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Berry, Ruth Saturday, 22 Mar 2003
Ruth Berry, age 88, died March 22 at her daughter’s home on Bainbridge.
She was born Oct. 26, 1914 in Seattle and grew up in Montana and in the Walla Walla and Yakima valleys.
She married
Leland Berry in 1937 in Condon, Ore. The couple lived in Hood River, Portland and La Grand while rearing their four children.
In 1968, they moved to Poulsbo, where she worked at both the Bangor and Keyport naval bases. She retired from the civil service in 1976.
After moving to Bainbridge Island over 20 years ago, she was active in the Congregational Church and later was a charter member of the Unity Church on Bainbridge Island.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1982.
She is survived by her son Charles of Walla Walla, daughters Virginia Hook of Bainbridge Island and Ruth Wells of Rochester, Wash., and son Mike of Port Orchard.
Also surviving are her sisters – Mileta Johnson of Olympia, Dorothy Ross of Seattle and Inez Larfield of Seaside, Ore. – 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
Services will be held 2 p.m. March 29 at Unity Church, 750 Ericksen Avenue on Bainbridge Island.
Benz, Valentine Gordon Monday, 17 Mar 2003
Longtime Bainbridge Island resident and former Little League president Valentine Gordon Benz died March 17, at Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle.
He was born July 26, 1930 in Bismarck, N.D. to Frank and Mabel (Olsen) Benz.
At a young age, Gordon moved with his family to Lebanon, Ore., where he grew up and graduated from high school in 1948. It was there that he met the love of his life, Dixie Lee Walkinshaw.
Following high school, he joined the Navy and during his 23-year career he rose to the rank of lietenant commnader. He served in many locales including San Diego, Monterrey, and Pearl Harbor.
He was an expert submarine navigator who also ran the practice operations for space capsule recoveries and authored submarine torpedo manuals in use today.
After retiring, he worked at Keyport as a civilian employee for Honeywell.
He is perhaps best known on Bainbridge Island as the president of Bainbridge Island Little League for six years during the 1990s.
He also enjoyed fishing and hunting. During one 22-month period he made five trips to Alaska ostensibly to visit his daughter Vallee and her family, but spent his time fishing.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dixie Lee of Bainbridge Island; son Michael Benz, Bainbridge Island; daughter Vallee Stetner, Salt Lake City, Utah; two sisters, Ardeth Frum and Lee Ann Shrake, both of Oregon; and grandsons Christopher, T.J., and Kyle and granddaughters Courtney and Caity.
A memorial service will held at 1 p.m. March 21 at Port Madison Lutheran Church.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home, Bainbridge Island.
Winburn, Irene Gilbert (Muenz) Monday, 17 Mar 2003
Irene Gilbert (Muenz) Winburn died of pneumonia March 17 at Harrison Memorial Hospital, surrounded by family and friends.
She was born July 4, 1904, in Camborne, Cornwell, England to parents Rebecca Hart Laity Gilbert and John Williams Gilbert.
She was proud that her heritage could be traced to English explorer Sir Humphrey Gilbert, discoverer of the Gilbert Islands in the South Pacific, and half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh.
Her father was an engineer who traveled the world working on large public works projects such as mines, railroad tunnels and power plants. The family arrived in the United States in 1911 and eventually settled in the mining community of Butte, Montana, where her father entered the retail grocery business.
In 1915, the family moved to Seattle, where Irene met and married
her first husband, Gordon G. Muenz. They had one son, Glenn Gilbert Muenz (Winters) on Oct. 31, 1926.
In 1942, the Muenz family moved to Bainbridge Island. They worked in the grocery and meat-cutting business in a number of locations around the island.
Irene entered the health care industry and worked for many years at the Lynwood Sanitarium in Lynwood Center. She was a 50-year member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a long time member of Bethany Lutheran Church on Bainbridge Island.
She will be most remembered as the “Gate Lady” at Strawberry Hill, where she lived for a number of years as the resident caretaker until moving in with her granddaughter, Frances Phillips, after her health began to fail.
She was predeceased by her husbands, her brother John and her son Glenn Winters, who died on Jan. 13.
She is survived by granddaughters Louise McNulty (Pinky) of Edmonds and Frances Phillips of Bainbridge Island, three great-grandchildren, Kimberly Lind (Jeffrey), Kellie McNulty (Wesley Noon) and Matthew Phillips, and four great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. March 29 at Bethany Lutheran Church, Bainbridge Island.
Remembrances can be sent to Bainbridge Island Helpline House at 282 Knechtel Way, NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.
Nakata, Sueko Terayama Wednesday, 12 Mar 2003
Bainbridge Island resident Sueko Terayama Nakata died March 12 at Swedish Hospital, Seattle.
She was born Oct. 29, 1927, on Bainbridge Island the daughter of Otozo and Yoneko Terayama.
As 14-year-old, her life changed dramatically when she and other Japanese-Americans were interned by the U.S. government and sent to Minidoka Relocation Center in Hunt, Idaho. She finished high school there and returned to the Seattle area following the war.
She married
Gerald Nakata in Seattle on July 10, 1949 and they lived there until returning to the Island in 1960. Sue raised their three children and returned to the working world as a part time bakery worker in the family owned Town and Country Thriftway.
Later she worked at Virginia Mason Hospital in data entry and, after 19 years of work retired in 1993.
She enjoyed knitting, gardening, working crossword puzzles, making baby blankets for friends and family, and following the Mariners. She doted on her granddaughter, Kristi.
She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Gerald, of Bainbridge Island; two sons, Jerry and his wife Yuka, Redmond, and Rick, Bainbridge Island; daughter Kathy Nakata of Bainbridge Island, and granddaughter Kristi.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. March 23 at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church.
Remembrances can be made to the Walt and Milly Woodward Fund (www.woodwardfund.org), C/O Tatsu Moritani, 542 Winslow Way W., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110; the Bainbridge Fire Department or Helpline House.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home, Bainbridge Island.
Milner, Frances Scanlon Tuesday, 11 Mar 2003
Frances Scanlon Milner, 88, died March 11, surrounded by her family at Island Health and Rehabilitation Center on Bainbridge Island.
She was born Jan. 17, 1915, in Indianapolis, Ind., the daughter of Thomas and Kathleen (Barton) Scanlon.
She graduated from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, Terre Haute, Ind. She married
William F. Milner in 1941 and with him enjoyed a life of travel and residency in many places – from New York City where she studied social work, to British Columbia where she and William built a log cabin home.
After settling in Anchorage, Alaska, she became a respected social worker with the State of Alaska, Department of Health and Social Services. She pioneered the concept in Alaska of permanent placement for children.
After moving to Washington in 1988 she continued to work in social work, at Helpline House on Bainbridge Island.
She was preceded in death by her husband William in October 2001.
She is survived by two daughters, Kathleen Gilmore of Anchorage, Alaska, her husband James, and sons Chester and William; and Sarah White of Bainbridge Island, her husband Tom and daughter Emma; and son Robert Milner of Portland, Ore., his wife Cheryl, and their children Garrett and Toni.
A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. March 29 at Wyatt House, 186 Wyatt Way, Bainbridge Island.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home, Bainbridge Island.
Russell, Florence “Tot” Wright Friday, 25 Apr 2003
Florence “Tot” Wright Russell died April 25 at her home in Horizon House in Seattle following an extended illness.
She was born Feb. 1, 1915, the fourth of six children of Elias Allen Wright and Mary Bailey Wright, longtime residents of Seattle.
After graduating from Broadway High School and the University of Washington, she married
Donald M Russell.
The couple had two children, Barbara B. Russell of Bainbridge Island and John W. Russell of Portland. The family lived in Yakima, Bellevue and Portland while Don pursued his banking career, holding executive positions with several Northwest banking institutions. They lived on Bainbridge Island from 1973 until 1992.
She was an avid bridge player, golfer and lover of music. Over the years she pursued these interests and others as a member of Wing Point Golf and Country Club, Women’s University Club, Washington Athletic Club, Seattle Tennis Club, Seattle Milk Fund and PEO.
She was preceded in death by her husband Don in 1989, and by her sisters and brothers, Elizabeth Wright Evans, Judge Eugene A. Wright, Dorothy Kellerman, Mary Louise Adams and Wayne Wright.
She is survived by her children, Barbara and John; her daughter-in-law Mary Fellows; three grandchildren, Sarah M. Viele, John W. Viele and Mary Kate Fellows Russell; two step-grandchildren, Shannon Wight and Michael Wight; and two great-grandchildren, Elizabeth N.Viele and William R. Viele.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. May 17 at Horizon House. Graveside services will follow at 1 p.m. at Evergreen Washelli.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances be sent to the Horizon House Employee Fund in care of Horizon House, 900 University Street, Seattle, Washington 98101.
Phillips, Randall Jack Thursday, 24 Apr 2003
Randall Jack Phillips, 53, died April 24 after a long battle with cancer.
He was born Oct. 3, 1949 in Seattle to Ronnie and Byron Jack Phillips. In 1967 he graduated from Franklin High School and went on to graduate from the University of Washington in 1971.
He began taking piano lessons at age 8 and played for many years.
He started his career in the travel business as a travel agent with West Tours. Several years later he owned his own travel agency, World Tours, located in Pioneer Square in Seattle. He then worked for Holland America Cruise Lines until his recent retirement.
His travels took him to Alaska, Hawaii, the Carribbean, Europe, South America, Egypt, China and other parts of Asia.
He enjoyed spending time at the family cabin on Mason Lake with his family and friends, where he and his dad built a small hydroplane together when he a teenager.
He also enjoyed water skiing, swimming and snow skiing, and camping with his family at Mount Rainier, the Washington and Oregon coasts, Crater Lake and the Canadian Rockies.
He was preceded in death by his father, Byron Jack Phillips; grandparents Byron and Thelma Phillips; and grandmother Sophia Rasmussen.
He is survived by his mother, Ronnie Phillips of Bainbridge Island; his sister and brother-in-law, Sharon and Tim Kithcart, and nephew Aaron, all of Bainbridge; five aunts, Donna Olsen of Seattle, Belle Carmichael of Calgary, Canada, Phyllis Frame of California, Virginia Holmes of Seattle and Peggy Phillips of Seattle; and number cousins.
A memorial will be at 1 p.m. May 21 at Christ Memorial Church, 8th and Hostmark in Poulsbo. Burial will be at Port Blakely cemetery on Bainbridge, under the direction of Kass Funeral Home.
Remembrances may be made to Swedish Medical Center cancer research.
Morgan, Virginia O. Tuesday, 22 Apr 2003
Virginia O. Morgan, 95, a longtime resident of Kitsap County, died April 22 in Everett.
She was born Feb. 12, 1908.
She is survived by daughter Beatrice Mansker of Snohomish; son-in-law Harry Kidder of Bainbridge; and seven grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by husband Richard Risley Morgan; daughter Gigi Kidder; son-in-law Thomas Mansker; and two grandchildren.
Services will be held May 17; contact the family for details. Remembrances can be made to the American Cancer Society or the Northwest AIDS Foundation.
Rasmussen, Kory Michael Sunday, 20 Apr 2003
Former Bainbridge resident Kory Michael Rasmussen, 36, of Mesquite, Nev., died April 20 in a car accident in New Mexico.
He was born Feb. 28, 1967, in Kodiak, Alaska to Michael and Peggy (Waxlax) Rasmussen.
He was raised on Kodiak until 1981. He spent his summers salmon fishing at the family’s gillnet site and working at the trucking company.
In 1981 his family moved to Bainbridge Island, where they spent the winters in school and the summers in Kodiak.
He was a champion wrestler and competitive in several other sports. He graduated with honors from high school in 1985 and attended college in Seattle.
He returned to Kodiak in 1988 to help run Kodiak Transfer, Inc. After a time in Kodiak running the family business, he and his family moved to Washington and then to Arizona. There he was an owner/operator of a landscaping business in Mesquite, Nev., and Santa Fe, N.M., until his death.
He is survived by his two sons, Austin A. Rasmussen and Korbin M. Rasmussen of New Mexico; his parents, Michael and Peggy Rasmussen; siblings Kirk Rasmussen and Karina Vander Leest, and five nieces and nephews, of Kodiak, Alaska.
A memorial service will be held on April 27 in Mesquite, Nev.
