Long time Grays Harbor resident Henry Eugene Soike passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening October 3rd after a brief illness. He was 91. His wife Dorothy passed away last May. He is survived by his daughters, Cynthia and Claire, sons Steven and David & Tina; and four grandchildren – Layne, Bryan, Derek & Adrianne, and Michael. Henry’s surviving sisters-in-law are Gerry Soike of Seattle and Virginia Tibbals of Berkeley, along with many nieces and nephews.
Henry’s mother Leola Minor was the daughter of a Vashon homesteading family. Henry was born in Portage on Vashon September 24, 1921. His parents contributed land and helped build the Center Grade School next door to their family home. He skipped a grade to join the same class with his two beloved twin siblings,
Clifford II “Bud” and Claire who have now passed away. They graduated from Vashon High School in 1938. Henry became interested in flying as a youth when his father took him up with a barnstorming pilot. While attending the UW during the war, he helped test Boeing B-29 bomber models in the Kirsten Wind Tunnel. Henry graduated in 1942 with a BS degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
While at the UW, he took dancing lessons and met fellow student Dorothy Draper from Aberdeen who taught the lessons in a local studio. Henry and Dorothy Draper were married on July 7, 1945 and together they enjoyed 67 years of marriage.
He began his working career at Pan American Airways where he was stationed in Alaska to repair war damaged aircraft. Later he was a project engineer in both New York and Santa Monica for the maintenance and conversion of Douglas aircraft from military to passenger service. Then Henry worked 16 years in his family’s motor freight business named Coast Truck Lines that originally had a terminal on Vashon that took island farm produce to Pike’s Market in Seattle. He later worked for the Port of Grays Harbor for 25 years and worked tirelessly to diversify commerce, increase employment, and deepen the harbor’s ship channel.
He truly enjoyed river, ocean, and lake fishing in Washington, Alaska, and Canada.
He especially enjoyed organizing and planning travel trips with Dorothy, siblings, family members, and many long-time friends. He always remained particularly fond
of Vashon Island.
Arrangements are via Whiteside Mortuary in Aberdeen with additional obituary information and a guest book at www.whitesidefamilymortuaries.com.
A life celebration for Henry will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday November 3rd at the Aberdeen Rotary Log Pavilion, located adjacent to state route 12 at 1401 Sargent Blvd., Aberdeen, WA 98520. Come join us in sharing fun stories.
Paid Obituary.
