entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.
Heath, Albert H. Friday, 27 Oct 2006
Albert H. Heath, 91, passed away peacefully on Oct. 27, 2006. He was born in Tacoma. He graduated from the Cornish School in Seattle in 1935 and went to Hollywood to work in the Walt Disney Studios in the early days of story animation.
During World War II he served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in England. Upon returning to the Pacific Northwest after the war, he divided his time between Whidbey Island and the Skagit Valley where he was active in land preservation and environmental issues. Heath was honored for his important contribution to the efforts in the late 1960s to “Save the Prairie” in Coupeville at a reception at the Jacob Ebey homestead in September 2002. He was also supportive of the arts, particularly the Museum of Northwest Art in LaConner.
In 1985 Heath married Pauline Vike Hunter. She preceded him in death in 1997. He is survived by his sister, Betty Lockwood of Portland, Ore., and her children and his three stepsons Steve, David, and Bill Hunter, as well as their children.
At his request there will be no memorial service. Donations may be made to a favorite charity or the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve, P.O. Box 774, Coupeville, WA 98239 or to Skagit Land Trust, P.O. Box 1017, Mount Vernon, WA 98273.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Skagit Hospice and Home Attendant Care for their help.
Arrangements are under the care of Hawthorne Funeral Home and On-Site Crematory, 1825 E. College Way, Mount Vernon.
Bay, John A. Friday, 27 Oct 2006
John A. Bay, Jr., 78, of Everett, died Oct. 27, 2006, two weeks after learning he had advanced cancer.
He retired in June, 1990 from Ventura, Calif., Unified School District, and moved to Oak Harbor for a year before settling in Eugene, Ore., where he lived for 10 years, working as a volunteer coach with track and field athletes at Sheldon High School.
He married Suzanne Buchanan in June, 2003 and moved to Everett, where he coached cross country and track at Cascade High School.
He is survived by his devoted family, including his wife, Suzanne Bay; his daughter and son–in-law, Joan and Matthew Klope of Oak Harbor; his son Brian Bay of Corvallis, Ore.; stepson and daughter-in-law Brook and Jeffie Buchanan of Renton; stepdaughter Brittany Buchanan of Everett; grandchildren Megan Klope of Ellensburg, Katelyn Klope and Daniel Klope of Oak Harbor and Patrick McKillop-Bay of Corvallis; his brothers, Hugh Bay of Fresno, Calif., and Ethan Bay of Miner’s Oaks, Calif.; sister Carolyn and brother-in-law Wallace Whittington of Georgetown, Texas, sister Sandra and brother-in-law Billy Bacon of Council Grove, Kan.; and a host of nieces and nephews who loved and admired him dearly.
A celebration of his life will be held Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Everett. At John’s request, memorial donations can be made to the Everett Public Schools Foundation, P. O. Box 3112, Everett, WA 98203, designate the John Bay Memorial Track Scholarship. Funds will benefit the cross country and track and field programs at Cascade High School in Everett and Oak Harbor High School.
Swanson, Robert T. Tuesday, 17 Oct 2006
Robert T. Swanson died at Providence Hospital in Everett on Oct. 17, 2006. He was born on June 18, 1945 in Willmar, Minn., but he lived in Oak Harbor. Robert is survived by his wife, Mitsuko, son Paul and his wife, Heidi, and their son, Kristopher, son Ken, and two brothers Edward and Dave, wife Vivian, and a sister, Mary, husband Bob. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Leone Swanson.
Filan, Harold Francis Monday, 30 Oct 2006
Harold Francis Filan, 95, died Oct. 30, 2006, at Careage of Whidbey, Coupeville. He was born Aug. 31, 1911, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to John and Marcella (Walsh) Filan. At eight years of age, Harold moved with his family to Los Angeles, settling near Hollywood. He attended both parochial school and public schools in Los Angeles, but quit when the Great Depression hit to go to work.
Harold worked at a gas station and then began working for the Associated Press. He was married to Lucille Emily Workman on Aug. 4, 1931, in Orange County, Calif. His career was interrupted by the start of World War II. Harold entered the U.S. Navy and became a military photographer. He was assigned to OSS and was sent to Washington D.C. and then to England on a convoy.
Harold returned to the Associated Press following the war and enjoyed a 45-year career as a press photographer. Much of his career was spent as a photographer for the Hollywood scene. He was able to work with some of Hollywood’s greatest film stars and some of the top athletes and political figures and became friends with many of them. He enjoyed golf and was asked to play golf with President Richard Nixon. He covered the death of Marilyn Monroe, the Watts Riots and many of the earthquakes of Southern California. He was sent to cover the death of Ernest Hemingway, to the Pacific Ocean to cover an airline crash and to Hollywood to cover the murder of the Black Dahlia.
Harold retired in 1976. He enjoyed playing golf, fishing and working in his yard. He was devoted to his family. In 1993, Harold and Lucille moved to Oak Harbor to be near their son Dennis “Denny” and daughter-in-law Pamela Filan of Oak Harbor.
Harold requested no formal funeral service be conducted. Cremation was held with private family internment to follow at a later date. Arrangements were entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.
Fournier, Anne Marie Sunday, 29 Oct 2006
Anne Marie Fournier, 79, died Oct. 29, 2006, at Whidbey General Hospital, Coupeville. She was born Nov. 6, 1926, in Iz, Croatia to Jerome and Anna Pekich. At age three, Anne came to America with her parents, entering through Ellis Island and settling in Brooklyn, N.Y. She graduated from Holyoke High School in Holyoke, N.Y.
Anne attended St. John’s University in Brooklyn, receiving her bachelor’s degree in biology. Following graduation, she worked for Pfizer Labs, developing antibiotics. On June 2, 1951, Anne was married to Conrad A. Fournier in Brooklyn. They lived in Westfield, Mass., where she worked as a sales clerk for a time.
In 1966, Anne and Conrad moved to San Jose, Calif. Anne began a 35-year career with Bank of America as a loan officer. Following retirement, Anne and Conrad moved to Coupeville to be near their daughter.
Anne was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Coupeville. She enjoyed sewing, knitting, needlework, arts and crafts, reading, watching ice skating, crossword puzzles and playing card games. She enjoyed taking cruises with her husband and dancing.
Anne is survived by her husband Conrad and her daughter Dianne Binder and husband David, all of Coupeville; by daughter Laura Lingen and husband Scott of Dublin, Calif., and son David Fournier and wife Mercy of Redding, Calif.; seven grandchildren, Joseph Espana of Redwood City, Calif., Brody Binder of Salt Lake, City, Harmony and Daniel Lingen of Dublin, Calif., and Daisy Vargara, Jeremiah Fournier and MaryGrace Fournier, all of Redding; and two great grandchildren, BrookLynn and Aislinn Binder, both to Salt Lake City.
A Vigil Service with recitation of the Rosary will be held Thursday, Nov. 2, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Coupeville at 7 p.m. with the Budd Dorr Council 13422, Knights of Columbus, officiating. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Church on Friday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. with Rev. Jerome Kinzle as celebrant. Rites of Interment
will follow at Sunnyside Cemetery. A reception for family and friends will follow at the Parish Hall at St. Mary’s.
Memorials may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church or the Knights of Columbus Scholarship Fund. Arrangements are entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.
