William E. Menish

William E. Menish died March 28, 2006, after a brief illness from bone cancer. He was 80 years old.

He was born in Elma and raised in Oakville, Wash.

He spent his years working in the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and on retirement moved to Vashon, Wash. with his wife Rose, where he lived many years enjoying being with family, friends, doing yard work, cutting wood, playing golf and traveling.

He was in the Navy in World War II and served on the USS Iowa for almost three years, joining the service when he was just 17 and then went to yearly reunions and enjoyed seeing his old ship buddies.

Survivors include his wife Rose of Vashon, daughter Marilyn and her husband Jeff Meucci and their children Hannah and Gina Meucci, son William and partner Julie Schonberg and children Sierra Schonberg and Fritz Menish, all of Petersburg, Alaska. Additional survivors include sister Marlene LaFave and her husband Dave of Bainbridge Island and his brother Joe Menish and his wife Judy of La Conner as well as several nieces and nephews.

His family says he was blessed to have the local hospice group take care of him, and the family thanks each of them as well as Providence Hospice of Seattle.

There will be no funeral service, but a memorial service is planned for later in the summer.