Andrew Owen Katsirubas of Vashon Island, died on May 28, 2003, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 37 years old.
Mr. Katsirubas was born on Nov. 18, 1965, in Melrose, Mass. He attended Trinity Episcopal School in New Orleans, La.; Stoneham Junior High in Stoneham, Mass.; and Bredon School in Bushley-near-Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England.
He was a pentathlon athlete at Bredon School, and was the first foreigner and first American to become Head Boy at that prestigious boarding school. He was the valedictory speaker at Bredon’s 1984 year-end ceremonies.
In 1984, Mr. Katsirubas came to Seattle to serve as the galley cook on the F/V Smaragd, captained by his uncle, Gary Asgeirsson, who nurtured his love for, and guided his competency in, commercial fisheries.
Mr. Katsirubas worked his way from the galley through the processing plant to netman, deck boss and bo’sun. In 1999 he earned his Master Mariner’s license and was certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as mate of ocean uninspected fishing industry vessels of not more than 5,000 gross tons.
At the time of his death, he was a well-respected Second Mate, safety officer and ship’s medic on the F/T Pacific Glacier, under Captain Olaf Vagen.
Mr. Katsirubas played the flute and was learning guitar. He was a fearless athlete and while in England, he played rugby for Gloucester County as well as for Bredon School.
He enjoyed gardening, camping, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. He liked to cook. He loved to play cribbage with his grandfather, James R. White. He was adept at major home renovations as well as finish carpentry and puttering around.
He loved classic cars — especially Mustangs — and classic rock — especially The Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.
But most of all, he loved the sea and wrote several poems about a fisher’s life.
His smile lit up the room.
Survivors include his 12-year-old daughter, Andrea Lisa, and 7-year-old son, Cory Alexander; his friend and partner Lisa A.. Pullen and her family; his mother and step-father, Judith W. and Ken Hughes, of Bremerton; his sister, Christina C. King, of Stoneham, Mass. and her family; his aunt, Lucia C. Udlinek, of Moses Lake; his uncle, James F. White, of Chelsea, Mass.; his grandmother, Chiara M. White, of Stoneham, Mass.; his great aunts, Mickey Walker of Wakefield, Mass., and Alice Fitzgibbons Del Rossi, of Stoneham, Mass.; his cousins, Lee Walker and Derek White Conant; his friend and ex-wife, Lisa B. Katsirubas of Bremerton; and a large and loving extended family as well as friends.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.
His family says the action is beyond understanding.
Andrew was purchasing a new home to be closer to his children and looking forward to sharing activities with them. He was advancing in his profession and preparing to leave for the Bering Sea pollack season with a captain and crew who loved and respected him. By all accounts, his life was moving in a positive direction.
His suicide has forever changed the lives of all who knew him.
A service of remembrance is planned for October. Details will be available in September through Reneé J. Vargas, Director of Human Resources, at Glacier Fish Company, 1200 Westlake Avenue North, AGC Building, Suite 900, Seattle, Wash. 98109; telephone 298-3120.
To honor the memory of Andy Katsirubas, donations for the benefit of his two children to the AOK Memorial Fund, 8283 Saddle Trail NW, Bremerton, Wash. 98311-9120, or to the Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial Committee, P. O. Box 17356, Seattle, Wash. 98107, would be more appropriate than flowers.
