Whatcom County, Washington Obituary Collection

GenealogyBuff.com - Whatcom County, Washington Obituary Collection - 95

Posted By: GenealogyBuff.com
Date: Tuesday, 5 December 2017, at 2:52 p.m.

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Mitchell Dominic Evich
4/1/1917 - 3/22/2004

Mitchell D. Evich, a well-known member
of Bellingham’s commercial fishing
community and a longtime substitute
teacher in the public schools, Born in Bellingham on April 1, 1917,
Mitch was the second child of Matthew
and Barbara Evich, both immigrants from
the island of Vis off the coast of what
is now Croatia. Mitch, who grew up
bilingual, lived with his sister Mary
and parents on 12th Street and attended
Lowell Elementary School and Fairhaven
High school. In 1934 Mitch began
working as a crew member on
the "Independence," the purse seine
commercial fishing vessel his dad
purchased that year. In 1943 Mitch took
over from his dad as skipper of
the "Independence," and continued to
run the boat for the next 57 summers, a
streak that finally ended in 2000 when
he sold his commercial fishing license.
In his later years Mitch ran the boat
in partnership with his oldest son
Matt. Mitch’s other son, Mitch Jr.,
also spent many summers as a crew
member, and for a brief time in the
1970s Mitch’s entire family worked on
the Independence, with his wife,
Bettyjane Evich, serving as the cook.
Because of the seasonal nature of the
salmon fishery, Mitch was able to
pursue a parallel career as a
schoolteacher. A 1941 graduate of
Western Washington College of
Education, Mitch taught briefly in
Clear Lake and then devoted himself
entirely to fishing until 1954, when he
began work at Blaine Junior High. It
was there that he met Bettyjane, an
elementary school teacher. During the
school year Mitch coached football,
basketball and baseball in Blaine, and
continued to coach when he began
teaching at Assumption School in
Bellingham in the early 1960s. In 1973
Mitch retired from Assumption, but soon
began substitute teaching in the public
schools, a role he continued in well
into his 80s. In the classroom, Mitch
was known for his mild disposition, his
easy rapport with adolescents, and his
disarming humor. Once, for example,
when a student at Sehome High School
said to Mitch, “How old are you,
anyways?” Mitch pointed out the window
in the direction of Lake Padden, and
said, “See those hills up there?” In a
similar situation, he encouraged a
student to look up the age of the
biblical patriarch Methuselah, who was
said to have lived to be 969 years old.
Mitch was proud of his Slavic heritage
and in recent years contributed a
number of items to "Croatians of the
Pacific Northwest," a newsletter
published in Bellingham. He enjoyed
cooking many of the Mediterranean-style
dishes that his mother had once made,
including rezut (risotto), brujep (fish
stew) and kapus, a mixture of
sauerkraut, wieners and tomato sauce.
His southern European roots were also
reflected in his taste for Italian
opera, and he assembled a sizable
collection of opera and classical music
recordings. He also had a huge interest
in sports, and was exceptionally
devoted to the Mariners and to Notre
Dame football, which he had followed
since the days of Knute Rockne in the
1920's.
In addition to Bettyjane, Mitch is
survived by Matt, 46, of Mount Vernon;
Mitch Jr., 42 and his wife Paula
Woolley, of Somerville, Mass., and two
grandchildren, Andryc Evich, 9, and
Iris Evich, 2, both also of Somerville.
Memorials may be made to Sacred Heart
Catholic Church. Visitation will be
held at Westford Funeral Home on
Friday, March 26th from 12 – 5 PM. A
Vigil Service will be held at Westford
Funeral Home on Sunday, March 28th at 7
PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be
held Monday, March 29th at 12:10 PM at
Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Fr.
David Mulholland officiating. A
luncheon will be held at the Parish
Hall, followed by burial at Bayview
passed away peacefully
and went to be with his Lord on March
10, 2004, following a recent heart
attack.
Mr. Haskins was married his high school sweetheart,
Eugenia Burnett, on May 21st, 1935,
beginning a wonderful life of 52 years
together. During WWII he served in the
U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater and
was discharged with the rank of master
sergeant. In 1946, Haskins joined the
staff of the Oil Workers International
Union, AFL-CIO, as an international
representative, a position where he
gained considerable experience in
negotiating contracts. He served in
this capacity until his election as
General Secretary of the International
Federation of Petroleum and Chemical
Workers in 1954. He remained in this
position until his retirement in 1973.
During these years, he logged over one
million miles and visited over 100
countries on behalf of oil workers
worldwide. He held several
Presidential appointments as a labor
advisor to the international
community. Mr. Haskins was equally
comfortable talking with working people
as well as Heads of State.
Although Loyd never attended college,
he received recognition from several
universities including the Harvard
School of Business where he taught
seminars in international labor
relations. Besides being well
traveled, he was very well read; a
student of history, religion, and bible
studies. He was also a fine wood
craftsman and builder.
Loyd served as a Deacon in various
Baptist churches for 47 years and was a
servant and beloved mentor for
countless members of his church
family. He was universally known and
respected for his unpretentious quiet
dignity, gentleness, and wisdom. He
will be deeply missed and his life is
celebrated by all who knew him.
Loyd was preceded in death by his wife
Eugenia Burnett in 1987 and son Steven
Allen Haskins in 1950. He is survived
by daughter Suzy Haskins; “adopted”
daughter Pat Henderson; and
granddaughter Katy Henderson, all of
Bellingham.
Memorials may be made to The Gideons
International, P.O. Box 140800,
Nashville, TN 37214-0800 or The
Community Baptist Church, 810 S. Samish
Way, Bellingham, WA 98229. Memorial
Services will be held Monday, March 15,
at 2:00 PM at Community Baptist Church
in Bellingham.

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