West Seattle, Washington
05 Thursday
(WSB video and photos)
Great day for a bike ride, and this is a big one – Cascade Bicycle Club‘s second annual Ride for Major Taylor. Our video shows the riders taking off from Chief Sealth International High School this morning – after, of course, photo ops!
(Above: Don Brubeck, president of West Seattle Bike Connections)
It’s a fundraiser for the Major Taylor Project, a youth-development program serving hundreds of middle- and high-school-age students at schools including Sealth and adjacent Denny International Middle School. The namesake and inspiration is Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, the first African American cyclist to become a world champion. They’re riding through South King County – not a race, but a 24-mile ride – and the official finish line is Big Al Brewing in White Center.
(2015 AMNO & CO. photo – from left, Nicholas Orndorff, Clara Orndorff, Alex Miller)
Tomorrow morning, you can watch live online as the next White House Science Fair celebrates young achievers from our area – AMNO & CO., the underwater-robotics team of Clara Orndorff, 19; Nicholas Orndorff, 16; and Alex Miller, 17. We’ve reported on their success several times in the past few years – including this international-competition win last summer – but it doesn’t get much bigger than a trip to the White House. AMNO & CO. will be part of President Obama’s sixth and final White House Science Fair starting at 11:15 am our time on Wednesday – see the list of participants from all over the country, here.
The City Council is scheduled to vote tomorrow afternoon on two new members of the city Board of Park Commissioners, both with West Seattle ties, both introduced during the committee meeting 
we were at last Thursday because of the tree-cutting discussion. First on the agenda will be Evan Hundley (WSB photo at right). Hundley is head of school at Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor), just east of Arbor Heights. And he is the son of Walt Hundley, the namesake of High Point’s sprawling playfields and former Seattle Parks Superintendent and city budget director, as well as civil-rights advocacy. Evan Hundley told councilmembers on Thursday that he has been following parks issues since junior high. City Council president Bruce Harrell recalled Hundley’s father as “a phenomenal leader … and now (this appointment) is a chance to revisit his legacy.” Hundley has led Explorer West since 2007, continuing an education career that goes back more than 20 years.
Also scheduled for a City Council appointment vote tomorrow is Kelly McCaffrey, a West Seattle resident. She told councilmembers at Thursday’s committee meeting that she feels a lot of pride in Seattle parks and visits them often with her children and her dogs. She currently serves on the city’s Water Systems Advisory Committee and previously was on the Park District Oversight Committee.
Assuming their appointments are approved tomorrow, they will join the 9-member Parks Board – a voluntary advisory board that considers issues and policies and makes recommendations to city leaders – starting with its meeting next Thursday; see the agenda here.
Congratulations to “Diver Laura” James (top right in the photo above) for her recent induction into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. She explains, “WDHOF honors the contributions of women in diving, but more importantly, gives back through its burgeoning scholarship and mentorship programs. If you know of a student who needs some support, have them check out these ocean programs at wdhof.org Congrats to my Sea Sisters Chantelle Taylor-Newman, Dawn Kernagis, Patti Kirk Gross, Cody Unser, and Ruth Petzold.” While we’ve been reporting on her projects for the past few years, Laura’s undersea achievements go back much further – more than 20 years! We asked her for some highlights, and she mentioned “helping organize the first non-commercial, non-military team to visit 3 of our local deep shipwrecks in the early ’90s: the Al-Ind-Eska Sea, the Bunker Hill, and the AJ Fuller – yes, making me the first woman on them – and owning/operating the first extended range diving shop north of California.” What’s she working on next? Narrated live undersea streaming!
A memorial service is planned April 30th for Dr. Catherine Ann Orsi, whose many achievements included serving West Seattle as a naturopathic doctor. Here’s the remembrance family and friends are sharing:
Catherine Ann Orsi passed away peacefully with family by her side on March 14, 2016, after fighting a brave five-year battle with brain cancer.
Conceived in her father’s native homeland of Italy, but born in Corvallis, Oregon on March 9, 1958, she was the first child of Vincenzo and Margaret (Atwood) Orsi. She is survived by her mother, Margaret, her siblings; Lewis, (Kathy), Barbara, and Stephen, her nephew, Nick, her niece, Kate, and her ex-husband, Chelo Winfred Schal. Her beloved father, Vincenzo, preceded her in death in 1972, and her American grandparents Hulda and Harlow Atwood, and her Italian grandparents Luigi and Olimpia Orsi.
Catherine grew up in Albany and Corvallis, Oregon. While attending Oregon State University, she pursued her late father’s profession, and in 1983 received a degree in civil engineering. After graduation she married fellow engineer Phillip Wurst, but were divorced after a few years. Her engineering career started with the U.S. Forest Service in Ashland, Oregon. Later she accepted an engineering position for City Light, in Seattle, working on landfill-closure projects. She was one of the few women in that field at the time.
Through mutual friends, Catherine met and married Chelo Winfred Schal in 1995. They made several trips to Europe visiting his family in Germany, her family in Italy, and explored her maternal roots in Finland. Catherine and Chelo divorced in 2005, but remained lasting friends.
With a lifelong interest in scuba diving, Catherine was a volunteer diver at the Seattle Aquarium for over 18 years. Her other aquatic pursuits included sailing, kayaking, and swimming. She dreamed of becoming a mermaid.
During a period of illness, she became disenfranchised with Western Medicine and sought help through naturopathy. This journey led to her midlife career change. She enrolled at Bastyr University, where she received her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree in 2003. She opened her own practice in her beloved West Seattle, serving many local clients. Catherine maintained her medical practice until being stricken with cancer in the spring of 2011. Many of her clients, business associates, and friends in West Seattle remember her passionate and thorough attention to detail in her practice through her participation in a local chapter of BNI (Business Network International).
Proud of her Italian-American heritage, she obtained dual citizenship, volunteering for many years with the Festa Italiana celebration. She remained active in the Italian-American Association, and was a devoted member of her church, Plymouth United Church of Christ Congregational in Seattle.
After developing cancer and despite significant obstacles, Catherine filled her intervening years with love, many joyful activities, and personal connections with family, friends, clients, including many here in West Seattle. Although she was unable to continue her Naturopathy practice, she forged on with her connection to, and advocacy for a life of healing through support groups, online communities, and friends until her death.
One of her favorite activities was dancing in her many colorful outfits. It was while walking to a dance class on December 22, 2015, when she fell from brain cancer. It is her joyful and passionate pursuit in the beauty of colorful dance, and aquatic life that is how we will remember her. Dancing and grooving at the least provocation.
Her memorial service is planned at 1 pm Saturday, April 30th, at Plymouth United Church of Christ, and is open to the public. In lieu of flowers, her family requests offerings be directed to her remembrance project. People can donate on PayPal using catherineremembranceproject@gmail.com, or mail checks to “Catherine Remembrance Project” care of Lew Orsi, 10617 NE 30th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98686
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
Family and friends will gather tomorrow at The Mount to remember Marie Loken. Here’s the remembrance they’re sharing:
Our beloved mother Marie M. Loken passed away on March 26, 2016 at the age of 93. She was born on August 22, 1922 in Seattle to Charles and Marie McIntosh. Mom was the eldest of three sisters and spent her youth in Ballard and spent many a Sunday on her grandparents’ farm on Vashon Island. She was a 1941 graduate of Holy Angels High School, where she received a diploma from Holy Angels Academy School of Music in addition to her high school diploma. At 17, Mom could play concert level piano pieces and never lost her love of playing her piano. After high school, she worked at Federal Way High School as a secretary and then worked as a typesetter for Sears Roebuck catalogue department in the old Sears building on 1st Avenue. Shortly before World War II, she met the love of her life, Roger, at a local dance school. They wrote to each other throughout the war, and while he was overseas he asked her to marry him. 69 years later they were still together until his death last year.
She moved to Kettle Falls to help Roger embark on his teaching career. While they were building a house, Marie endured harsh winters and summers raising her babies, all born about a year apart. She returned to Seattle in 1958 and resided in West Seattle for her remaining years. After raising her six children she returned to Sears and worked as a typesetter with the same people that she had worked with when she was 19. Through the years Marie was Roger’s right hand and greatest supporter through his teaching and real estate endeavors. Mom loved to travel and she took trips with her husband and family to Europe and Hawaii and the Oregon Coast. Reading mysteries and watching her classic movies were some of her favorite pastimes. When it came to gardening, she could grow anything from a cutting. In her younger years, she was an avid bowler, bowling a 300 at one point. The last of the great card senders, she maintained correspondence with her friends from Kettle Falls for over 60 years and never let a holiday or birthday go by without sending a card. She was a Red Cross Volunteer and a longtime member of Holy Rosary and Guadalupe parishes.
She is preceded in death by her husband Roger and her grandson Mac Branom. She leaves behind her six children: David Loken of Everett; Joan Perryman of New Mexico; Catherine Hunter of Des Moines, WA; Robert Loken of Seattle; Roberta Jackowski of Seattle; and Karen Coffey of Portland; 10 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Services will be held at 9:30 am on April 7th at Mount St. Vincent Chapel. Graveside services will be held at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Services – West Seattle. Please share memories of Marie on our online guestbook.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
The funeral and reception in memory of Mary H. Anderson are planned for April 16th at The Mount. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing:
Mary H. Anderson, “Mimi” to her family, was born in Seattle in 1919. She died March 17 at Providence Mt. St. Vincent after a courageous battle with cancer. Mary and her beloved brother Bill, who preceded her in death, grew up in First Hill neighborhood. She attended Holy Names Academy and the Cornish school of the arts.
In 1946, Mary and her husband Frank Novak moved to West Seattle with their new baby Christine. The first thing she did was join Holy Rosary Parish, where she was a member for 70 years.
In 1976, Mimi married her true love Roger Anderson, who had two grown children of his own, Laurienne and Carver Anderson.
Mimi and Rog were married for 30 years and they lived and loved it thoroughly. Together they enjoyed traveling, bridge games, quiet nights reading and watching the ferryboats, family events, his wonderful sense of humor and her fabulous gourmet meals.
Mary leaves behind treasured friends and family, only child Christine Evens, grandsons Patrick and James Allen, Charles Evens (Lanna) and great grandchildren Andrew and Fae. She also leaves her wonderful nephews John and Phil Hendry, great nephew Troy, great nieces Sasha and Shannon and special friend Kathy Oczkewecz who she called her adopted daughter.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the Providence Mt. St. Vincent Foundation, or her favorite charity National Animal Society.
Funeral mass will be in the Chapel at Providence Mount St. Vincent in West Seattle, Saturday, April 16, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. Reception to follow in the dining room, all are welcome. Please share memories of Mimi on our online guestbook.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
Two weeks after we learned a Mega Millions jackpot-winning lottery ticket had been sold at the 35th/Barton 7-11 in West Seattle – the winner has claimed the prize. A spokesperson for Washington’s Lottery tells us Michael Burkett and his family came to lottery HQ in Olympia today (as required with this size jackpot). The announcement describes him only as a “Washington resident” and says he chose the one-time cash payment option, $102.8 million before taxes (from a $157 million face-value prize). The Lottery announcement adds, “After the reality of winning settled in, the winner’s first purchase was an Alienware PC from Dell. The man, who is a fan of electric vehicles, also shared that he has his eye on a new red Tesla.”
UPDATE: We’re told that the missing girl has been found and is safe. After the jump is what we reported earlier:
Friends and relatives are remembering Olga (Mitchell) McEwing, and wanted to share this with the community:
A long-time West Seattle resident, Olga McEwing died peacefully following a short illness on March 10, 2016, at age 96.
Olga was born on February 7, 1920. She emigrated to the United States from England with her parents Joshua and Ellen, and a younger brother, John, in 1927. She was a very generous person and cared a lot for others. She enjoyed music, gardening, and liked making the best pumpkin pies.
She was preceded in death by her husband James McEwing, 1919-1978.
Olga will be missed by The Kenney residents, the Schau and Matalone families, as well as many others, and will remain in our hearts forever.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
West Seattle High School senior Gabby Carufel is trying to raise money for underfunded special education via her senior project – and the big fundraiser this Friday night still has room for more participants – a Parents’ Night Out. Gabby is raising money for audio books for WSHS students with learning disabilities:
West Seattle HS students are hosting a Parents’ Night Out fundraiser to buy audio books and playaways for learning-disabled students at the school.
PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT – child sitting
WSHS students will watch and have fun with your kids so the parents can go out and have fun too!Friday, March 11th, 5:30-10 pm
For ages 3-11 (child must be potty-trained)
Cost: $20 includes, pizza, drink, snacks, crafts, movie and games.RSVP to Gabby at wsparentsnightout@gmail.com
Many sitters are CPR trained
Check in at the West Seattle High School Commons/ lunch roomPlease tell your friends. Our goal is to raise enough funds to buy at least one audio version of each required reading for the English classes. Thank you for supporting WSHS.
If you can’t or don’t want to take part in the event but want to support this project, contact Gabby via that same e-mail address.
One more “happening today” – third day of this year’s Girl Scout Cookie sales. This might be the only “cookie booth” of this type in our area:
The photo is from Lisa, who explains:
West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court Princess Stephanie and her Girl Scout Troop 42553 will be having a Girl Scout Cookie Drive-Thru at the Les Schwab Tire Center (3801 SW Alaska) from 11 am-3 pm. You don’t even have to get out of your car! We accept all major credit cards, cash, and checks!
Looking for someplace closer? The locations closest to zip code 98106 are here; 98116, here; 98126, here; 98136, here; 98146, here. This year’s seven cookie varieties are shown here. Sales continue through March 20th (two weeks from today).
Received this week from a reader in Fauntleroy:
We shine a green light on our porch for a loved one that is serving overseas.
We miss him very much. This is the longest war that our country has ever bee in. I hope that our neighbors are aware of why we have this special color on our front porch, not for marijuana awareness, and not left over from Christmas, it is for the son of West Seattle that is overseas. I see some other green lights in the community and reassure my wife that we are not the only ones. This green Led bulb is more noticiable than the Olde Yellow Ribbon. Thought that you should know… Sleepless in West Seattle.
(WSB photo)
From Troop 45172, our photo features Elizabeth, Addison, and Melissa, at the Girl Scouts‘ cookie “booth” outside West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction late today. Theirs is one of many troops selling cookies around West Seattle (not to mention the rest of the region) starting tonight and continuing for two-plus weeks, through Sunday, March 20th. Here are the seven varieties on sale this year, $4 per box; here’s the lookup tool to find where and when local Scouts are selling cookies (or use the individual zip-code links in our preview from earlier this week). Sales tonight go until 8 pm.
Candice Lastimado from Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) in Admiral won the National Grocers Association’s “Best Bagger” title tonight – three years after another employee from the store, Andrew Borracchini, took the title. Here’s the announcement we just received:
West Seattle Courtesy Clerk Candice Lastimado Wins 2016 National “Best Bagger” Championship
Metropolitan Market Employee Takes Home $10,000 PrizeCandice Lastimado, an employee at the West Seattle Metropolitan Market, captured the championship trophy and a check for $10,000 in heated competition at the 30th Annual National Best Bagger Battle held tonight in Las Vegas, NV.
The 2016 national competition, sponsored by the National Grocers Association (NGA), drew contestants from 25 states. Contestants from Washington have won the NGA National Best Bagger championship in three of the last four years.
“Candice did an outstanding job in competition,” said Jan Gee, Washington Food Industry Association President and CEO. “Candice showed amazing poise and just got the job done in the face of stiff competition.”
Candice won the state title four months ago, setting up the trip to tonight’s finals. We hope to find out more tomorrow.
Know someone – and/or someplace – that does such a great job, you would love to see them be recognized for it?
The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s annual Westside Awards might be the way to do it. It’s now nomination time, per the announcement from Chamber CEO Lynn Dennis:
Each year the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce requests businesses and residents of the West Seattle community to nominate:
Westside Business of the Year
Westside Emerging Business of the Year
Westside Not-for-Profit of the Year
Westsider of the YearNominations and comments are submitted to the selection committee. We thank everyone for taking the time to tell us why a business or individual should be considered for this award. Yes, you can nominate yourself or your business and the number of votes is not the criteria for winning. It is the nominee that best qualifies.
The nomination deadline is March 8th – here’s the online form to use. Winners are celebrated on May 4th. To see who’s won in recent years – go here.
A memorial gathering for Lorraine Mary DeTonancour Hope is planned on February 27th. Here’s the remembrance that her family is sharing:
Our beloved mother, mother-in-law, grandma and great grandma passed away peacefully at home on February 4th at the age of 87. She is survived by her daughter Judy Maus-Carson (Matt), sons Robert Hope (Lori) and Curtis Hope (Stephanie) and by 7 grandchildren (Jessica & Jon, Andy & Katey, and Kim, Kelli, & Christopher) and 7 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Norman Hope.
Lorraine grew up in Montana, where she was the belle of the ball – Anaconda High’s cheer queen, a softball player, and a National Thespian. After moving to Seattle with her best friend, she met and married the love of her life. “No and Lo” settled in Alki/West Seattle, where they raised their family and remained the rest of their lives.
Mom/Grandma/Lorraine went through life at full speed – she loved singing & dancing, entertaining & cooking, vacationing & sun-tanning, gambling, playing cards & bingo, spoiling her kids & grandkids, cheering for her sports teams, reading & making up words, painting & beach walking… She was happiest when loving on and laughing with family and friends and was fortunate to live much of her life that way.
A short service and reception will be held at Salty’s on Alki on Saturday, February 27th, at 11 am.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
Girl Scout Cookie season is approaching, and two West Seattle Junior Girl Scouts from Troop 44282 have a head start. Above, L-R, are Eloise and Anya; Eloise’s proud mom Sybil shares the photo and explains why:
(They) submitted essays (written essay for Anya, video essay for Eloise) to a contest hosted by Molly Moon’s ice cream parlor. The “Cookies to Camp” contest asked the question “Why do you want to go to Girl Scout Camp for the first time?” and had a short list of criteria the girls had to meet, such as never having been to a Girl Scout camp before and living in Western Washington.
I’m excited to report that both Anya and Eloise won! Their essays were two of six selected out of 165 entries. Molly Moon’s will purchase over 1,100 boxes of Thin Mints from each winner, which will pay for a week away at Girl Scout camp. The Thin Mints are for Molly Moon’s ‘Scout Mint’ flavor.
The Thin Mints are separate from the girls’ individual and troop sales, so Anya and Eloise will still be out in the community selling their Girl Scout cookies to fund other adventures!
P.S. In case this gets you wondering about cookie-selling season – the community “booths” start March 4th.
A celebration-of-life gathering is planned next month for longtime West Seattleite Amelia “Amy” Beard Walker. Here’s the remembrance her family is sharing:
Amy went to her rest on February 1, 2016, at Highline Medical Center, at the age of 90.
Born on November 23, 1925, to Charles Grosvenor and Elizabeth Cooper Beard, in Jacksonville, Florida, and graduated from Central High School in Memphis, Tennessee, she married Thomas L. Walker Jr. in 1943, sharing life for 69 years, until his passing in 2012. They lived throughout the United States, wherever his career in aircraft and missile engineering took them. She worked in various public school systems, and completed her working career as the Director of Administrative Services and Assistant to the Executive Director, Goodwill Industries of Seattle.
Amy was active in the West Side Wheelers square dance club, the West Seattle Garden Club, Washington Arboretum, West Seattle Rock and Gem Club, and was a Member/Secretary for Toastmasters of West Seattle. She served on the Executive Board of the West Seattle Daystar Retirement Village and was a Daystar Ambassador, welcoming and assisting new residents. An active member of her church, she served as a reader for the 14th Church of Christ Scientist of West Seattle. She led a pro-active life, touching the lives of so many others in a positive, lasting way.
Amy is survived by her children; Carolyn Gabrio (Bob), Eileen Meling (Lee), Thomas Walker III (Toni), and Lawrence Walker (Rosario); seven grandchildren; Kristin Pottsmith (Chuck), Janice Belding, Jacqueline Walker, Marcella Bolen (Dan), Brian Walker (Andrea), Leah Walker, and Jamison Walker, and five great-grandchildren.
A celebration of her life will be held by her family at Daystar Retirement Village, 2615 SW Barton Street, on March 26th, 2:00 pm; after which a private family scattering of ashes will be conducted. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite Veterans’ charity.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
Family and friends will gather later this week in memory of Kay Messina, and are sharing this remembrance now:
Free from the clutches of Alzheimer’s disease, Kay’s spirit is free to soar again.
Born to Leo “Skipper” and Helen Kelly, Katherine Margaret “Kay” was raised as one of seven brothers and sisters in Anaconda, MT. After college, Kay moved to the big city (Seattle) to work as a medical records administrator. There she met the love of her life, Ben Messina. They married in 1963 and had three boys, Michael, Tony, and Mateo.
For the next 53 years, Kay loved, laughed, and sang her way through raising a family, pursuing a career, building lasting friendships, and generally demonstrating how a life well-lived should be. Together with Ben she enjoyed plays, dinners, friends, glasses of wine, and traveling far and wide. Their journeys included exploring their roots in Ireland and Italy, and making trips home to Montana for the annual family gatherings that continue to this day.
Kay raised her boys with love, grace, and good humor. She showed them the power of love in the devotion she and Ben shared, as well as the value of community in the friendships they made, and their 50-year membership with Our Lady of Guadalupe parish. In her career, she worked with health-care facilities around the region, including a long association with Mt. St. Vincent, where she spent her final days in their care.
Kay was fortunate to have married an engineer. As Alzheimer’s progressed, Ben was able to continually develop solutions that would allow to her to remain at home for much longer than most. For that, we are forever grateful. In addition to her family and friends’ memories of her twinkling Irish eyes, Kay leaves behind Ben, her beloved husband of 53 years; sons Michael (Yvette), Tony (Dawn), and Mateo (Tammy); and eight grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Mt. St. Vincent or Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. An evening vigil will be held Thursday 2/11/16 at 7:00, and a funeral mass on Friday 2/12/16 at 11:00, both at Our Lady of Guadalupe. Please visit www.emmickfunerals.com to share your memories of Kay.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
You might have missed the chance this past Thursday night to hear an extraordinary West Seattleite tell her story.
Seattle’s first-ever Civic Poet, Claudia Castro Luna, headlined the quarterly Community Conversation gathering at Southwest Youth and Family Services in North Delridge. As SWYFS’s executive director Steve Daschle explained in the introduction, much of the nonprofit’s work is with immigrants and refugees, “helping them access resources and support to be successful, (with) a fabulous staff of advocates who come from the communities they’re serving.”
Take some time and listen to Castro Luna’s story of “An Immigrant’s Journey,” which we recorded on video. She arrived in the US from El Salvador in 1981, as her family fled civil war “that really destroyed the country … nobody was safe in El Salvador.” She landed in Miami on a Saturday morning, and started 10th grade there the following Monday, though she spoke no English then. What ensued was “a long journey to the place where I wanted to be,” including multiple careers. “Through the writing, I’ve come to understand my own story,” she told those who gathered to listen after complimentary dinner served by SWYFS. They also heard from members of Cambodian, Somali, and Mexican families assisted by SWYFS, which offers multiple volunteer opportunities.
Saturday, a gathering is planned to remember 21-year-old Chad Crooks. This is from his family:
Laura and Todd, along with Corey, Macey, and Grady Crooks, write this to share some profoundly sad news with those that have not yet heard. In the early morning hours of Thursday, 21st our sweet, brilliant, gentle giant,
Chad Crooks lost his battle with mental illness and with that, we lost him. At 21, he was our oldest son and brother and a blessing to everyone that met him along his path. With everyone around us, we grieve and love and, in time, we will heal.
Even through his recent struggles, Chad remained gentle and kind, but in the end, made a choice to control his destiny. Chad battled a disease that threatened to offer little hope of using his gifts, making them just beyond his grasp. His brilliance was a gift that he hoped would advance the knowledge and understanding of the complexities of our existence and lives on Earth and elsewhere. Our loss is the world’s loss.
This mental health tragedy is not unique to the Crooks family. It is a devastating, cruel affliction that destroys beauty. Like cancer or heart disease, schizophrenia and other types of mental illness have the same impact, often killing with an invisible hand.
A service will be held at our Admiral UCC Church here in West Seattle on February 6th at 2PM with stories, love and refreshments following. The Admiral United Congregational Church of West Seattle is located at 4320 SW Hill Street. Donations designated in Chad’s honor will be gratefully accepted to aid research in the field of schizophrenia and depression, with details available at the Saturday service.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
(UPDATED 8:01 PM with information about 2011 personal-expenses benefit)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Puget Sound Susan G. Komen Foundation says it is confident that all the money raised for its breast-cancer-fighting efforts in the name of West Seattleite Tracy Dart and her local associates went to the foundation.
We inquired with Komen today after receiving numerous inquiries over the weekend about this report by the West Seattle Herald quoting an unidentified source as saying Dart may have fabricated some part or all of her reported three-time, seven-plus-year cancer fight.
Senior public-relations manager Christi Ball Loso told WSB via e-mail:
Komen was notified of the situation last week and has been in contact with Tracy’s family. We have not been contacted by law enforcement.
Our records show that Tracy personally raised $28,541 for Komen starting in 2006, and that her Seattle and California teams raised more than $414,000 since 2006. This money has been used as intended – for Komen’s research and community health programs. And, we can assure the community that Tracy did not receive any funds from Komen. The organizations that receive Komen funding go through significant vetting to assess their program impact.
The biggest question people asked us: Is the fabrication allegation true?
As we told those who contacted us in various messaging channels this weekend, that question so far has not been answered on the record by anyone. But today, the Komen Foundation discussed the fundraising questions on the record.
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