Howard M. Smith
Howard M. Smith, of Freeland, died April 29, 2002, surrounded by all of his family.
Mr. Smith was born on Christmas Eve, 1918, in Seattle. He was the second child and first son of Agnes and Ben Smith of Kent. He grew up in Kent on a dairy farm started by his father and brothers, known as the Smith Brothers Dairy. He attended Thomas and Ken schools, graduating in 1936. He enrolled at Washington State University in 1938.
Mr. Smith and his father founded Kent Airpark in the Kent Valley. It was the largest privately owned airpark west of the Mississippi. On Dec. 7, 1941, Howard was accepted to Hancock Air Academy, where he remained for three years. He was the youngest instructor and one of the few instructors to have a flawless safety record.
While living in Santa Maria, Mr. Smith met his first wife, Nancy Masterton. Aft the war, the couple and their daughter returned to Kent, where he reopened the Kent Airpark. In 1950 he opened Renton Aviation. In 1955 he sold Renton Aviation and returned to the family farm, where he had been selling tractor parts. He later opened a business in Puyallup called Smith Tractor. It was an immediate success. Smith Tractor expanded to seven stores in Washington and one in Alaska. In 1996 he sold Smith Tractor to a Canadian company. During his working years, Mr. Smith also worked with his father at the dairy.
Nancy Smith died in 1971.The couple had a daughter and three sons. Mr. Smith married Maureen K. Wilson in 1972. He retired in 1978 and moved full-time to Whidbey Island. The couple has made a home in Freeland since 1978.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, a brother and a great-grandson. He is survived by his wife, Maureen; children Linda Smith-Wilson, children Chris, wife, Jolene, children, Mariah and Hattie Wilson, John Wilson and Daniel Wilson; a son, Ben, wife Deborah and Deborah’s daughter, Alicia, husband, Steve and son, Josh; son, Howard Michael, wife, Beverly, children, Karie Smith, Kevin, wife, Andrea, children, Kayla and Justin; and son, Andrew, children, Aimee, husband, Jake and newborn son, Dylan; Noah Smith, Tami’s daughter, Megan.
Funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. on May 4 at St. Hubert’s Catholic Church, Langley. Interment will be in Langley Woodmen Cemetery. The graveside service is for immediate family only. A memorial reception will follow at Useless Bay Country Club. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to St. Hubert’s Building Fund or Senior Services of Island County.
Arrangements are under the direction of Visser Funeral Home in Langley.
Nora Marie Olsen
Nora Marie (Hansen) Olsen, 81, died peacefully at her home on April 29, 2002, at 4:10 a.m.
She was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Seattle, and was an active member of Seattle’s Danish community for 60 years.
She was born June 9, 1920, in Plentywood, Mont., to Niels and Karen Hansen.
Mrs. Olsen grew up in Viborg, S.D., attended Grandview College in Iowa, lived in California for a time and in 1942 moved to Seattle, where she made her home until her death.
She worked as executive secretary at the architectural firm TRA in Seattle and retired after 37 years.
Mrs. Olsen is survived by a sister, Irma Kost; stepchildren Victor Olsen and wife Viviane of Vandalia, Ohio, Valerie Hubbard of Seattle, Vern Olsen and wife Martha of Greenbank; a daughter, Merrilee Gavigan and husband George of Seattle; a son, Karl Olsen and wife Deborah Lund of Greenbank; grandchildren Laura Davis, Sonja Thomas, Michelle Manning, Jim Olsen, Marc Olsen, Adora Olsen, Jesse Olsen and Kaj Lund Olsen; and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Carl Olsen, in 1973, a brother, Aksel Hansen, and a grandson, Nels Olsen.
Services will be held at St. John Lutheran Church in Seattle at 11 a.m. May 4. Remembrances are suggested to St. John Lutheran Church or the Northwest Danish Foundation.
Robin L. Christoe
Robin Leonard Christoe died April 30, 2002, of complications related to pneumonia. He was born on Whidbey Island Aug 15, 1935.
Robin was gifted in many areas. He was able to express himself in many media, such as singing, art, crafts, poetry, gardening and writing. As a child, he was well known for his singing voice, and was known during World War II as a child virtuoso. He later traveled and sang with the Navy Choir and sang many solos at prestigious government events. He was trained as a corpsman and had great compassion for people who were hurting.
His most fruitful and fulfilling years were during his 11-year marriage to Cyndi Christoe. As a couple, Robin and Cyndi were loving caregivers to many developmentally disabled people and ministered to many street people out of their shared faith in Jesus Christ. His other great love in life was his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Cyndi, and a granddaughter, Riesa.
He is survived by his sister, Janet christoe, his brother, Tom, sons Joel Bret and Paul, grandchildren Liesel, Fiona, David, Michael, Joshua, Jessica, Elizabeth, Thomas and Daniel.
There were two goals that Robin wanted to accomplish in his golden years. One was to complete Bible school and become a licensed minister, which he did. The other was to return home to Whidbey Island. He will return home on May 7 at 1 p.m., when a graveside service will be held at Langley Woodmen Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at the house of prayer at 2 p.m., with Tom Christoe officiating.
