Remembering Joseph Miller

We lost our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Joseph Miller, on November 15th, 2024, and Guemes Island lost a true friend and advocate. He passed away peacefully and quietly, surrounded by family and friends.

Remembering Jerry McCormack

An important part of his life was at Guemes. Even when he was single, he would occasionally travel to Guemes to cut back the black berries overtaking the cabin. After his sons were born, every summer, just before the 4th of July, he would pack every available space in the car and drive the family and cat to the Guemes cabin. He would stay as many weeks as his vacation time allowed before he had to go back to Richland to work. He would return just before Labor Day and take the family back to Richland. After retirement, he enjoyed more frequent and longer stays at Guemes. Read more

Remembering Tom Anglin

He married the love and equal of his life, Laura Strong, and for 22 years they built a life nothing short of perfection in Homer, China Poot, Kona, and finally settling on Guemes where they could watch the ships in the channel, reflect on world travel and enjoy the company of friends and family. Read more

Remembering Karen Hancock

The majority of her last 30 years were spent on Guemes Island. Karen and Tom’s life was notably steady, loving, and welcoming to friends and family alike. They lived and shared in simple abundance. Their partnership in life and love was admirable to all who were fortunate enough to know them. She will be lovingly remembered by siblings, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and most of all by her supportive husband. Read more

Remembering George Meekins

It was during this last chapter of his life that he built a good life on Guemes Island with his wife and many wonderful friends…In retirement he stayed very busy. The activities that brought him the most joy were mentor/tutoring at the Anacortes School District, joining the Guemes Island Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, helping friends with their computer woes and traveling with Jodi. Read more

Remembering Patty Pleas

In 1983 the couple had moved their business back to Washington, put their home up for sale and moved to Guemes Island, on the waterfront, on the northside of the island.

A second home was planned to be built at Stanwood, Washington after their purchase of ten acres in the Cedarhome area in 1990. They left Guemes Island … Read more

Remembering Susan Rombeek

Along with older brother Nico and younger sister Greet, the family home was full of music, an array of pets, relatives and friends. Family gatherings were always full of storytelling, laughter and everyone was welcomed with open arms. Susan continued this lifestyle throughout her life, hosting hundreds of visitors over the years to her beautiful Guemes Island retreat. Read more

Remembering Walter Seifried

One of his greatest lifelong passions was sailing, and he spent weeks exploring the San Juan Islands by boat over the course of many years, which is how he discovered Guemes Island upon retiring from the Army in 2011. Read more

Remembering Robert Munsell

He grew up in Ballard and spent his childhood summers on Guemes Island experiencing many outdoor adventures…Bob kept busy in retirement building their Guemes dream home, tinkering with motorized vehicles, boats, heavy equipment and various projects. He enjoyed helping his Guemes neighbors using his skills and machinery whenever needed. Bob also enjoyed fishing, crabbing and sharing his love for his Guemes paradise with family and friends. Read more

Remembering JoAnn Shoemake

They also spent a great deal of time at their beach cabin on Guemes Island, making countless wonderful memories with their family and friends. JoAnn’s unofficial rule was to live each day to the fullest and to keep healthy, which she certainly did through her many wonderful pursuits over her long and very full life. [Read more]

Remembering Dianne Wyatt

Dianne Wyatt, a longtime resident of Guemes Island, died peacefully on February 12^th, 2024 after a long illness. She was 73. [Read more]

Remembering Nan Monk

In 1974, Nan met her second husband, Dan Abraham, from Oregon. Together, they hitchhiked back to the Pacific Northwest, where Nan’s heart found its home amidst the breathtaking landscapes. Settling in Skagit and Island Counties in Washington, they raised two children on Fidalgo, Guemes, and Whidbey Islands. [Read more]

Remembering Beki Killorin

Beki spent her formative years in Oklahoma City and Edmond graduating from Classen High School in 1960. Her artistic talents took her to Washington State to further her career. Her art has been enjoyed throughout the United States and can be viewed at www.bekikillorin.com. For additional information you may contact Island International Artists.

Remembering Bob Porter

“He lived at West Beach, Guemes Island, for about 65 years. In his early years of high school he opted to leave Seattle, in favor of Anacortes and Guemes; his way of skipping big city rat race. ” [Read more]

Joan SchwartzMiller

“She met her lifelong friends Bernice, Claire, Charmaine and Nan on Guemes Island. She was a steadfast and intensely loyal friend. She helped run the Guemes summer camp programs, marched in the 4th of July parade, and took bellydancing classes at the Community Hall. She loved the nature of Guemes – hiking in the woods, running a tofu business, walking at Kelly’s Point, picking blackberries, and even adopting a mysterious dove, Luna, that appeared at the house one day and became a beloved pet. Although she left the island after 20 years, it remained in her heart.” [Read more]

Mark Antoncich

Mark was an entrepreneurial spirit, full of ideas, and preferred to work for himself. He was generous and kind, always willing to help someone out. He loved boats, planes, sea shanties, cleaning up (picking up litter from roadsides and cleaning junk out of Sammamish slough in Bothell.) He was involved with a prison outreach program called Man to Man, organized programs like winter coats and blankets to downtown Seattle needy, and starting Helping Hands at Northshore Rotary, among other programs. Read more

Anne McCracken

To meet Anne was to be entranced for a lifetime. She was impossibly charming, a legendary hostess, famed for her warmth, conversation, and bountiful table. Entering the family home, one experienced a kind of transcendent space where guests, children, poetry, music, art, storytelling, and myriad family pets received equally rapt attention. Many strangers became friends over a cup of tea at her table, and one never left her presence without a poem pressed into one’s hands, chosen from the thousands she collected over her long life. She was serious about seeking the holy in every moment, yet as lighthearted a being as one could ever meet, a mischievous natural comedian with impeccable timing who kept us helplessly laughing into her final days. She also never stopped sharing a vision of a kinder world, grounded in compassion. “You could save the world if you did it one person at a time,” she told us near the end, “Love is the religion, and the universe is the book.” Read more

David Margeson

In 1975, Dave and Shirley purchased a beachfront lot on Guemes Island in Skagit County. They retired to the island in 2005 and made it their home until 2023.

Dave simply could not be inactive. In his retirement years, he was a volunteer for the Island Hospital Foundation and curator and maintenance director at the W.T. Preston exhibit at the Anacortes Maritime Heritage Museum. He joined the Guemes Island Volunteer Fire Department in 2006, where he began as a firefighter and was eventually elected to the office of Fire Commissioner. Read more

Remembering Paul Turner

Paul and Donna met on a “blind date” and married in 1963 raising their family: John Paul Turner (Julie) and Cara Young (Walter) in Bellevue, WA. A shared passion for travel was always present and Paul and Donna traveled to Europe many times as well as Australia, China, Costa Rica and Eastern Europe. Paul filled his bucket before there were even “bucket lists”, including snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, Skiing the Alps, sailing the west coast from Seattle to San Diego, walking the Great Wall of China and hot air ballooning in the outback of Australia. But without question, after all his travels, Paul’s favorite place was spending time at the beach house on Guemes Island with family and friends. Read more

Remembering Bob Henderson

For 27 years Bob served as Planning Director for the City of Lynnwood, Washington, where he was instrumental in creating the Alderwood Shopping Center among many other developments. Upon retirement in 1995 Bob and his wife Sylvia, moved to Guemes Island, within the beautiful San Jaun Island archipelago, and a short 5-minute ferry ride from the seaside town of Anacortes, Washington. Read more

Remembering Bob Stickrod

After he founded and managed his own business for over forty-five years, Bob and Margaret retired to their home on Guemes Island, WA where they created a beautiful garden, another love of Bob’s. The tugs and tankers in the Guemes Channel were a wonderful source of entertainment for Bob. Read more

Remembering Nancy Fox

In 2009 Nancy and Nick purchased their dream property on Guemes Island, eventually building a home there and making it their principal residence, though they kept a Seattle apartment. Nancy threw herself into Guemes life with her usual unstoppable gusto, becoming a key figure in island land-use planning; planting hundreds of trees and shrubs on their property to create two forest-restoration areas and a gorgeous garden; and building a large network of devoted friends. Read more

Remembering Kit Marcinko

Together, Kit and friend Glen Veal founded the Anacortes Brass Works, a production foundry specializing in custom art objects and commercial sand-casted products. Kit was lead sculptor and graphic artist for the foundry from 1970 until 1980 when he established his own art studio on Guemes. In 1982, Kit and Donna Jung welcomed son Blake; he was a devoted father. Read more

Remembering Terry Ebersole

Terry and Jan loved their home, friends, and community on the island. For years they were both involved with various island activities and fundraisers. During this time Terry also engaged with Secret Harbor for 10+ years in various positions, including volunteer, Development Coordinator and board member. Even with all their travels and love for the fine arts, there was literally nowhere else in the world that they wanted to be. They were fortunate to do just what they’d hoped to: live out the rest of their lives on the island. Read more

Remembering