Death Notices as of November 25, 2018

Painting by Chrystine Westphal

Obituaries are condensed biographies of people's lives, written by the people who loved them.

Like a memorial service, they tell us things we may not have known about the person, and may leave us wishing we had known them better

Obituaries extracted from The Seattle Times

Lawrence "Larry" Caruso  1945-2018  Shoreline resident died of Pick's Disease, a form of dementia. His first job as a 15 year old Safeway box boy led him to a lifelong career in the food distribution and sales business. He co-founded his own wholesale food brokerage business.

Chieko Kitamura Becker  age 95  Shoreline resident died peacefully with her family by her side. "Chieko's home was filled with Japanese floral arrangements and antiques from around the world, and she welcomed everyone with a hot cup of tea, as well as a number of animals who found their way to the Becker home and stayed."

Joseph "Joe" Merrick Hennessey  age 27  Shorecrest graduate Joe Hennessey's Celebration of Life was held at the Lake Forest Park Civic Club. "Joe's death was unexpected and heartbreaking. Like others, he struggled with drug addiction. With the love and support of his family, Joe continually worked to overcome the disease, but ultimately the opiate epidemic has taken Joe from us too soon."

Mary Claire (O'Brien) O'Neill  1937-2018  Lifelong Shoreline resident was a lecturer with Weight Watchers for over 20 years where her warmth and kindness made her a popular leader. She was an active member of St. Luke Parish where she was a Eucharistic Minister. Services were held both at St. Luke and at Holyrood. 

David Charles Hayward  1943-2018  Memorial services were held at St. Mark's. "David enjoyed giving his children, grandchildren, and friends, memorable experiences. These adventures usually involved a boat trip to Eastern Washington for water skiing and camping."

James R. Cook  1929-2018  He was appointed judge of Shoreline District Court in 1968 and served there until he retired in 1991. During that time he was very active in Shoreline Rotary serving as member and President. Other activities included Past Master of Arcana Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, and Nile Shriner.

Ann-Mari Simonsen  1931-2018  Born in Tromsø, Norway and immigrated to the U.S. in 1949 to get a degree in chemistry at the UW. She was a chemistry professor at Shoreline Community College for 37 years.

Ronnie Pierce  1928-2018  Professional musician, born in Lake Forest Park. He worked in the "pit band at the Palomar Theater, one of the nation's last vaudeville houses, backing Sarah Vaughn, Billy Eckstein, the Mills Brothers, and an array of comedians who gave Ronnie a lasting love for vaudeville humor. In the 1950s and sixties Pierce remained a first-call player in dance orchestras and show bands, and 1962 he opened the Vault, a popular downtown night spot, which he operated until 1974."

Margaret (Peggy) Stephenson-Dahl  1936-2018 With husband Alan Stephenson she raised her family in Shoreline. After getting a Master's in Education she student taught at Shorewood High School eventually moving to the central office as director of vocational education. She was active in the Dahlia Society, Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation and taught in the youth ministry at Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church. She married Dave Dahl in 2006, and they traveled extensively.

Kevin P. Donnelly  1964-2018  Funeral mass at St. Marks for criminal defense lawyer Donnelly. He was an avid skier and backpacker and instructor in The Mountaineers.

Judith Ann Jacobs Lukatah  1950-2018  Judy graduated from Shoreline Community College as a dental hygienist, and practiced for over 40 years.