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Harlan Dean Anderson
April 17, 1949 — August 27, 2013
Harlan Dean Anderson, age 64, peacefully passed away at the Life Care Center in Friday Harbor on Aug. 27, 2013, after a 15-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
On April 17, 1949 in Hawley, Minn., Harlan was born to Russell and Lila Anderson.
Harlan finished high school and moved to Florida to attend business school. He graduated from North Dakota Bankers Association in 1975, and found his first job at a bank in Casselton, N. D., before moving to Friday Harbor with his wife, Nina, in 1978. He worked for Key Bank from 1987-1992. The family moved from Friday Harbor before returning in 2002.
Harlan loved any sport played with a ball, but most especially softball. He played for Friday Harbor Mudsharks from 1987-1998, then later with co-ed and men’s teams in Bellingham and Brookings.
A man with a heart for service, Harlan was active with Friday Harbor Kiwanis from 1987-1993, serving as president in 1992.
He is survived by his mother Lila Anderson, Ulen, Minn.; wife, Nina Anderson, Friday Harbor, Wash.; Jason (Toni) Anderson, Moorhead, Minn.; daughter, Jeanine (Brian) Peterson, El Paso, Texas; step-children Chris Hansford, Bellingham, Wash.; Lori (Curt Wagner) Snodgrass, Friday Harbor, Wash.; sister Shirley Anderson, Tower City, N. D.; brother, Lonnie (Sue) Anderson, Ulen, Minn.; and sister, Loayne (Robby) Voight, Mohal, N. D. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Russell Anderson.
Friday Harbor has lost a very generous and kind man. Harlan Anderson was a beloved husband, and father. He will be missed by his family and numerous special friends who loved him, including those who cared for him at the Life Care Center of Friday Harbor.
— Family of Harlan Anderson
Florence ‘Betty’ Jones
October 16th, 1925 — August 26th, 2013
Florence was surrounded by family and friends when she lost her courageous battle with pneumonia at the Life Care Center of the San Juan’s. Betty, as her friends and family called her, was a 23 year resident of Friday Harbor, Washington. Services will be held Saturday, September 7th at Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church at 10:30 A.M. Reception to follow at the church.
Betty grew up and attended schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her hobbies included Photography and skiing. She attended secretarial school in Philadelphia and was later hired by the Industrial Mining & Materials Department at Pennsylvania State University.
She was taking classes at Penn State when she met her future husband, Robert (‘Bob’) Jones. After Bob graduated from college, they married
in 1953 and honeymooned in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky & Georgia. They later moved to Southern California where they eventually settled in Westchester, California to raise their four children Gwen, Kevin, Megan and Keith. Betty was the original “Super mom” as she juggled work and managed a busy household while her husband often traveled for work in the aerospace industry. Betty volunteered at her children’s schools, sold Encyclopedia Books door-to-door (breaking sales quotas in her area), headed her daughter’s Brownie and Girl Scout troops and oversaw a menagerie of her children’s exotic pets included among other things dogs, cats, snakes, rats, a squirrel monkey and a baby alligator!
In the early sixties Betty contracted encephalitis and was rendered partiatially disabled but continued to persevere to overcome her deficiencies. She began a long career as a volunteer for her local Red Cross and American Cancer Society chapters and was recognized often with awards for her dedication and commitment. She pursued both water color and oil painting and later won awards for her beautiful works. Betty and Bob later divorced in the mid seventies but continued to jointly raise their children as they both continued to live in Westchester.
In 1991, Betty moved to the San Juan Islands to be closer to her daughter, long-time resident Megan Jones. Many an islander quickly got to know Betty as the woman with the brightest smile and cheerful personality walking briskly through town. She loved to take the beautiful walk from her apartment on Carter Ave into town. Betty quickly got involved in local community organizations such as the Friday Harbor Senior Center and her favorite, the Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church. Sunday morning services were the highlight of her week as she often joined the ladies for brunch afterward.
Betty’s life on the island included attending many annual island celebrations including the annual 4th of July Parade (she always arrived very early to secure her spot in front of the Drug store) and the San Juan Island County Fair. Frequent visits from her daughter Megan were always a treat as Megan often showered Betty with beautiful flower arrangements from her garden and kisses from her dog Jessie. Betty’s other children visited often, Gwen (now deceased) from Carlsbad, California; Kevin from Stockholm, Sweden; and Keith from Culver City, California. Betty was especially enamored with her son Keith’s two children Austin (age 7), Kenny (age 3) and her daughter in-law Debbie (Keith’s wife). All four were able to visit with Betty the week before she passed making their last visit all the more special.
Betty is survived by her three children Kevin Jones of Santa Barbara, California & Stockholm Sweden; Megan Jones of Friday Harbor, Washington; and Keith & Debbie Jones of Culver City, California and her two grandchildren, Austin Furlong Jones and Kenneth Leiker Jones.
Donations can be made to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in memory of Florence ‘Betty’ Jones; P.O. Box 62596; Baltimore, Maryland 21264 or online at www.nami.org/myNAMICause/Memorials/FlorenceBettyJones.
The Jones Family wishes to convey our great appreciation and many thanks to the entire San Juan Island community, Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church & Kids Club and especially the staff at the Life Care Center of the San Juan’s for all the years of joy and comfort you gave our mom. We will always be grateful.
Richard Brent 'Dick' Barnes
March 22, 1942 — August 23, 2013
Longtime San Juan Island resident Dick Barnes passed away Friday, Aug. 23 in Friday Harbor, Wash.
Born March 22, 1942 in Hemet, Calif., he graduated from Gardena High School in 1960. In 1963, he enlisted in the US Naval Reserve, and served in active naval duty during the Vietnam War aboard the USS Ranger CVA-61, in the Western Pacific.
Upon completion of his service, he returned to California and earned a bachelors degree in psychology, took masters degree coursework and worked as a career counselor at Cal State Northridge.
In 1972, he relocated to Washington state to serve as a regional director with the US Department of Health, Education & Welfare, and after four years with the federal government he began a new career, coming to San Juan Island in 1976 with his family and purchasing Snug Harbor Resort, which he owned and operated for over 20 years.
He remained an island resident for the rest of his life, and was an active member of several San Juan Island community organizations, including the San Juan Singers, the Island Chordsmen Plus and the San Juan Lions Club. He also volunteered at the Mullis Community Senior Center.
Dick was active for many years in the San Juan Community Theatre, and had key roles in performances of Inherit the Wind, The King and I, Man of La Mancha, Hello, Dolly!, H.M.S. Pinafore and many others. He also played Joseph in Friday Harbor's annual holiday performance of the Posada.
Dick will be remembered for his sense of humor, his love of music and theater, his dedication to animals, especially his own dogs and cats, and his longtime love of San Juan Island.
He is survived by his sons, Brent Barnes of Post Falls, Idaho, and Eric (Laura) Concord of Friday Harbor, daughter Kristi (Gary) Roundtree of Seattle, brother Doug (Diane) Barnes of Sparks, Nev. and their son Chris, sister Jane Broadwater-Redfern of Friday Harbor and her son Sam, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A public memorial to honor Dick's life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 11 a.m., at Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church.
— Family of Dick Barnes
Ron Meng
February 6, 1954 — August 22, 2013
Ron Meng, founder and owner of Islands Marine Center, Lopez Island, Wash., passed away peacefully Aug. 22, 2013 after a three-year battle with cancer. Truly a self-made man, Ron started IMC some 40 years ago, literally from the trunk of his car, servicing what was then a sizable fishing fleet on Lopez.
Gradually, he and his wife Jennifer purchased waterfront property, developed a full-service marina and shifted their emphasis to recreational boaters as the commercial fishing industry waned.
Ron was a skilled mechanic and an avid fisherman, two traits that he blended successfully to design and bring to market his own brand of northwest-style boat: the Ocean Sport Roamer. Coming up on hull No. 100, this unique brand was a source of great pride for Ron, as he actively engaged his favorite pastime – fishing trips to Barkley Sound.
Ron was born Feb. 6, 1954, in Seattle, Wash., to Godan and Florence Meng. He spent his youth in the Normandy Park neighborhood of Seattle, moving to Lopez Island in 1972. The next year, Ron married
Jennifer Collman, also of Lopez. The couple started their business, Islands Marine Center, the same year.
Ron is survived by his wife of 40 years, Jennifer Meng, his daughter Christine Meng, his granddaughter Madeline Anderson, his niece Amanda, his parents Godan and Florence Meng, his brothers, Eric, Dennis and Bob, his sisters Lori and Karen, and many, much-loved nieces and nephews.
A celebration of his life will be held at Woodman Hall on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Friends of Woodman Hall, P.O. Box 424, Lopez Is., WA 98261.
— Family of Ron Meng
Mary Ann Rock
1931 — 2013
Mary Ann Rock, an artist, illustrator, educator, and long-time resident of Friday Harbor, Wash. died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2013.
Rock was born in Saint Louis, Mo. in 1931, the eldest child of educators, Clobert Broussard and Mary Jones.
A graduate of Bennett College, her early adult life was spent exploring artists colonies in New York and Taos, where she developed her skills as a sculptor, block printer, and painter.
In the 1960s, Rock lived in the San Francisco area, teaching arts and crafts, moving to San Juan Island in the early 1970s with her son, John.
She was director of Cannery House and gallery assistant at Waterworks. She began her art company, Dream Keeper and exhibited in over 40 shows locally and in Seattle, Bellingham, Bellevue, Portland, St. Louis, and Lyon, France.
Rock’s art has been used in brochures and is in the collections of several local residents.
Her published work includes Dream Keeper, a book of her wood blocks and paintings. Her unusual lifestyle was memorialized in the documentary, Blink of a Life. Her wood blocks appeared in Eclectic Letters.
She considered herself a painter of the human condition stating, “I want to explore the various conditions, both physical and emotional, that we experience during a lifetime. The human condition has always interested me rather selfishly as a way to understand myself.”
Her paintings are noted for their wide range of bright colors.
Rock was an avid collector of the work of other artists and ethnic art and enjoyed reading, skiing, rock climbing, symphonic music, and travel. In 1995, she and her sister toured Europe for six months, exploring museums and legendary cities she had read about as a young girl.
Mary Ann Rock is survived by her son, John Rock, and sister, Valena Broussard Dismukes.
— Family of Mary Ann Rock
John Joel Buck
January 8, 1980 — August 13, 2013
John was born Jan. 8, 1980, on a quiet beautiful snowy morning to Sam and Jane Buck in Mount Vernon, Wash, and he departed Aug. 13, 2013, on a very calm morning, sitting on a beach with a heavenly view, just after a beautiful sunrise.
Before John turned six years old, he had lived on Orcas Island, in Seattle, and these California locations; San Rafael, Calistoga, Rancho Sierra, Murrieta Hot Springs, as well as New Zealand.
While on the ferry traveling to Steve and Laurie’s wedding, 7-year-old John, said, “Can we live here?”, and shortly thereafter we were islanders again.
John graduated from Friday Harbor High School in 1998 after six seasons of football, his favorite sport.
He went with a local group of volunteers to help islanders off the coast of Honduras recover from a devastating hurricane. John passed the rigorous “ski patrol” classes at Mount Baker, where he worked for a season and moved to Colorado to live the ski patrol life, where he met and fell in love with Laura Bell from New Zealand.
She was on a trip around the world with her cousin, and when they left for England, heart-broken John just had to follow, where they worked together in a pub. They eventually returned to the mountains of Utah, married
, and returned to make Friday Harbor their home, where they home-birthed their two beautiful children, Indigo Rose Aurora Buck (9), and Solomon Sealth Buck (7) — 5th generation islanders.
John really appreciated being able to learn how to work with stone from Dave Koch, and construction from Peter Kilpatrick, and he really enjoyed their crews.
John was an artist at heart and felt the need to express that artistic freedom as can only be done when one is working directly with the client. He started Island Custom Stone & Woodworks. He loved sharing and developing his ideas and his clients really appreciated his touch.
John’s love of community, creative drive and collaboration with his grandfather led to development of “The Knoll”. It became a place for all to gather for music, dance, good home-made beer and delicious home-made pizza from the cob ovens that he, and those close to him, created. He overcame his shy nature enough to play the “washtub bass” with two dear friends in their newly formed band.
He was a loving husband, dad and cook. He loved thinking up creative “to do” ideas, making beautiful things out of nature. John loved skiing, Tuesday night poker, Frisbee golf, music, music, music, good vegetarian food, concerts, and music festivals. Did we mention music and more music!
He was loved and respected by his co-workers, employers and he had sooooo many friends.
John is survived by his wife, Laura, children; Indigo and Solomon, parents; Sam and Jane, brother, Charlie, grandparents; Sam and Barbara Buck, seven aunts and uncles, and many loving cousins and friends.
A fund has been set up for any who would like to contribute to benefit their children.
— Family of John Buck
Jack Smith
1929 — 2014
John Smith, affectionately called Jack or Limey, passed away peacefully March 20 at his daughter Ali’s home in Vacaville, Calif.
He originally was from Battersea, London.
Along with many other children, he was evacuated out of the London area during WWII. When he was a young man, he did a stint in the Royal Air Force, participating in the Berlin Air Lift.
Eventually, he made his way to his late sister Tessa’s farm in North Dakota. After a few cold months, he migrated to California, making his way to Fairfield, where he began his career as a volunteer firefighter. He became a regular fireman after a few years, and ended his first career in 1984 as fire marshal of Fairfield.
After that, he pursued his dream of living on San Juan Island, Wash., and became a building inspector there, as well as a fire commissioner. He lived on the island for many years before moving to Anacortes.
He is survived by his children Ali Smith, Chris Scott, and Theresa Vincent, and his sisters Pat and Molly in England.
He is also survived by Lori Maul, the daughter of his longtime partner, Cindy Latimer. He will be missed.
His private memorial reception will be held Friday, April 4, in the Old Firehouse in Fairfield, Calif., now a restaurant called “Crepes N More.”
A sit-down dinner and fine wines will be supplied by the family. Other beverages will be available to purchase. We ask that you wear a crazy pair of socks as an homage to Jack. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. Please R.S.V.P. with Christopher Scott, (707) 688-3868, if you wish to attend.
— Family of Jack Smith
Patricia Schwinn
June 7, 1925 — March 7, 2014
You may have seen an older while haired lady buying birdseed at Browne’s or finding small treasures at the thrift store for her daughter’s kitchen window.
You might have seen her putting too much honey in her 12-ounce non-fat latte at Cafe Demeter. What you didn't see was her history.
Patricia Schwinn was born in Bellingham, Wash., June 7, 1925. From an early age she showed the same spunk as her grandmother, Maddie Goodrich, who, at the age of 19, traveled alone from Watertown, N.Y. to Bellingham, Wash. to be a school teacher at a logging camp.
As a young woman she loved the fact that God actually had a name, Jehovah. The more she studied the bible she felt compelled to spend as much time as she could to help clear His name of the lies that corrupt religion had heaped on it.
She found that He was actually loving, compassionate, fair, just and loyal. She always felt He had hold of her hand.
Many of the things that happened to this sweet lady during her 88 years could have crushed the spirit of the strongest man, but her faith in her God, Jehovah, was her anchor.
Patricia left a heritage of the greatest value to her daughter, Heidi, and her two grandchildren, Gabriel and Liviah. She opened the eyes of children and adults alike to the sacredness of life, even the smallest creature.
Patricia fearlessly stood up to bullies and stood her ground against untruth.
So… now what? Is Patricia’s history all that is left of her? Absolutely not!
She believed Jesus’ words, “The meek shall inherit the earth” and that God's will would be done on earth as in heaven. Lately the promise of the resurrection of the dead to earth, our home, comforted her.
This white-haired lady you once knew will wake up in a peaceful earth surrounded by other resurrected family and friends. She will be young and radiant, full of life, excited for the future.
What words of wisdom would she share if she were here? The words of Jesus at Matthew 22:37: “Love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.”
We who knew her were blessed by her presence here for 88 years and all those searching for truth will be blessed with her company forever, here, on our home, earth.
— Family of Patricia Schwinn
