December 1943 — April 2014

Join us for a celebration of life June 16, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. at the Elks lodge, 765 Rainier Blvd., Issaquah. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity.

Louise Landis, 89, of Surprise, Ariz., passed away June 2, 2014, in Goodyear, Ariz.

She was born Dec. 19, 1924, in Kelso, to Roy and Esther Fletcher.

Louise Landis

She returned to college and graduated at the top of her class. She then served as an intensive care registered nurse.

She is survived by her daughter Star Andersen; sons Richard, William and Geoffrey Landis; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dick Landis, retired Fire Chief of King County District 10 in Issaquah.

Services are private.

Condolences can be sent to www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com.

Donna (Buxton) Collins, 58, of Kent, died May 30, 2014.

Donna was born July 24, 1955, to Gaius and Louise Buxton of Renton. She was a 1973 graduate of Issaquah High School.

She married her high school sweetheart and recently celebrated 40 years of marriage. They resided in Kent, where they raised three sons.

Donna Buxton Collins

Donna was a loyal employee of Alaska Airlines and reached a milestone of 25 years with the company this past May. She loved her family and the ocean, but most of all her eight grandchildren, who held a special place in her heart.

Donna had a fun-loving spirit and made lifelong friends with ease. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends and will leave a deep void in their hearts.

She is survived by her mother Louise Buxton; her loving husband Mike; sons Justin, Shane and Matthew, and daughter-in-law Shelly, all of Kent; brothers George Silbersdorff, Gerald Buxton and John Buxton; sister Gale (Buxton) Wilson; and eight grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her father Gaius Buxton.

Services were June 6 at Greenwood Memorial Park, Renton.

Donations in her name may be made to the American Diabetes Association.

Retired Pastor Eldon “Pick” Pickering, born Jan. 23, 1939, passed away on Sunday, June 8, 2014, following a long illness.

“Pick” served a number of congregations in Washington, Oregon, and Montana. He also served on the faculty of Lutheran Bible Institute in Issaquah and as a chaplain for Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma.

He is survived by his loving wife Marlene, sons Steven and John (Mel), stepdaughters Karin (Scott), Kristin and stepson Jon (Becky), eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The Celebration of his Life/Memorial will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 745 Front St. S., Issaquah, with a reception following.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to Our Savior Lutheran Church or Franciscan Hospice in Tacoma.

Clayton Hagen, age 71, passed away, peacefully June 8, 2014, at Georgian House of Lakewood.

Buzz was born Aug. 23, 1942, at home, in Grand Forks, N.D. In 1950, the family moved to Seattle. He was in the Knights of the Alter at St. Joseph Catholic Church and was a very spiritual person.

Clayton ‘Buzz’ Hagen

He served 17 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Buzz served two tours of duty in Vietnam and received the Presidential Unit Citation and several other commendations.

Buzz has five sisters: Darleen Allen, Bonny Bunt, Vicky Cuvelier, Georgia Hagen (deceased) and Ann Maline. He also has numerous nieces and nephews.

He was a very comical person and very a loving man. We will miss him dearly. Semper Fi Forever in our Hearts.

A public urn committal will be held at Tahoma National Cemetery, 18600 S.E. 240th St., Kent, on June 19 at 11 a.m.

Friends are invited to share memories, view photos and sign the family’s online guestbook at www.flintofts.com.

Betty Joe (Craft) Lasley was born July 12, 1932, in Cody, Ky. She had three brothers, two sisters and three half-sisters.

Betty received her teaching certificate from a small trade college in Kentucky and taught in a one-room schoolhouse until entering the army, as a WAC, during the Korean War. She was stationed at Fort Lawton, in Seattle, where she met E. Earl Lasley. They were married in 1952 and remained together until Earl’s death in 1988.

Betty Joe (Craft) Lasley

As was the custom in 1952, Betty was honorably discharged from the military within two weeks of her marriage. Daughters Colleen and Jennifer were born in 1959 and 1961, respectively. The family was expanded when Jennifer married Timothy Krogh in 1988. Colleen, Jennifer and Tim all currently reside in Issaquah.

The Army trained Betty as a dental assistant, a career she continued, for 25 years, after leaving the military. In 1978, she decided to make a career change and went to work for the John Fluke Co., prepping parts for electronic assemblies until she retired in 1997.

For the last 13 years Betty lived in Issaquah. She loved to sit at the window and watch wildlife in the pasture. Her greatest thrill was spotting black bear walking through the pasture. She especially liked going out to eat and meet people. She enjoyed entertaining them with wild stories.

Betty loved her grand-dogs, especially when it came to giving treats. At one point in her life, she lived in North Carolina with Jennifer and Tim. While they were at work, Betty would wander around the property with the dogs; at the dogs’ request, she would turn logs over so they could look for frogs and bugs on the undersides.

As Betty had no grandchildren of her own, she especially liked “adopting” the children of people she knew. She loved her family and friends and will be greatly missed by all.

A celebration of Betty’s life will be held Saturday, June 21. For full obituary and celebration details, friends are invited to share memories, view photos and sign the family’s online guestbook at www.flintofts.com.

Alan Hanson Mattock, of Issaquah, passed away June 6, 2014, at his son Michael’s home in California. He was 89 years of age.

Born Jan. 2, 1925, in Halifax, England, to Edith and W. Austin Mattock, Alan was raised in that city. He continued his education at Halifax Technical College, where he studied between 1942 and 1945, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in engineering with first class honors and was also awarded a Royal scholarship, which he was unable to take up until after his term of National Service.

Kenneth Schmelzer

Between 1945 and 1947, Alan was engaged at work at a building research station, and in the Lancashire County Surveyor’s Department. Then, in 1947, he took up his Royal scholarship award and was for two years a graduate student at the Imperial College of London University. In 1947, he was awarded his Master of Science in engineering for a thesis on research in design of pre-stressed concrete.

He was married to Margaret Julia Mattock on Aug. 20, 1949, at St. James’s Spanish Place, London, England. After marriage, Alan and Margaret traveled to British Guiana, South America, where Alan was a district engineer.

Alan and Margaret returned to London in 1952, where Alan was a lecturer in civil engineering at the Imperial College, London University, and in 1955 was awarded his Ph.D. for research on the ultimate strength of pre-stressed concrete beams. They moved to Glenview, Ill., in 1957, where Alan directed one of the research teams at the Chicago headquarters of the Portland Cement Association. Alan and Margaret then moved to Seattle in 1964, when Alan was appointed a full professor at the University of Washington.

Alan remained actively engaged in research throughout the rest of his life, publishing well into his 80s as well as working as a referee and senior adviser to engineering research teams and standards-setting organizations. He was honored by several professional organizations for his significant contributions to civil engineering research.

Alan and Margaret lived in Lake Forest Park for 31 years and later in Woodinville, before moving to Issaquah in 2003.

Survivors include sons Christopher P. Mattock, of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and Michael G. Mattock, of Los Angeles; daughter Elizabeth M. Mattock, of Bellingham; grandchildren Kristin, Megan, Andrew, David and Shaan; and great-grandson Marshall.

The family invites you to view photos and sign the online guestbook at www.flintofts.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to Flintoft’s Funeral Home and Crematory.

Andrew Paul Leonard, of Bellevue, passed Tuesday, June 10, 2014.

A funeral Mass was June 24 at St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic Church in Bellevue.

View the full obituary, photos, directions and share memories at www.flintofts.com.

—   Flintoft’s Funeral Home and Crematory, 392-6444

Catherine (Cathie) Moody, of Redmond, peacefully passed away on June 8, 2014, at the age of 96 in Kirkland.

Cathie was born Nov. 15, 1917, in San Antonio, Texas, to Tom and Catherine Hurley. She married her husband Alf Moody in 1942, and the two of them eventually settled in Seattle with their three kids in 1952.

Catherine Moody

Cathie was a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother who also focused on giving back to her community. She was an active member of the League of Women Voters of Lake Washington East for more than 50 years. Cathie also served as president of the Residents’ Council at the Emerald Heights Retirement Community.

She enjoyed traveling to different parts of the world and watching sports, especially her alma mater U.C. Berkeley’s football team.

Cathie is survived by her three children, Anne Dumond (Bill), of Redmond, Tom Moody, of Burlington, and Maryl Foster (Tom), of Issaquah. She is also survived by four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Cathie was preceded in death by her husband Alf.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Cathie’s name to The Nature Conservancy or The Emerald Heights Benevolence Fund.

Kenneth Schmelzer, longtime resident of Issaquah, passed away peacefully June 12, 2014, in the home he had crafted.

Kenneth was born Aug. 29, 1925, in Vancouver, Wash., to Herman and Gladys Schmelzer. After graduating from Vancouver High School, he was inducted into the United States Navy, where he honorably served his country on the USS Dixie throughout the South Pacific during World War II.

After being discharged, he returned home to attend Washington State College, where he met his future wife of 60 years, Ruth Maxine Keith. Ken earned a degree in education, and later received his master’s degree from the same institution.

Ken and Maxine moved to Issaquah in 1951, where he went on to teach industrial arts at Issaquah High School until 1985. After retirement, he worked remodeling homes in the Seattle region and spent his winters in Mesa, Ariz.

Ken had many interests throughout his lifetime, but found his greatest passion in the history of logging in the western United States. He authored two books on the subject, which were internationally known. In addition, he was an avid model railroad enthusiast and national award-winning model-railroad builder.

His knowledge of western logging history, and his success as a modeler, drew people from around the world to visit his home in Issaquah to expand their knowledge and view his work. His passion for research and history continued to the end of his life, leaving another book in progress.

Maxine preceded Ken in death in November 2009. A devoted husband, father, grandfather and educator, he is survived by his two sons Keith, of Sacramento, Calif., and Jerry, of Carnation, daughter-in-law Teri, beloved granddaughters Taylor and Morgan, extended family and friends. Ken will be greatly missed by all.

A committal service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 30, 2014, at Tahoma National Cemetery, 18600 S.E. 240th St., Kent, WA 98042. Proceeding, a gathering to celebrate his life will occur at Flintoft’s Issaquah Funeral Home at 11:30 a.m.

Please visit the website www.flintofts.com or call 392-4444 for location and information. Friends are encouraged to attend and invited to share memories. Sign the family’s online guest book at www.flintofts.com.

Remembrances may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation at www.parkinson.org.

Carmel Louise Sanelli passed away June 8. She was 82.

She was preceded in death by husband Floyd Sanelli.

Carmel Sanelli

Carmel is survived by six children, Steve, Mark, Matt, Martin, Floyd and Diana, 16 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and brothers Carl and Sam Bozzo.

View photos and share memories at www.flintofts.com.

On Prince Edward Island, on Aug. 24, 1918, Frances Anne Keegan was born to Francis Xavier and Helen Leona Keegan. Her father’s family were seafarers.

When Frances was 4 years old, her mother shepherded her seven daughters across the continent by train to Issaquah. There in the hills was the rich farmland that Helen’s pioneering family, Mercers and Vaughans, had homesteaded.

Frances Barlow

Helen and Frank settled their daughters on the farm, where they survived the Depression years by living off the land — from fruit trees and vegetables to chickens and cows. Helen sewed the girls’ clothing, oftentimes from pretty patterned cotton flour sacks.

Frances graduated from Issaquah High School, the class of 1935, one of 61 students. As her parents ran an egg farm, she had experience candling eggs, which she used to land a job at an egg co-op in Issaquah. Paul J. Barlow was her supervisor. Romance followed. They married in 1941, lived in a little paradise on the shores of Lake Sammamish and raised five children there.

In 1984, she moved to Whidbey Island, where she lived for 30 years, right on the Saratoga Passage. She loved her life there: creating a beautiful garden, walking the beach with her dogs, digging for clams, playing a ruthless game of Scrabble and hosting family gatherings, which went far into the night around beach campfires.

Only in her 90s did she move to an assisted-living home.

Everyone who knew Frances Barlow marveled over her strength of character, her canny understanding of people, and her absolute commitment to tell anyone and everyone exactly what she thought.

She passed away June 24, 2014 — the last of her sisters to pass on, the last of her generation. She will be sorely missed.

She is survived by four children, Alan Barlow, Paula Kerby (Billy), Glen Barlow (Glenda) and Anne Barlow; nine grandchildren, Megan McInnis, Erika Calderon, Anna Miaullis, Colin Meyer (Christie Robertson), Owen Meyer (Nicole Grant), Justine Winnie, Ian Barlow, Drew Barlow and Reid Barlow; and five great-grandchildren, Flynn and Lem Meyer, Calix and Coral Robertsonmeyer, and Angela Barlow. Numerous dear nieces and nephews will also remember her well.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 12, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 220 Mountain Park Blvd. N.W., Issaquah, Washington. A reception will follow.

Friends are invited to share memories and sign the family’s online guest book at www.flintofts.com.

1936 – 2014

On Friday, June 27, 2014, at the age of 78, surrounded by his close family, at Swedish/Issaquah, Doug (Paul Douglas) Hoffman departed this earth to be reunited in heaven with his deceased family and friends.

He had spent the last nine months battling cancer with his loving wife Suzanne as his supportive caregiver.

Paul Hoffman

They were married Nov. 30, 1998, in Hawaii, and enjoyed many wonderful years together. They enjoyed travel and their vacation home in Tucson, Ariz.

He was born June 5, 1936, in Yankton, S.D., and moved to Yakima with his family in 1947. Doug attended Marquette and Davis high schools. He spent 35 years working for Pacific Northwest Bell/AT&T, starting in Yakima, and then Moses Lake and finally retiring in 1990 from the downtown Seattle office. He spent his early retirement years commercial fishing in Garibaldi, Ore., on his boat, the Candace M, which he built in 1974 with the help of Westport shipyards. In 2002, he sold his boat and retired from commercial fishing.

Doug enjoyed elk and moose hunting, shooting and reloading, cruising and spending time with family and friends.

Doug is survived by his wife Suzanne, of Issaquah; son Steve (Deborah) Hoffman and daughters Diana (Greg) Moss and Candy (Danny) MacDonald, all of Moses Lake; as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be scheduled in the near future. He is deeply loved and will be missed by his family and friends.

Arrangements are being made by Flintoft’s Funeral Home in Issaquah. Visit www.flintofts.com to see Doug’s memorial page and to share memories and sign the family’s online guest book.

The family suggests remembrances in Doug’s name to the Eastside Firefighters Benevolent Fund, P.O. Box 594, Issaquah, WA 98027.

Lucille Theresa Lemke, a longtime Issaquah resident, passed away May 22, 2014. She was 92.

She is survived by her son Paul, of Bothell, and numerous extended family members and friends.

Lucille Lemke

Lucille was preceded in death by her husband Marvin on March 7, 2014.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 12, 2014, at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 3730 148th Ave. S.E., Bellevue.

Private interment with her husband was at Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent.

Friends are invited to view photos, get directions, share memories and sign the online guest book at www.flintofts.com.

Arrangements are by Flintoft’s Funeral Home and Crematory, 392-6444.

Ruth Howard died peacefully on June 29 at home in Sammamish, at the age of 97.

Ruth Evelyn Ley was born April 8, 1917, in Zillah, to George W. and Mary (Walmsley) Ley. She was raised in Wapato, with sisters Mildred Goldsworthy and Margaret Wright, graduating from Wapato High School in 1934. She studied music at Washington State University, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority.

Ruth Howard

In 1940, she married George I. Howard and they made their home in Yakima, where their three children were born and raised. Ruth was employed by the Yakima School District for 25 years as secretary and assistant to the business manager.

Following retirement in 1977, Ruth and George moved to Florence, Ariz., where they lived until returning to Yakima in 1994. She moved to Bellewood Retirement Apartments in Issaquah in 2005 to be close to her family.

Ruth is survived by her three children, Lynn Kennedy (Fred), Donna Kennedy (Ed) and William Howard (Allene). She leaves behind six grandchildren, Katherine Price (Phil), Susan Imwalle (Larry), Karen Harmon (Geoff), Jennifer Adams (Tylon), Karl Howard (Rose Braden) and Andrew Kennedy (Heather Lauren); 10 great-grandchildren, Evan and Madeline Imwalle, Adrian and Niklas Kennedy, Kevin, Emma and Audrey Harmon, Eric Price, Grant Howard and Travis Adams; and several nieces and nephews.

Ruth was a member of Sammamish Presbyterian Church, Chapter HE, P.E.O., a former member of First Presbyterian Church of Florence, Ariz., where she served as church organist for 15 years, and a former member of Yakima First Presbyterian Church.

Ruth will be remembered for her sweet smile and cheerful approach to life. She loved her family where she was the center of joy, warmth and fun. Ruth was passionate about handcrafts and sewing, especially quilting, and made more than 100 quilts for family members and charities. She loved music and was an accomplished pianist and organist.

A memorial service will be Saturday, July 19, at 1 p.m. at Sammamish Presbyterian Church.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Evergreen Health Hospice Care (www.evergreenhospital.org/hospice) or P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education (www.peointernational.org).

Lawerence Lee Church, age 61, born in Garden City, Mich., on Feb. 13, 1953, passed away June 27, 2014.

The oldest of four boys, Larry spent his grade school years in Compton, Calif., and moved to the Seattle area at the age of 12.

Active by nature, Larry loved people and nature and working with his hands. He graduated from Kent-Meridian High School and enrolled in Green River College with the goal of teaching woodshop.

Lawerence Church

Larry was humble by nature and referred to himself as a “jack of all trades and a master of none,” ignoring his accomplishments in carpentry, mushroom hunting, fly-tying and archery, a sport in which he won a junior state championship.

For Larry, the job he took to work himself through school ultimately became his career. Working as a night stocker in the Black Diamond IGA, he learned an unusual combination of skills — cutting and wrapping meats.

An affable person who genuinely loved helping people, Larry thrived in the supermarket environment. He eventually left IGA to become an apprentice butcher for Safeway. While working at the Eastgate Safeway store, he met a young bakery apprentice named Tara Stabler. They were married in 1978.

Larry and Tara had four children, Jeff, Elisa, Daniel and Michael, who died at childbirth. They have five grandchildren. Larry excelled in his career — ultimately leaving Safeway to work for the QFC chain, where he was recognized as one of the company’s top grossing employees. He worked hard; he loved fishing and his time in the outdoors, but his greatest passion always remained his family.

No discussion of Larry would be complete without describing the relationship he had with his children and grandchildren. He was not only a father but a friend to his children. His grandchildren adored him. During the long painful weeks spent at the hospital, he found strength by looking at family pictures and chatting with his grandchildren on the telephone.

In 2013, Larry was diagnosed with leukemia. In July of that year, he entered the University of Washington Medical Center for a stem cell transplant. Despite the stem cell donation from his brother Dave, constant care from his wife and his mother, and visits from countless friends and relatives, the cancer ultimately took his life.

A friendly but unassuming man, Larry Church seldom spoke of his accomplishments. Thinking about his father’s humility, Daniel Church remembered, “People would say stuff about him and Dad would say, ‘Oh, he’s just a storyteller.’”

According to Tara, patience was another of Larry’s virtues. “The one thing Larry prided himself on was patience.”

During his stays at UW Medical Center and Swedish Hospital, Larry never complained or forgot his love for the people around him. He befriended doctors, nurses and orderlies, and remained a giving, cheerful person.

Lawerence Lee Church is survived by his mother Sophie, his three brothers, his wife Tara, their three children and five grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer mourners to donate monies to the Make a Wish Foundation, an organization with a mission that Larry deeply cared about.

His memorial service is from 6-8 p.m. July 11 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Duthie Hill Chapel, Sammamish.

Jan. 8, 1996 — July 14, 2014

Kevin Velasco

Viewing begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2014. His celebration of life follows at 3 p.m. at Flintoft’s Funeral Home, 540 E. Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA, 392-6444.

Friends may share memories, view photos and sign the online guestbook at www.flintofts.com.

The family of Florence Koss is holding a gathering in her memory at the Issaquah Senior Center from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 26. Those who knew Florence are invited to drop in. Remarks at 2:30.

Jan. 15, 1960 – April 16, 2014

Loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend and master baker. His smile and laughter will be missed by all who knew him.

Victor lived in Issaquah from 1995 to 2009.

Robert Nelson

Robert (Bob) Dewey Nelson, 89, died at his home in Issaquah on July 22.

Bob was predeceased by his father George Nelson, mother Bergie Nelson and brother Levi (Skip).

Loved for his kindness and sense of humor, Bob Nelson was an avid traveler, explorer, crisis counselor, teacher and lifelong learner.

Bob’s journey began in St. Paul, Minnesota. He dreamed of exploring the world, and trained as a pilot during World War II, serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific. After the war, Bob earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and explored the Pacific Northwest on summer jobs.

Returning to Seattle for his master’s degree at the University of Washington, Bob met the love of his life, Joanna Jones. Bob and Jo raised four sons in a home he designed on Beaver Lake. Bob served the UW as counselor, associate professor and a leader in outreach for the university’s School Of Social Work. Eventually, Bob moved on to Edmonds Community College, where his work included emerging specialties in caring for the elderly.

Upon his retirement, Bob and Jo enjoyed international travel and relaxing stays on the Pacific coast. Bob’s expanded love of gardening included relocating part of his orchard when moving to Providence Point.

Robert Nelson

Bob is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joanna (Jo) Nelson; his sisters June and Carmen; his four sons Eric (Lorri), Michael (Jennifer), Daniel (Lori) and John (Cami); as well as 15 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Following a private family service, the family will receive friends at a memorial reception on Aug. 3, 2014, at 4:30 p.m. at the Providence Point Clubhouse in Issaquah.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Edmonds Community College Foundation (www.edcc.edu/foundation) or to the Issaquah Food Bank (http://issaquahfoodbank.org).