Earl A. Skow died in Seattle on November 16, 2012 after a short illness. Earl was born to Ernest and Myrtle Skow on September 11, 1932 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Skow family moved to Boise, Idaho in 1939, and later to Salt Lake City, Utah. During World War II, the family moved to Richland, Washington.

Earl graduated from Richland (formerly Columbia) High School in 1950. He had excelled as an athlete in several sports – baseball, football, basketball and track – and he was a running back on the Bomber’s first Valley Championship.

Earl married his high school sweetheart, Mary Sargent, in 1951, and they had two wonderful daughters, Kathryn and Carol. In 1954 they left Richland to embark on a 44-year career in heavy construction engineering, which took the family to projects in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona and Alaska.

Earl lost his wife, Mary (Sargent) Skow to cancer in 1988. He married JoAnn

Barron Peterson in 1992, and they moved to Vashon Island in 1995, having purchased their retirement paradise, a waterfront home on Gold Beach.

For the next seventeen years they enjoyed numerous winter trips to Hawaii and Arizona, always returning to Vashon to enjoy arising each morning to the wonders of marine life, animals and waterfowl while marveling at the view of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier and the shipping lanes into Tacoma.

Earl and JoAnn enjoyed family visits with their combined 5 daughters, 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren, and he often said these were among the best and

happiest days of his life. Earl loved the small-town life of Vashon and relished the

many friends they met at the Vashon Country Club, where he played golf and an

occasional bridge hand. He felt that the ready availability of open play on the golf course was something to cherish.

Earl always enjoyed hearing from the many friends and acquaintances from

throughout the Northwest and Alaska. His quick wit and cheerful attitude will be missed by many.

Earl was preceded in death by his first wife Mary, and his mother and his father, Ernest and Myrtle.

Earl is survived by his loving wife, JoAnn, daughters Kathryn Claassen of Clarkston, Washington and Carol Wehbe of Everett, Washington; stepdaughters Paula Birchman of Seattle and Pamela Laulainen and Cindy Peterson-Peart, both near Portland, Oregon; a brother, Ed Skow of Tucson, Arizona; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held in Seattle and Clarkston, Washington.

Paid Obituary.