Whatcom County, Washington Obituary Collection

GenealogyBuff.com - Whatcom County, Washington Obituary Collection - 45

Posted By: GenealogyBuff.com
Date: Tuesday, 5 December 2017, at 2:33 p.m.

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Phillip Gordon Poeppel
6/16/1930 - 10/17/2006

Birthplace: Seattle, Washington USA
Last Resided in: Burlington, Washington USA

Galen W. Stearns
2/2/1936 - 10/2/2006

Galen W. Stearns born in Bellingham,
February 16, 1936.
His parents, George W. Stearns and
Lucile Biery Clem (Stearns) predeceased
him. He is survived by his brothers,
George W. Stearns, Newport Beach, CA,
Keith Stearns, Sierra Vista, AZ and his
sister, Melinda Cooper, Bellingham, WA.
While growing up in Bellingham Galen
enjoyed many family trips to California
and participating in operettas while
attending Fairhaven Junior High School.
He graduated from Stadium High School
in Tacoma in 1955. Following graduation
he served in the US Navy as a yeoman.
Following his service in the Navy he
lived and worked at various jobs in
Bellingham. Galen resided at the
Woodway Inn since 1989.
The family would like to thank the
staff at the Woodway Inn for their
continued care and support for Galen.
Woodway Inn became his home and the
staff and other residents became his
family.
A memorial service for Mr. Stearns will
be held at the Woodway Inn Retirement
Center Wedesday, October 11 at 2:00
p.m. 1712 E. Maplewood Avenue.

John Floyd Pace
5/19/1914 - 9/22/2006

John F. Pace, age 92 of Bellingham
born May 19, 1914, on a horse
drawn wagonload of corn on the way to
the hospital. His dad was a horse
trader and cattleman and knew the right
things to do when the time came. He
comforted his new son in his mother's
bosom, covered them with blankets and
continued his journey. His grandmother
was waiting for them at the hospital
and while attendants aided his mother,
she carried him into the building in
her apron, brushing off the kernels of
corn as she walked.
His dad married
and had a son - but the marriage ended
and it took several years for him to
reunite with his son. He continued to
pursue his musical talents and also
started a trading store in Littleton
and Idaho Springs, Colorado. His band
played every Saturday night at the
Miner's Hall in Idaho Springs and a
tiny gal in bobby Sox caught his
attention. He finally asked her to
join him for a late dinner - and she
did - and she was his love for life -
his Lotty. Together, for sixty-seven
years, they traveled the country and
the world in pursuit of dreams and
happiness. Their life together was
filled with excitement and adventure.
John was always a good provider and
when World War II came along and he was
rejected from the service for medical
reasons, he set up his trading business
in Bellingham where his beloved adopted
LaShell family had moved. When the war
ended, he was ready to take his trading
business to Alaska and received the
first official permit to travel the
military supply route to Fairbanks,
Alaska. He soon earned the money to
have his family join him and from then
on, it was one adventure after
another. When the trading business
dropped off, he started an unpainted
furniture business in Spokane, and
later had a pet store and parakeet
aviary. He also purchased a monkey
show and traveled throughout the
Pacific Northwest to country fairs and
shopping mall openings. He was also a
camp cook for several Alaskan canneries
and even had a restaurant in Palms
Springs, California.
His life was typified by adventure and
excitement such as the time a
California film crew arrived in
Bellingham to film a beer commercial -
and selected him as the main character -
the bartender. The filming blocked
Holly Street for a day and was one of
Budweiser's principal television
commercials in the Chicago area for
several years. For the past few
decades, he settled in his Bellingham
home - the same home he had purchased
for his adopted LaShell Family - he
could always be found on his Holly
Street store, trading, talking,
sleeping and just plain enjoying the
blessings in his life. He often sat in
the store doorway playing his guitar or
sometimes just music and one day had
a "real talented" singer and banjo
player drop by.....it turned out to be
Bob Haworth of the Kingston Trio - and
the friendship and music just blossomed
from that point. More recently, when
the Kingston Trio appeared at the
Lynden Fair, Bob found the time to drop
by John's house for a little jam
session. His life story was finally
put into words by a Western Washington
Professor and is appropriately
titled "On the Go" - the life of John
Pace. For all those that knew him, for
all those that met him, most will
remember him - for all those that loved
him - all will suffer a loss - but will
always carry him in their hearts.
He was a long time member of the
Bellingham Elks Lodge, a past member of
the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the
Moose Lodge. He was preceded in death
by his Lotty- his sweetheart in 67
years of marriage; sisters Katherine
and Margaret, adopted brother and
sister Jack and Mary Jane and half-
sister Gertie. He is also survived by
sons Paul (wife Roberta) Pace and Jack
(wife Timi) Pace, all of Bellingham,
John (wife Shirley) Pace of Texas;
grandchildren Ginger, John and Vernon,
Jacquelyn and Paul, Richard and
Darren, Jaime and Jennifer; nieces
Janette Smith, Jane Mains, Johanna
Nicholson and Daphne Lindsay, and
numerous great-grandchildren. A private
family gathering will be held at a
later date. Memorials may be made to
Tall Elks, care of Bellingham Elks
Lodge, or Whatcom Hospice.

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