H. Darwin Morrison

H. Darwin Morrison, 83, died April 15, 2002, at home in Freeland.

He was born Oct. 4, 1918, in Carson City, Nev., to George Leo and Andrea Viola Morrison. He was raised in Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. He was owner of the home ranch south of Sheridan, Wyo.

Mr. Morrison married Leona Stanley in 1939. They were divorced after 30 years. Leona died in 1993. He married Helen Terry Crandall in Lincoln City, Ore., in 1973, and they moved to Whidbey Island. Helen died March 27, 2002.

He is survived by a son, Wayne Morrison of Sheridan, Wyo.; a daughter, Colleen, and husband William Fitzpatrick of Pensacola, Fla.; a sister, Mary Kramer of Cypress, Calif.; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Graveside service was held April 20 at the Langley Woodmen Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Visser Funeral Home.

Thelma Blasko

Lifelong South Whidbey resident Thelma Blasko died peacefully at her home on April 25, 2002.

She was born Feb. 25, 1922, in the family home at Shore Meadows to N.T. and Agnes Johnson.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul. She is survived by a daughter, Betty Galbreath, and family, and a son, Bob Blasko, and family.

She was a wonderful mother, grandmother of four, and great-grandmother of seven.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. May 1 at Holmes Harbor Rod and Gun Club. All are invited.

Eleanor Joy Smith

Eleanor Joy Smith, 94, a 15-year resident of Whidbey Island, died April 20, 2002, at Whidbey General Hospital, Coupeville.

Joy, as everyone knew her, went home to be with the Lord less than one month after celebrating with family and friends at a gala birthday party in her honor in Langley where, wearing a dress in her favorite color, red, she ate chocolate cake and enjoyed congratulations from a host of well-wishers.

Born March 23, 1908, to Joseph and Hattie (Brown) McClaskey in Yakima, she moved with them to Cottonwood, Idaho, and then to Molson, Wash., where she spent her grade school and high school years, graduating from Molson High School in 1925. After attending business school she met and married Byron Earl Smith. She worked as a legal secretary in the public and private sector, retiring from work for the state of California. Unwilling to remain retired, she went back to work for a law firm, working until she was 75 years old. Joy and Earl lived in Nebraska, Wyoming, Washington, and California, enjoying almost 50 years of marriage before his death in 1979.

With their daughter and grandchildren scattered across the globe, they had traveled to Whidbey nearly every year to celebrate Christmas with Joy’s parents, who lived in Langley and later Coupeville, as well as a sister, Doris Martin Harpham, and her family. After Earl’s death, Joy decided to move to Whidbey in 1987 to be closer to her sister. She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister.

She is survived by a daughter, Jaqi Muller of Guam, as well as grandchildren Carla LaMont of Clinton, Denise Lauama of Kauai, Hawaii, Roxanne Santos and Lee Muller, both of Guam, Renee Celestial of Mountain View, Calif., and two nephews, Brian Martin of Coupeville and Ted Martin of Fairfield, Calif. She also leaves 11 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.

She always insisted that she would walk everywhere, and she could be seen almost every day taking a walk to Brookhaven or Mike’s Place for a bite to eat, to the post office to pick up her mail or the Star Store to get groceries. Her greatest weakness was chocolate of almost any shape or size, from Mike’s chocolate cream pie to See’s dark chocolates or even a simple Hershey bar. Joy enjoyed telling people that The Dog House was the same age she was. She gardened until just a few years ago, getting down on her knees to pull weeds and insisting on shaking the dirt off each one to conserve the topsoil. She also enjoyed keeping track of business news on CNN, and was never down just because the market was.

There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. April 27 at Calvary Chapel, 3821 E. French Road, Clinton, with a private inurnment later.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the local Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.

Mabel ‘Polly’ Tinius

Polly Tinius passed away peacefully at the age of 94 at Josephine Sunset Home April 18, 2002. Polly was preceded in death by her husband, Emmett, and a son, Bert.

A 50-year resident of Greenbank, Polly, along with her husband, were founding members of the Greenbank Progressive Club. Polly was one of the original “Greenbank Artists.”

She is survived by a sister, Bess Leese; a brother, Harold “Bud” Mott; four daughters, Fern Walsh, Rose Iverson, Cindy Nolan and Peggy McCormick; three sons, Don, James, and Frank; 29 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Polly will be buried next to her husband at Bayview Cemetery. The family requests remembrances to Josephine Sunset Home or your favorite charity.