Jack Clifford, 63, died Sept. 12, 2003. He fought lung cancer and passed on with great dignity and with loving care by the monks at Enso House, Freeland.

He was born Dec. 28, 1939, in Kansas City, Kan., to Cecil and Velma Clifford. He was the second of two sons.

The family moved to Harlingen, Texas, when he was young, where he raised orchids and parakeets in junior high school. He soon recognized his artistic talents and as a young man he traveled the country writing novels, poetry and picking fruit. Settling in Austin, Texas, he owned a successful manuscript typing business for university students, and was able to type more than 120 words a minute flawlessly on a manual typewriter. A gifted musician, he played French horn in the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

Moving to Possession Beach Walk in 1985, he continued writing plays, novels and poetry. Caring not for the comforts of the modern world, he built his own tiny handcrafted beach cabins, the first of which could only be reached by a cliffside rope ladder and was swept away by mudslides in 1996.

Clifford was a quiet spiritual man of immense courage, learning and physical strength.

He is survived by a son, Silas. He left many friends, especially at Possession Beach. In his death he taught all those who knew him the true meaning of life.

A celebration of his life will be held at the waterfront at Possession Beach Walk at 11 a.m. Sunday. Memorial donations may be made to Whidbey Island food banks.