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Larsen, Earl Emmett Wednesday, 30 Apr 2003
Earl Emmett Larsen of Vashon Island died April 30, 2003, at his home on Vashon after a brief battle with cancer. He was 73 years old.
Mr. Larsen was born Dec. 13, 1929, in Southworth to Martin and Dorothy Larsen.
The family moved to Vashon in 1934 settling in Burton.
Mr. Larsen was active in the Masonic Order and the Vashon Sportsman’s Club. His interests included fishing, hunting, traveling, and family.
He worked 17 years for Boeing as an equipment operator, five years for King County as a truck driver and the remainder of his working life as a tanker driver for Lee and Eastes Tank Lines. Following retirement, he continued to drive part-time for Williams Heating on Vashon.
His parents, brother Harold Larsen, and grandson Martin H. Larsen, all died earlier.
Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Kay Larsen, and children Bonnie and her husband Albert Steele of Alaska, Mindy and her husband Kelly McHugh of California, Deborah Larsen of Oregon, Bob and his wife Jan Larsen of Vashon, and Keith Larsen of Michigan, brother Melvin Larsen and sister Myrna Ober of Vashon, sister Alda and her husband Don Raleigh of Edmonds and 13 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
At his request, no services will be held.
Jensen, Elaine Tuesday, 29 Apr 2003
Elaine Jensen, a former resident of Vashon Island, died April 29, 2003, at Swedish Hospital in Ballard. She was 93 years old.
She was born April 17, 1910, in Columbia Falls, Mont., and as a child moved to Kalispell, Mont., with her family.
She attended St. Matthews Catholic School and graduated from Flathead County High School. She then graduated from the Kalispell General Hospital School of Nursing in 1931.
She married
Dallas W. Jensen, in Billings, Mont., May 27, 1933.
Elaine and Dallas moved to Vashon Island in 1943, and she lived on the island until 1982 when she moved to Seattle following her husband’s death.
Mrs. Jensen was a member of St. Patrick’s Guild at Dockton, the Burton Grade School and Vashon High School PTAs and the South End Community Club. She also did volunteer work at the Foss Home in Seattle.
Survivors include her daughters Sonya Miller and her husband Grant of Fullerton, Calif., and Patty Simonson and husband Neale of Beaverton, Ore.; two sons, Dallas W. Jensen of Seattle and Roger L. Jensen of Shoreline, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Arrangements were entrusted to Island Funeral Service of Vashon.
Dean, Francis Hill Tuesday, 29 Apr 2003
Francis Dean, a pioneer modernist of California landscape architecture, died April 29, 2003, surrounding by friends and family at his home on Vashon Island following an accident and a long illness. He was 80 years old.
Mr. Dean was born Oct. 1, 1922. He grew up on a northern California farm.
During World War II he became an Army Air Corps pilot, once crash landing his P-38 fighter in Italian farm land, following an air engagement.
After the war he entered the University of California, studying landscape architecture under Leland Vaughn and Robert Royston. It was while at Berkley that he was introduced to the Modern Garden Movement.
He began work as a landscape architect in 1948 and in 1958 became a partner in the firm Eckbo, Dean, Austin and Williams (EDAW) in California, eventually directing the Irvine office in Orange County.
Of his partners and mentors, Mr. Dean wrote, “My fondest wish was to be able to design gardens such as (theirs). I thought they were magnificent. I had no idea that I would some day have the opportunity and pleasure of working on these great gardens with Garrett Eckbo during the 1950s and 1960s.”
In 1976 he began teaching on a part-item basis at Cal Poly Pomona, retiring from EDAW in 1978 to teach full-time.
Comparing the two careers, he wrote, “In the private sector, the issues concerning the environment were just beginning to reach a few landscape architects. Our firm had been working with environmental issues for years, but not to a level of comprehending holistic ecological points of view. It was snot until I came to teach that I understood the opportunity available to landscape architects to incorporate environmental issues into the process.”
In 1989 Mr. Dean retired from teaching at Cal Poly to return to Seattle and Vashon Island.
While there, on acerage he and his wife, Candy, had bought many years earlier, he set about on a personal mission of establishing a living legacy to the natural environment by planting a thousand trees. He had nearly accomplished this task at the time of the accident.
During his long, active career, Francis Dean was awarded many honors, including the American Society of Landscape Fellowship, Distinguished Member, Sigma Lambda Alpha, and Richard Neutra Medal recipient.
An ardent liberal, it was his sincere desire to be able to vote in the next Presidential election. He was passionate about world peace, environment issues and the natural world.
His first wife, Myrtle died in 1969 and his brother John Dean died in 2000.
Survivors include his wife, Candy, sister Carolyn Horsewill, daughter Tami, son, Gary, two grandchildren, Ben and Lily, stepdaughters Deborah, Linda, Sally, stepson George and five step grandchildren.
Mr. Dean, a creative thinker and designer and patient and skillful teacher and devoted environmentalist will be missed by his family and all who knew him.
A private remembrance gathering was at the Dean house. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust, 10014 S.W. Bank Road, Vashon Island, Wash. 98070.
Carleton, Hazel Sophia Carlander Wednesday, 16 Apr 2003
Hazel Sophia Carlander Carleton, a resident of Vashon Island for 51 years, died April 16, 2003, at the Vashon Community Care Center. She was 100 years old.
She was born Aug. 29, 1902, in Seattle, a daughter of George and Gertina Falkedahl Carlander.
She was a registered nurse at Seattle General Hospital.
Survivors include her daughter Barbara Smith and Barbara’s husband, Albert; son Philip Carleton and his wife Elaine, both of Vashon Island; sister Gertrude Gray of Los Angeles, Calif.; five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Private family services will be held.
Arrangement were entrusted to Island Funeral Service.
Arneson, Ruby Tuesday, 15 Apr 2003
Ruby Arnesen died April 15, 2003, on Vashon Island. She was 90 years old.
Ruby was born Feb. 25, 1913, in Arlington, Wash. She came to Vashon in 1949 with her husband William Arnesen and lived in the Colvos area.
She enjoyed gardening, baking, and traveling. Her most enjoyable trip was with her son David to Sweden to visit the town where her parents came from.
Survivors include her son David W. Arnesen, daughter-in-law Shari Arnesen and granddaughter Emily Arnesen, all of Vashon Island; her brother Sidney Bergdahl of Marysville, and nieces and nephews. Her husband died in 1973.
Services were April 22 at Island Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to a favorite charity.
Arrangements were entrusted to Island Funeral Service.
Bowen, Adelaide Mary Sunday, 13 Apr 2003
Adelaide Mary Bowen, formerly of Burton, died April 13 in Concord, Calif. She was 91.
Adelaide was born in Cassville, Wis., and grew up in Montana. She received her nursing degree in Billings, Mont., and later joined the Army Nurse Corps during World War II.
Following the war, she and her husband Rex moved to Vashon Island, where they owned the Harbor Mercantile in Burton for 10 years.
They also spent many years in Kotzebue, Alaska, where they owned and operated Hanson Trading Company.
Adelaide was a loving wife, mother and grandmother and will be missed greatly. She loved traveling in their motor home, working on her stamp collection, watching and feeding the birds and visiting with friends.
Rex, her husband of 52 years, died earlier.
Survivors include her daughter Margaret and husband Don of Anchorage and daughter Bonnie and husband Joe of Clayton, Calif., granddaughters Wendy and Noee and five great grandchildren, including two sets of twins.
A funeral liturgy will be at 1 p.m. Friday, April 25, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 16100 115th Ave. SW, Vashon.
Interment will follow at the Vashon cemetery. Following the service, for friends and family, there will be a celebration of Adelaide’s life at Island Funeral Home, 18005 Vashon Highway SW.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 50020 — S200, Seattle, Wash. 98145-5020.
Devlin, Mark James Tuesday, 08 Apr 2003
Mark James Devlin, 48, resident of Vashon, died on Tuesday, April 8, 2003, after a 9-year long illness with Sarcoma cancer. He died at home with his family at his bedside. He was 48 years old.
Mr. Devlin was born March 28, 1955, in Pittsburgh, Penn. He had many joyful memories of his youth.
His interest in vintage automobiles developed at an early age with Corvettes and continued throughout his lifetime. He loved to talk cars with his friends. He admitted that he found it “just plain fun” to negotiate on the sale of a vehicle.
Most recently he was the proud owner of a bright red, classic 1948 Dodge pick-up truck, which he and his sons, Ray and Ryan, enjoyed greatly.
Before becoming ill, Mr. Devlin was affiliated with the Boeing Corporation for 15 years and had developed a reputation among his colleagues for being a common sense, extremely responsible problem solver. He took great pride in his work ethics and accomplishments. He never let a moment go by without learning or giving positive influence. He had been on leave from Boeing for the past two years.
He believed that life was a gift, and he lived each day fully and loved deeply. He wanted those around him to care for each other and remember that without love, we are nothing. He surrounded himself in faith and family — his two greatest gifts.
And he faced his cancer with courage, honesty and great faith.
His father Raymond James Devlin died earlier.
Survivors include his wife Mary Mirenzi Devlin, two sons, age 11, Raymond James and Ryan Anthony, born April 8, 1992, his mother Mildred Devlin of Penn., brothers Bob with Claire Devlin of Maryland and John Devlin with Eve of Penn., sisters Marylyn (Penn.) and Patty of Ohio.
His father Raymond James Devlin died earlier.
Rosary and Vigil will be at the Island Funeral Home at 7 p.m. Friday, April 25.
A Catholic funeral Mass will be at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 16100 115th Ave. S.W., at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 26, followed by a graveside service at Vashon cemetery and a lunch and celebration of his life and love at the Saint John Vianney hall.
Remembrances can be made to the Mark Devlin Fund in the name of his 11-year-old twin sons, Raymond and Ryan Devlin, via Washington Mutual Bank on Vashon Island — account number 4882348159.
Arrangements were entrusted to Island Funeral Service.
Ruble, Steve Friday, 10 Oct 2003
Steve Ruble died Oct. 10, 2003, in Reno, Nev., from diabetes. He was 42 years old.
Mr. Ruble was born in Albuquerque, N.M. on Jan. 20, 1961, and moved to Vashon Island when he was 15 to be with his aunt, Mary Smith.
He attended Vashon High School, where he lettered in cross country and basketball.
Mr. Ruble was an avid basketball player and sportsman, especially fishing and camping. He was employed by America West Airlines, which allowed him to travel.
It was his goal to visit every major league ballfield in the United States. While he was working at America West, he met and married
his wife Sharon. As Steve’s health declined, he continued to be cheerful and loving and was known for his kindness, his friends and family say.
Survivors include his wife Sharon and father Roland (Skip) Ruble of Albuquerque; his sisters Patti Howk and Sandy Ryan; three sons, Trevor, Zachary and Logan; granddaughters Raven and Madison; aunt Mary Smith and cousins Roland and Barbara Smith, Rebecca Calahan-Klein and Kenny Calahan.
Services were Oct. 16 in Reno, Nev.
Christiansen, Perry N. Saturday, 27 Sep 2003
Perry N. Christiansen of Vashon Island, died Sept. 27, 2003, surrounded by his family. He was 80 years old.
Born Feb. 7, 1923, to Perry Christiansen and Mary Embree in Mukilteo, Wash., he was the grandson of Mukilteo’s first lighthouse keeper. He graduated from Queen Anne High School in Seattle in 1941 and began his career in the U.S. Coast Guard that same spring where he rose to the rank of LCMD.
During World War II, he was involved in the landings in Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Normandy where his was the first ship to land troops on the beach. He retired from the Coast Guard in 1961, but was called back to active duty during the Vietnam War.
Following his Coast Guard years, Mr. Christiansen developed a second career in education and church music. He served the communities in which he lived in many ways, but his life centered on his family, his church, and music.
He was a member of, and directed, many church choirs. When stationed in Hawaii, he sang with the Honolulu Opera Chorus. He also enjoyed traveling by land as well as sea and was always eager to swap a good story. For many years an elder in the Presbyterian Church, he held positions in the North Puget Sound and the Seattle Presbyteries, and the Synod of Alaska NorthWest.
In 1952 he married
Audrey Friesen, who died in 1994 after a long illness.
He married
Billie Reposa Hoglund in Sequim in 1995.
Survivors include his wife Billie of Vashon, sons Ron Christiansen and his wife Dawn of Tulare, Calif; Perry N. “Chris” Christiansen and his wife Jan of Woodridge, Va.; daughters Shari Steffensrud of Tacoma, Robin Briganti and her husband Paul of Monroe, and stepchildren Holly Sharrow and her husband Kelley of Wasilla, Ak., John Hoglund and his wife Carolina of Portland; Amy Sassara and her husband Rick of Vashon; 15 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Also surviving is Perry’s loving canine companion, Sassy.
A memorial service was Oct. 4 at the Vashon Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Christiansen’s ashes will be delivered to the sea by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Memorial donations may be made to the Vashon Presbyterian Church, the Leukemia Research Foundation of the A.L.S. Association.
