Friday, January 10, 2014 • Bainbridge Island Review
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Obituaries Melvin Patterson Melvin Judd “Pat” Patterson passed away on Monday, Dec. 30, 2013 at his home in Poulsbo. He was 83. He was born on Nov. 22, 1930 in Tacoma to Windfield D. and Nettie “Judd” Patterson. Pat was the youngest of six children and was preceded in death by his sister Bessie, and brothers Thomas, Grant, Harvey and Jackie. At age 17 Melvin joined the Navy and served from 1947 to 1967 retiring as a chief fire control technician (missile). On Dec. 27, 1950 he married Karen Madsen and they
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Gregory Bruce Blakey became the parents of four children; Richard “Rick”, Karen, Russell “Russ” and Vicki. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Patterson served as the bishop of both the Vallejo, Calif. and Poulsbo wards. He retired from Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Keyport in 1996 and loved traveling and the RV lifestyle. He is survived by his wife, Karen; their children Rick (Debbie) Patterson, Karen (Mike) Adams, Russ (Dianna) Patterson and Vicki Patterson; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-greatgrandchildren. A memorial service was held Saturday, Jan. 4 at the LDS Church in Poulsbo. Interment with military hon-
George J. Carr 1932 - 2013 Dr. George J. Carr passed away on Dec. 30 at the age of 81. He was born in Seattle in 1932 to George Carr Sr. and Dorothy Wilcox Carr. He grew up in Lake Forest Park and attended Roosevelt High School before moving with his family to Covina, California. In 1954, he graduated from Pomona College where he met his future wife, Lind. Three years later, he earned his O.D. degree from the Los Angeles College of Optometry. The Carrs moved to San Antonio, Texas where George served in the Air Force as an optometry officer at the Lackland Air Force Base hospital. After his time in the military, they returned to California. For the next 28 years, he had a private practice in Ojai, California. He was very involved in church and community affairs. The Ojai Valley was a wonderful place to raise their three children. When he retired in 1988, they moved back to his origins on Puget Sound. For several years, he continued to practice part-time in Seattle, Silverdale and Bainbridge Island. He was active in the Poulsbo Rotary Club and Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church. Aside from family, his free-time interests were model railroading and playing the piano. His R.R. layout has been enjoyed by many area railroaders. He and Lind were also avid bicycle riders. Despite blindness in recent years, they continued to ride, transitioning to a tandem bike. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Lind; children Jim Carr (Kate), Leslie Kastelle (Craig) and Kate Anderson (Scott); and grandchildren Melinda, Ann, Matthew, Ashley and Evan, as well as the many friends he made over the years who had the joy of sharing his sense of humor and love of life. A memorial service will be held at 3 pm Saturday, Jan. 18, at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, Bainbridge Island. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church (www.rbpres.org) PO Box 131, Rolling Bay, WA 98061 or Hospice of Kitsap County, (www.hospicekc.org) PO Box 3416, Silverdale, WA 98383. Please sign the online guest book for the family at www.cookfamilyfuneralhome.com TRIBUTE Paid Notice
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ors was at Mountain View Cemetery in Poulsbo. Please sign the online
guest book for the family at www.cookfamilyfuneral home.com.
John William Cobb September 23, 1958 - December 26, 2013 John William Cobb left his special mark on all those privileged to have known him when he passed on December 26, 2013 surrounded by his loved ones. He was 55. In addition to devoted son, father and friend, John will be remembered as an accomplished athlete, talented musician and esteemed attorney. John embraced life on his own terms and excelled at each of his life passions. John (“Johnny”) was born on Sept. 23, 1958 in Abilene, Texas to Cherie Charlebois Cobb and John Perry Cobb. As the son of an Air Force pilot, Johnny moved numerous times before he and his family settled in Elko, Nevada in 1963, a quintessential desert-mountain cowboy town that John called “Home” even while residing elsewhere. Destiny had Johnny return “Home” for what turned out to be his last Christmas in Elko. At a very young age, John found one of his great life passions as a student athlete. While attending Elko High School, John received numerous honors in recognition of his athletic accomplishments, including Nevada All-State Quarterback (twice), State Basketball “Dream Team,” and first place in the State Track Meet for high jump, each time setting EHS records that would stand for years. He was later inducted into the Elko High School Basketball Hall of Fame. John was also a gifted student through his intermediate school years and graduated from EHS at the top of his class. After high school, John followed his love for football to Corvallis, Oregon where his always-diverse athletic abilities allowed him to play several positions for the Oregon State Beavers. It was during college that John found another of his great passions in playing the guitar and songwriting. His beautiful lyrics and gentle strong voice entertained and comforted family and friends through his entire adult life. John earned a degree from OSU in Political Science, then went on to pursue another passion when he enrolled in law school at the University of Puget Sound (later Seattle University) from where he received his Juris Doctor Degree in 1984 with the “cum laude” distinction. Hired immediately out of law school as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the King County Prosecutor’s Office in downtown Seattle, John Cobb found yet another passion as respected and charismatic litigator specializing in complicated tort cases. John had the honor of being on the KCP team with renowned prosecutor and mentor, Norm Maleng, for the preparation, presentation and argument of a seminal case in front of the United States Supreme Court. John retired as a Senior Deputy Prosecutor from the King County Prosecutor’s Office in September 2012 after 28 years of public service. John Cobb was the proud father of Callan Joy Cobb (26) and Ross John Cobb (23). John cherished his children and their life on Bainbridge Island, Washington. He coached many of their sports and was thrilled for them to experience each of his own life passions. Some of his fondest memories were the many years of skiing with his children in the mountains of Nevada, Washington and Canada. In addition to his children, John Cobb is survived by his parents, George and Cherie Atwood; siblings David Cobb, sister-in-law Jane Cobb, Richard Cobb, and Cathy Vega; long-time partner, Linda Harris; and the other many members of his adored extended family. In lieu of flowers or gifts, contributions can be made to the John Cobb Memorial Athletic Fund. The fund will benefit the athletic department at Elko High School, and donations can be mailed to the following address: Elko High School, Attn: Athletic Department, 987 College Ave., Elko, NV 89801 TRIBUTE Paid Notice
March 17, 1955 - December 16, 2013 Gregory Bruce Blakey, age 58, died in a motorcycle accident in Baja, Mexico, Dec. 16th as a result of a heart attack. Greg was born in Ballard hospital March 17, 1955 to Birdine and Bruce Blakey. He graduated from Bellevue High School in 1973, and started his college education at Washington State University in February where he met and began courting the love of his life, Nancy Ann Holt. In 1976, Greg accepted a job at his father’s company, Wesmar, and they moved to Scotland where Greg and Nancy were married in a traditional Scottish ceremony. Even though Greg was told he had the man-legs for it, he declined wearing a kilt for the ceremony. Greg and Nancy were married 37 abundant years. After their wedding, they lived in Scotland for over a year, and then after a short stint in Seattle, they moved to Adelaide, Australia, where he continued working for Wesmar. When they returned to the Pacific Northwest in 1979 he quit his job, bought a boat to fish Puget Sound, and they started their family. Their daughter Jenna was born in 1980, followed quickly by the births of his sons Ben, Daniel and Nick. His children were his strength and pride to the very end. Greg was raised with the strong mix of dreaming big and working hard, and whatever venture he threw himself into, he gave it everything he had. In 1983 Greg and his father started a company, Snopac Products, to process the huge runs of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Greg’s was a life of verbs. Lifting and carrying, holding and believing he could move the small into the large. He bought out his father in 1989 and expanded Snopac’s operation to include crab, herring and yellow fin sole. There were profitable years, and seasons where failure felt imminent, but Greg never succumbed to defeat. Throughout his career in the seafood industry he forged ahead believing he could take Snopac into the global arena where salmon, particularly sockeye salmon, would hold its value. And he did with the incalculable support of his daughter Jenna as Vice President, his sons Ben, Daniel, and Nick fishing Bristol Bay and contributing their catch, and his wife Nancy beside him. He sold Snopac in 2012 to Icicle Seafoods and retired to his best self for nearly two years before his death. Greg was a risk-taker, a fantastically loving, loyal husband and father, a solid friend. He was lightning fast at catching things that fell, and knew how to cook breakfast eggs to perfection. He was the calm lynchpin in an emergency, he could bench-press 250 pounds, and when he was happy he sang the lyrics to goofy songs that matched the mood. He was a regular songbird the last 18 months of his life. Greg parlayed a developing passion in motorcycles into trips that took him riding in Africa, into the Rockies, Mexico and touring the Northwest. In the end, a motorcycle trip down the Baja Peninsula gave him the epic closure to a large life. Greg was at the peak of happiness when surrounded by his family, and he celebrated the expansion of his family with the marriages of his children to their remarkable partners Nick Hall, Molly Killien, Casi Christensen and Bridgette Taggart. He was a devoted Papa to his three grandchildren: Finn, Poppie, and India, and was in the process of teaching them the lyrics to Ry Cooder’s “One Meatball.” Greg is survived by his wife Nancy, his children Jenna along with her husband Nick Hall and his grandchildren Finn, Poppie and India, Ben and his wife Molly, Daniel and his wife Bridgette, Nick and his wife Casi, his father Bruce Blakey, his mother Birdine Blakey, and his sisters Glenda Blakey, Tammy Blakey and Leslie Spencer. He was preceded in death by his sister Diane. Greg is also survived by the countless friends who contributed so richly to his life, and those whose lives he touched across the world. A memorial service will be held from 1 to 4 pm Sunday, Jan. 19 at Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo. Everyone is encouraged to bring their Greg stories. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Fishermen’s Memorial Scholarship Fund. Memories can also be posted at gregblakeymemories@gmail.com TRIBUTE Paid Notice