12:09 PM: We’ve learned that a man killed in a one-car crash near the Southworth ferry dock on the Kitsap Peninsula yesterday was a 20-year-old West Seattleite. Ben Huppe graduated from Garfield High School just two years ago. According to this Kitsap Sun report, his car veered off the road around 7:30 am Friday and went down a 30-foot embankment. A friend who e-mailed us with the sad news describes Mr. Huppe as “a truly amazing young man.”

ADDED 6:38 PM: As commenters have mentioned, Mr. Huppe was a coach at the Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club, where a memorial is growing. C.D. sent the photo we have added above, explaining it’s “a little memorial that we set up on the Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis courts; we encourage members to write their thoughts and prayers.” The AHSTC website has this tribute:

Ben has been the heart of the tennis team for years, joining the team at age 9 and twice voted “most inspirational” by his teammates. Ben coached for 4 years and has been a great role model for all the kids at the club, teaching them to love the game of tennis. He will be greatly missed and our hearts go out to his family

ADDED 9:54 PM: A story in The Seattle Times (WSB partner) has more details about Mr. Huppe’s achievements, including how he helped found Technology Services Corps.

An accomplished musician who lived in West Seattle is mourned tonight by family, friends, and colleagues. Chelan County authorities say 43-year-old Monty Carter drowned on Sunday after wading into the Wenatchee River to cool off after a day of hiking. The Seattle Times (WSB partner) reports on the drowning, and on some of Mr. Carter’s background, including his work at The Northwest School, coaching basketball and teaching music over the years, which is also mentioned in this Wenatchee World story. Paul Dolejsi, pastoral assistant for music at Holy Rosary in Seattle, tells WSB that Mr. Carter worked for him as an accompanist until 2006, and remembers him as “an incredibly gifted pianist (who) was always kind and helpful with our singers and musicians.” He adds, “It is a terrible tragedy that someone so kind and talented should slip from our grasp at such a young age. He will be greatly missed.”

AUGUST 5th NOTE: Received word today:

His students and friends are getting together to pay tribute to him at 3 pm today(Aug. 5).The service and reception will take place at St Nicholas Hall at the upper campus of Lakeside School.

A memorial service is scheduled Tuesday for Anne Hollister, who spent 20 years of her life in the West Seattle/Burien area. Her family shares this remembrance:

Anne K. Hollister (Frederiksen)

Anne was born to Danish immigrant parents, Soren and Margrethe Frederiksen, in Granite Falls, WA on May 7, 1928. She died peacefully at the Norse Home in Seattle on June 18, 2012.

She was proud of her Danish heritage and was active in the Danish community in Seattle for more than 50 years. She was a long-time member of Luther Memorial Lutheran Church and the Danish Sisterhood and gave many hours of service. Her greatest joy was her family—especially her nine grandchildren.

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Shakura Kanye‘s dad passed away recently; she says he was “a very active member in the West Seattle community and I would like to spread the word about his funeral service.”

Honoring Mark Christopher Adams

When: Saturday, June 23, 2012 @ 11 a.m.
Where: Freedom Church (35th/Roxbury)

Please join family and friends at Freedom Church in West Seattle at 11 am for a funeral service honoring Mark Adams- a loving brother, father, husband, uncle, and friend. He will be missed dearly.

(Photo courtesy ArtsWest, whose Kongsgaard-Alhadeff Award honored Ms. Ceis in 2005)
Friends, family, and political/civic leaders around the area are remembering longtime West Seattle activist Margaret Ceis today. She passed away yesterday at the age of 86. Her community service included being a founding member of the ArtsWest board, serving on the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners – for which she was honored in this 1996 City Council resolution – the Alki Community Council, the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees, and more.

Her leadership skills and perseverance were legend; when former mayor and current Secretary of State candidate Greg Nickels spoke at the memorial last year for another longtime community activist, Vivian McLean (WSB coverage here), he mentioned Ms. Ceis as, along with Ms. McLean, one of the local activists “you never say ‘no’ to.” Ms. Ceis was the mother of former deputy mayor Tim Ceis. We asked King County Executive Dow Constantine, one of many local leaders that she inspired, for his thoughts:

Our community lost a genuine champion with the passing of Margaret Ceis.

A lifelong community organizer and political activist, Margaret led the 34th District Democrats, the Alki Community Council and the League of Women Voters, among many other groups. She helped to create and promote the landmark 1989 King County Open Space bond issue, chaired the Seattle Parks Board, co-founded ArtsWest, and co-chaired the Three Projects/One Community campaign in Delridge.

It was Margaret who introduced me to grassroots Democratic politics. Her endorsement was without question the most coveted in West Seattle. In 1996 she was the co-chair of my successful campaign for the State House of Representatives. Without the coaxing and mentorship of Margaret Ceis I might never have sought or been elected to public office, and I will be forever grateful to her.

My condolences to Margaret’s family and friends, and to the entire West Seattle community, which she changed time and again for the better.

No word of memorial arrangements for Ms. Ceis yet, but they are expected to be made through Howden-Kennedy. We expect to add more to this story as the day goes on.

ADDED 11:38 PM: The Seattle Times (WSB partner) has published a story tonight about Ms. Ceis, for whom a memorial is planned at 2 pm June 2nd at The Hall at Fauntleroy.

The family of Mimi Feisst says her memorial service is planned for 1:30 pm this Sunday (May 20th) at The Sanctuary at Admiral (2656 42nd SW). Here’s their remembrance of her:

Mimi (Marilyn Jean) Summersby Feisst passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington, on the 29th of April after battling cancer for several months. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Annette and H. Samuel (Sam) Bartel, and husband Allan Feisst. Mimi is survived by son Scott Summersby and granddaughter Taylor of Florida, daughter Kristen Summersby, daughter Dana Brooks, son-in-law Jim Brooks, grandchildren Zachary, Zahn and Allyson, foster daughter Susan Tekola, son-in-law Fasil Tekola, grandchildren Tanesha, Sarra, Sophie and Nataly, sister Janet Deardorff and husband Jerry Deardorff, niece Molly, nephew Christopher, all of Washington, sister Susan Bartel and partner Lorraine Tarrant (of New Zealand), nephew Ian MacDonald (of Washington), and niece Sarah Bartel (of New Zealand).

Mimi’s first love was her family.

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Thanks to the WSB’ers who sent word of these two passings, both announced in the obituaries section of our partners at the Seattle Times:

BOB OCHSNER, 1920-2012: The funeral Mass for Mr. Ochsner is planned for this Friday morning, according to the Times obituary, which you can read in its entirety here. He grew up in West Seattle, graduating from WSHS, and owned Bob Ochsner Cars for 55 years at locations including WS, and was active in organizations including the Rotary Club of West Seattle. His surviving family members include his wife of 59 years. The Friday morning Mass is at 11 am at Our Lady of Fatima, 3218 W. Barrett. You can sign the online memorial guestbook here.

GARY PUTMAN, 1954-2012: It’s been about a year since Mr. Putman’s fight against cancer led to the closure of his West Side Import Repair in The Triangle. Now, this week, comes word that he passed away. According to his Times obituary, Mr. Putman moved to Seattle in 1978 and worked at West Side for 33 years, starting as a mechanic before taking over the business. No memorial service is mentioned; instead, “a gift to your favorite charity or to cancer research” is suggested.

Services are planned this Saturday for George Carfrae, whose family shares this remembrance:

George Carfrae, 77, of West Seattle, passed away from complications related to Parkinson’s disease April 9, 2012. He died peacefully, surrounded by his family. George was born in Seattle January 2, 1935.

He graduated from West Seattle HS in 1953 and received an Associate’s degree from South Seattle Community College.

George married Joyce Thomason April 23, 1954. He worked as a cost estimator at Todd Shipyards and Foss Maritime and served in the US Army from 1957-1965. He enjoyed gardening, traveling and playing cribbage.

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The family of longtime West Seattleite Angelina Marie Fuda shares this remembrance, on the eve of her memorial:

Angelina Marie Fuda passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and close friends, on 4-8-2012 of a cancer-related illness. Memorial Services will be held on Monday, 4-16, 10:30 am at Holy Rosary Parish in West Seattle. There will be a private burial at Calvary Cemetery in Seattle.

Angelina was born 1-21-1930 in Brookside, Colorado, to James and Mary Madonna. She moved to Seattle in the early 1940s, went to St Mary’s grade school, and on to Immaculate Conception for high school. While there, she met the love of her life, Felix Fuda, who she married in 1951. She left her job at the Mission Macaroni Factory in the early 1950s, when she was expecting her first child.

As the family expanded, they moved to West Seattle, to the same residence that they’ve been in for the past 56 years.

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From the family of L. Nadine Heinz-Brongil:

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of a beloved wife, mother, daughter, and friend.

Nadine died unexpectedly on Friday, April 6th, 2012 at her home in West Seattle. She left her family and friends at the young age of 47.

Nadine was born in Spokane, Washington, but moved to Bothell, Washington, a short time later. At age 26, she married and would have been married 21 years this July.

She leaves behind her husband Bob Brongil, daughters Brita Brongil and McKenzie Walsh (Chris Walsh), parents Elke and Edward Heinz, brother David Heinz (Lisa Heinz), and several other loving friends and family.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated Sunday, April 15th at 2 pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Seattle Humane Society.

(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available/desired, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

Family and friends around West Seattle and beyond are mourning 48-year-old Lisa Mills, the motorcycle rider killed in the crash that closed southbound Highway 99 for hours last Sunday night. We are reporting her name now that the county Medical Examiner has finally formally released it. Ms. Mills, who lived in Sunrise Heights with her wife, was well-known as lead singer of Swamp Mama Johnson, a Northwest-based band that was popular in the ’90s (see a 1997 clip here).

She worked as a hypnotherapist and life coach, with her own business, Heliotrope Hypnosis Services. A friend shared the photo at left, showing Ms. Mills with her dog Ruby, who until Ruby’s recent death assisted her in volunteer therapy work, according to her website. Another friend of Ms. Mills tells us she also was studying to become a mixologist, adding, “Lisa lived life to the fullest and loved riding her motorcycle with her friends.” The preliminary report from Seattle Police says investigators think she “failed to negotiate a curve” at the Viaduct’s south end.

We have no information yet on a celebration of life or memorial fund, but have asked friends who contacted us to please let us know if and when those details become available, so that we can share it with the WSB community. (This mention on a news site in Bellingham, where Swamp Mama Johnson often played, says memorials will likely be held there and in Seattle.)

A memorial is planned April 13 for Lou Tice, founder of the Harbor Avenue SW-headquartered Pacific Institute, which announced his death today:

The Pacific Institute is saddened to report the passing of its Chairman and co-Founder, Lou Tice Sunday evening, April 1st, after a brief illness. Surrounded by his wife, Diane, and loving family and friends, Lou spent his final days challenging those around him to carry on with his life’s work – educating and empowering individuals all around the globe to an ever-greater commitment toward making “a better world.”

A memorial service celebrating the life of Lou Tice is scheduled for Friday, April 13th, at 10:00 am at St. Edward’s Catholic Church, 4212 S. Mead St., in Seattle.

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The West Seattle Eagles‘ Aerie is where a Celebration of Life will be held for member Diane Laxton this Sunday (April 1) at 3 pm. WSE Madam Vice President Amy McGrath shares this remembrance of Ms. Laxton:

Diane Amalea Laxton, born May 18, 1957 in West Seattle, Washington, passed away peacefully March 23, 2012, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

Diane was born and raised in West Seattle, attending Gatewood Elementary, Madison Middle School and graduating from West Seattle High, class of 75. After graduation, Diane held numerous jobs, most notably at Pemco Insurance, where she spent thirty-two years. Recently, Diane was employed at Butter London.

Diane’s most challenging, yet rewarding role, was caring for others. Over the years, Diane cared for her grandfather, spent twelve years caring for her two nephews, and would be at a friend’s side in a moment’s notice. Compassionate, gracious, loving, warm hearted and generous are just a few adjectives that exemplified who Diane was.

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The family of Dorothy Campbell Hansen, gone at age 93, shares this remembrance:

Dorothy was born March 6, 1919, to Alexander and Catherine MacKinnon. Dorothy moved to West Seattle on her marriage to John in 1945. She lived on Chilberg Avenue SW for 66 years. She entered into the presence of her heavenly Father on March 9, 2012.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, John, and 3 brothers: Allister, Jack and Donald. She had 3 children: Catherine (James), John (Carolyn), and Heather (James). She had 8 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service is planned at First Presbyterian Church in Seattle. Details to be announced later. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to First Presbyterian Church, Missions Fund, 1013 8th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, or Washington State Services for the Blind.

(WSB publishes obituaries at no charge; send text and photo to editor@westseattleblog.com)

Family and friends will gather Tuesday to remember longtime West Seattleite John W. Nitkey. From his son Larry:

At the age of 91 on March 15, 2012, surrounded with the love and care of his family, John peacefully passed away.

He was born in Wallace, ID in 1921 and raised on a farm in Harrison, ID. His family lived in a log cabin his father built from trees felled on the farm. John was graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Business and Accounting. It was in Spokane where John met the love of his life, Frances Fagan, a nursing student from Sacred Heart (Spokane). After John’s graduation, he and Frances were married, and shortly thereafter in 1943 he shipped off to Army Basic Training in service to his country. He qualified as a Marksman with the M-1 rifle and received the American Theater Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Medal, and European African Middle Eastern Service Medal. After WW II ended, John was stationed at Fort Lewis. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1946. He and his young bride then decided to make their home on Alki Avenue in West Seattle.

After being honorably discharged from the Army, John began work for a nationally recognized accounting firm, but soon opened his own accounting office in White Center above the Roller Rink. It was through that business that he met his lifelong friend, mentor, and fellow Holy Family (Seattle) parishioner AJ, a real estate developer. John first did accounting work for AJ and then entered the building business himself. A recent card from AJ touched on their 60-year-long and devoted deep friendship for each other by stating, “the teacher learned from the student.”

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One week from Sunday, family and friends will gather at the West Seattle Eagles‘ aerie to remember a longtime member, Geraldine “Pat” Haddenham. Her family shares this remembrance:

Geraldine Patricia Haddenham (81) passed away peacefully February 27, 2012, at the Washington Veterans Home in Retsil. Pat was born in Seattle on November 20, 1930, to Laura (Evans) and Walter Everts. She grew up in West Seattle, and stayed in West Seattle until 1990, when she moved to Bremerton.

She married Edward Haddenham on November 8, 1951. She was preceded in death by her daughter Penny and her stepson Larry, her parents, sisters Mary and Jessi, and brothers Walter and George. Pat loved to play bingo and loved to “WIN,” and hated to lose! Pat belonged to West Seattle Eagles for over 40 years. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Edward; children Linda (Lester) Dent, Terry (Susie) Haddenham, Ray (Barbara) Haddenham, Wayne (Tina) Haddenham, Lyle (Kay) Haddenham, Cathy Haddenham; ten grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; and her sister Adele (Everts) Taylor.

A memorial will be held at the West Seattle Eagles, March 25th at 2 pm, with a private internment at Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Seattle. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the charity of your choice.

(WSB publishes obituaries at no charge; send text and photo to editor@westseattleblog.com)

A memorial service and celebration of life is planned this Sunday for longtime West Seattle resident Kathleen Nickels, whose obituary and photo are shared by her family:

Kathleen Anne Nickels of Seattle passed away on March 11, 2012 after a heroic 15-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Kathleen Anne McKenney was born July 15, 1929, in Dixon, Illinois. She was the third of five children born to George Jerome McKenney and Helen Bernice Ryan. George worked for the Illinois Central Railroad and Helen was a public-school teacher.

After graduating from Dixon High School, Kathie attended St. Anthony College of Nursing in Rockford and did her residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. While in Chicago she met Robert Nickels and they were married January 23, 1954 in Dixon.
The couple lived first in Chicago, where their first child, Gregory James, was born. In early 1956 they moved to Erie, Pennsylvania where three additional children were born: John Mark, Peter Robert and Amy Beth. Kathleen was very active in church activities in Erie.

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(September 2009 photo courtesy of Schmitz Park Elementary parent Erik)
His grandparents figured prominently in West Seattle history – and he often volunteered his time to educate others about it. Alan Schmitz – shown above in a WSB reader photo from 2009, talking with students at Schmitz Park Elementary – has died at the age of 77. Mr. Schmitz’s obituary was circulated by the Rotary Club of West Seattle, which granted our request for permission to publish it:

Alan Schmitz was the grandson of West Seattle pioneers Ferdinand and Emma Schmitz, and the son of Dietrich and Peggy Schmitz. Alan was born on 11-25-1934 at Swedish Hospital, and he died in West Seattle on March 9, 2012, of a bone-marrow disorder. Alan was a lifelong West Seattle resident.

Alan attended Alki Elementary, Madison Junior High, and West Seattle High School class of 1953. Alan graduated from the University of Washington in 1957 and belonged to Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Alan achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America, Alki Troop 283; he later became a Scoutmaster with Troop 281.

Alan skippered his family’s sailboat, the schooner SUVA, for many years.

Alan’s career began in banking, investments and small businesses; in his later years, he became an aerobics and fitness instructor for senior citizens at community centers. Alan was very involved with the West Seattle Rotary for over 30 years, and had been a member of the Seattle Yacht Club and the Rainier Club.

Alan is survived by his daughter, Julie Schmitz and her fiancé Dr. Grant Broker, of Houston, Texas; his son Dietrich Schmitz and wife Mary Howland Schmitz, grandchildren Ilse Schmitz and Gunnar Schmitz of West Seattle; his sister Gloria S. Brinton Davis of West Seattle, many nieces/nephews/cousins, and his former wife Vicki Schmitz Block.

The family is extremely grateful to all of his physicians, nurses and caregivers at the Providence Mt. St. Vincent Center, and to Dr. William Hammond and staff at the Minor & James Medical Clinic.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 17th at 4 pm, at Alki UCC Church, 6115 SW Hinds.

(WSB publishes obituaries at no charge; send text and photo to editor@westseattleblog.com)

Next Sunday (March 18th) at Alki UCC, family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of Robert (Bob) Hallberg Sr., a longtime West Seattleite gone the day before what would have been his 89th birthday. Mr. Hallberg’s family shares this remembrance:

On February 29, 2012, we said goodbye to Bob Hallberg, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. Born in Tacoma on March 1, 1923 to Lucyle Nick and Robert Hallberg, Bob spent his childhood near Puget Sound. His deep love for the natural world stemmed from his early years with his Boy Scout family, especially at Camp Parsons on Hood Canal.

Eventually his family settled in West Seattle, where he met Ada Woodhouse, his Alki girl and future wife. Bob graduated from West Seattle High School, University of Washington and then Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy. He served in WWII.

Bob and Ada were married in 1948 and spent a short time away in Iowa and California with National Civil Defense. He was present for the atomic bomb test in the Nevada desert. Within a few years they returned to “God’s country”: Alki and Puget Sound.

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Though his accomplishments and interests were certainly much broader, West Seattle writer Mark Bourne came to WSB attention over these past several years because of one quirky phenomenon: “The West Seattle Grouchos,” those Groucho Marx-photo cutouts that occasionally appear on local slopes. We pointed to his website just four weeks ago, after he wrote about a sighting at Walking on Logs, one of several times he had written about The Grouchos (including a 2008 article on Film.com).

This morning, Amy e-mailed to share the news that Mr. Bourne died suddenly last weekend. She included the link to this website mentioning that family and friends were gathering for a small formal funeral this morning, with a larger celebration-of-life event being planned for later. Checking WSB archives, we also had mentioned Mr. Bourne several times when running and re-running a memorable photo of the Alki Statue of Liberty, pre-Plaza, that he shared back in 2007:

Mark Bourne was just 50 years old.

A memorial service is planned tomorrow for Shuzo Chris Kato, a longtime educator who was a former Chief Sealth (pre-International) High School principal, among many other things. His family shares this remembrance:

Shuzo Chris Kato passed away peacefully on February 7, 2012 at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer. During WWII, his family was sent to Minidoka Relocation Center in Hunt, ID. Shuzo graduated high school while in camp from Hunt High. He served in the Army from 1945-1947.

Shuzo attended Bethel College and the University of Washington where he majored in Engineering. He married Jean Kawachi in 1958 and they raised their family in Seattle. He earned a Masters degree in Chemistry from Oregon State University and his Administrator credentials from Seattle University. An avid judoist and sensei, Shuzo did judo for 60 years and taught judo for 43 years, winning a National Judo Championship in 1957 and earning a 7th-degree black belt. He began his teaching career with the Seattle School District in 1953. He taught at Denny Jr. High, Mercer Jr. High, and Queen Anne High. He was a Vice Principal at Sharples Jr. High and at Cleveland High. He retired as Principal of Chief Sealth High after 36 years in education.

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Longtime West Seattle businessman Jim Sweeney, who has operated Alki Lumber in The Triangle for more than half a century, has died. (This was reported in the WSB Forums last night, and both the family and the business have now confirmed it.) Our photo is from September 2010, when the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle honored Mr. Sweeney as an “Everyday Hero” for donating materials to a club service project at Westcrest Park. He had told club members that day that, while Seattle had more than 130 lumber yards when he took over Alki Lumber in 1959, only a handful remained by the turn of the millennium. Mr. Sweeney was 73 years old; his memorial service is planned for 2 pm Sunday at Our Lady of Guadalupe. We’re expecting additional information from his family later, and will add it then.

ADDED 3:32 PM: From the Sweeney family:

James Brandon Sweeney, 73, of West Seattle died peacefully with his family by his side on Sunday, February 5, 2012 at Swedish Hospital. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Jim was born in Seattle on December 30, 1938 and grew up in West Seattle. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1957. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Judy, and their two daughters, Lisa (John Guthrie) and Lynn (Matt Pedersen), five grandchildren, his sister Karin (Don Boos) and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and a long list of friends. Jim owned and operated Alki Lumber for over 50 years. The business was founded by his grandfather in 1921. He was an avid, expert skier and enjoyed traveling the world with Judy by his side. Among his greatest gifts, above all, were his generosity, patience and incredible wisdom that touched many lives.

A vigil will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLG) Catholic Church, 7000 35th Avenue SW, on Saturday, February 11, at 7 pm, and funeral Mass at OLG on Sunday, February 12 at 2 pm. A reception celebrating Jim’s life and legacy will follow at The Hall at Fauntleroy. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to West Seattle Pee Wee Baseball or the Medic One Foundation.