Anacortes American

Delores Fann passed away peacefully on August 5th, 2022 in her home in Anacortes. Delores Fann was born August 26, 1938. She lived on Guemes until she was 3, then moved to Anacortes. She was a graduate of AHS. She married Virl Fann in 1958 and they travelled for the Milwaukee Railroad for eight years. They were married for 50 years. They came back to Anacortes in 1962 where Virl worked for the plywood mill. Delores worked as a housekeeper, sold Avon and delivered the Skagit Valley Herald to help support her family when the plywood mill closed. She was an active member of several clubs and organizations including TOPS, where she won an award for losing the most weight and served as an...

Tracy Heather Lanker 43, of Anacortes, WA, beloved wife and mother died of complications related to Leukemia on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Her husband Mike was by her side. Tracy was born on August 13, 1978 in Middleburg Heights, OH; the only child of David & Susan (Murphy) Smith, currently of Wilmington, OH. Tracy was a Registered Nurse and mother by profession. She met the love of her life, Michael Douglas Lanker formerly of Mansfield, OH while working at Riverside Hospital in Columbus, OH. They were married on December 18, 2004. Two children were born to them. Addison was born on November 18, 2007 at the Naval Hospital Camp...

SERVICE NOTICE - Timothy Jon 'Tim' Conklin passed away on July 21, 2022. A Memorial Service will be held for Tim at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 27th at Evans Funeral Chapel and Onsite Crematory Inc. A full obituary will be published at a later date. To share memories of Tim, please visit www.evanschapel.com/obituary/tim-conklin

Robert John McCaffery was born in Sprague, Washington (WA) on November 20, 1933 and passed away in his home in Anacortes, WA on July 27, 2022. He was preceded in death by his wife Carol to whom he was married for 61 years. Also preceding him in death were his parents and six of his eight brothers and sisters. Eileen Hein of Davenport, WA is his only living sibling. He was also preceded in death by his son Chuck who passed away in 2018 (wife, Elizabeth). Robert's other son Bob (Kathy Garde) and daughters Irene Jensen (Jim) and Karen Mantell (Rob) will always remember their dad for being a role model and a hard worker. He was a lover of nature who loved bird watching, seeing sunsets and...

Kenneth "Dick" R Brown, of Anacortes, passed away on June 17, 2022. Ken, was born December 17, 1932, in Port Townsend, Washington, oldest of five children, (Ron, Joann, Nancy, and Jim), born to Kenneth E and Adeline V (Joyce) Brown. After graduating from Port Angeles High School in 1951, he joined the Navy as an aviation electrician, stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War. After being honorably discharged in 1955 he went to work for Anacortes Police Department as a patrol officer. He married his sweetheart, Elaine Larsen in 1956. They were married for 62 years at the time of her death in 2019. From 1959-1968, Ken worked as a Deputy Sheriff for Skagit County. He was also a volunteer...

Verna Clare DeForrest died on Saturday June 11, 2022 in Bellingham, WA. She was born to Henrietta Rose Wittman and Vernon Clarence Pierce on October 6, 1932 in Anacortes, WA. After graduating from Anacortes High School in 1950 Verna went to work for the Department of the Navy at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station as a secretary/stenographer. Whilst at the Naval Air Station she met the love of her life Earl Albert DeForrest. Verna and Earl Albert DeForrest were married soon after, on June 30th, 1956 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Anacortes, WA. After Earl's honorable discharge, he joined the Oregon State Patrol and was stationed in Oregon. Verna and Earl resided in Oregon for the next 12...

George LaFitte Bell, 86, died peacefully on June 6, 2022. George was born to John and Iola (Carpenter) Bell on April 15, 1936, in Washington DC. He was raised in the Los Angeles area before relocating to Orange County then retiring in beautiful Anacortes where he spent the past 17 years of his life with his wife of 61 years, Jeanne, in a place he called paradise. As a young man George survived a horrendous motorcycle accident and was a founding member of the 'Counts of So Cal' car club, before serving six years in the US Naval Reserve, earning his degree from California State University Los Angeles, and embarking on a 35-year career as a civil engineer. George and Jeanne raised three boys,...

Vernon Wilford Blue died peacefully at home with his family by his side on Sunday, June 5, 2022 in Mount Vernon, Washington. He was born August 7, 1929 in Hopkins, Minnesota. You may offer your condolences and share memories of Vernon online at www.kernfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the care of Kern Funeral Home of Mount Vernon, Washington.

Nadene was born on April 4, 1933, to Chester Doty and Alta Smith in Anacortes, Washington. She attended school for the most part in Anacortes, WA. Nadene and James Senff met in her late teens. They courted for several years and eventually married. In the 1960s they left Anacortes and settled in Arlington. She had a steady dedication to the Lord's work that did not stop. She especially enjoyed being a grandma and reflected Jesus to her grandchildren and great-grandchild up until the time of her death. Nadene and Jim were married 67 years and almost made it to 68. She was a caring, humble, and hospitable grandmother, friend, wife, and mother who always told it like it was. In her final...

Marcia June Brislawn was born in 1936 in Wenatchee WA to Phyllis Elizabeth Thompson and Joseph Peter Brislawn. Marcia lived in Wenatchee until Shell Oil transferred Joe to Seattle WA. The family lived in West Seattle until 1942 when Joe enlisted in the Navy. Phyllis went to Tacoma to finish her nurse's training, and Marcia attended boarding school at Forest Ridge Convent. She spent weekends with her mother at her apartment on Capitol Hill. When the war was over, Phyllis and Joe divorced as happened so often during war time. After the war, Phyllis met and married Doug Covey, and they moved into the basement apartment of his mother's house. They moved around Rainier Valley until 1952,...

Jon Jeffery Townsend, age 70, a lifelong resident of Anacortes has died due to the corona virus in Mt. Vernon, WA on May 13, 2022. Jeff was born August 14, 1951, in Seattle and spent the rest of his life in Anacortes and Guemes Island. He attended Anacortes High School and was a commercial fisherman until he retired. After retirement he continued his passion for fishing and enjoying the outdoors. When he was not fishing he carved fish art work. He is survived by his wife Marisol of 20 years. He leaves a daughter Allison from a previous marriage. Twin Sons Charley and Anthony age 18, daughter Angie age 16 of Oak Harbor, Washington, step daughter Maria Diaz, mother Mary Williams of...

Delle M. McKinney, 81, of Anacortes, passed peacefully of natural causes, at her residence surrounded by her loving family on Thursday, April 27th. A Celebration of Life Service is being planned and will be announced at her memorial site: www.evanschapel.com/obituary/delle-mckinney where you can share your memories as well. Her favorite charity is the Skagit Humane Society should you wish to honor her memory with a donation in her name to them.

Ray was born on November 1, 1932 in Yakima, WA to Jacob and Janie (Baldwin) Stebner. He passed away peacefully at Whatcom Hospice House in Bellingham, WA on April 22, 2022. A proud veteran, Ray served as Captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1954-1958, where he was asked to teach at the academy. He married Jeanne Kanzler on June 13, 1965 in Spokane, WA. They moved to Anacortes, WA in 1974 where he purchased a marina (due to his love of the sea) before returning to teaching. He taught advanced Language Arts at Anacortes Middle School until his retirement in 1993. Ray valued education and was a very learned man. He attended Central Washington University for a Bachelor's degree in Psychology...