In Memoriam

Captain Randy Allen Garvie passed away Tuesday December 9^th at the age of 62. Randy had been fighting cancer for the last 2 years and died peacefully in his sleep. Randy was born on March 6^th, 1946, in Victoria, BC, and moved to Portland as a child where he graduated from David Douglas High School in1964. After high school Randy served in the US Navy. After discharge from the Navy, he joined the Air Force Reserves and served as a Master Sergeant until he retired in 1998 after 27 years of service.

 

Randy spent his career with King County starting as a plumbing inspector and later as a foreman for new construction. He was an active member of the Local 32 Plumbing and Pipefitting Union for 25 years where he served on the political action committee. In his spare time he enjoyed skiing at Stevens Pass in the winter and boating and camping in the summer.

 

Randy and Becky met at an NCO club party in 1974 while Randy was stationed at the naval base on Whidbey. It was love at first sight and they were married in 1978 and enjoyed a wonderful marriage for 30 years. Their son Ryan joined Randy’s son Robb, from a previous marriage, to make a close knit family that enjoyed many years of camping, boating and skiing together. The Garvies owned a ski cabin in Index and for years spent winter weekends at Stevens Pass where Becky was the Edmonds Ski School director and Randy volunteered as a Stevens Pass event host. Ryan and several teenage friends became terrific snow-boarders and could “board” with the professional skiers.

 

The Garvies had several runabouts over the years and a partnership in the Banana Split, a 28’ Bayliner. Many Tuesday summer evenings were spent on Lake Union watching the Duck Dodge and having the evening meal. When Randy was diagnosed with cancer, he decided that he wanted to buy a larger boat and enjoy his last years boating. He and Becky bought a 34’ Sea Ray and then bought the Too-Garvatious, a 43’ Ocean Alexander.

 

Randy joined Queen City in 2007 and immediately became a very active and contributing member. Soon after joining, Randy signed up to be Docks Chairman! With Randy’s experience and expertise, he made an immediate impact helping Art Mauldin and Dave Svendsen maintain and improve our docks. Randy and Becky have enjoyed Queen City social events and have made many friends. Randy has been longtime friends with fellow member Dave Roberts and as fellow plumbers, they were putting together a plan to replace the Dock 1 water supply pipe. He really enjoyed spending time working on his boat.

 

Randy leaves behind loving wife Becky, sons Robb and Ryan, sister Pamela, and dogs Madeline and Caesar.

Bob Radeke passed away November 21, 2008, at the age of 82. He was born in Champaign, Illinois, March 31, 1926 and he lived his early years at his parents' home on Lake Springfield, in for boats began with a kayak built when he was 11 years old from scrap lumber, wax building paper and tar. He attended Hazel Dell Grade School (a one room, all eight grades, rural school), Kemper Military Academy and graduated from Springfield High School.

 

After Army service as a tank commander in the Second World War, which included duty on Saipan and Iwo Jima, he came back to his parent’s relocated home in Seattle. Bob enrolled at the University of Washington and studied there for several months before leaving school to go into business with his father. He was instrumental in the formation of the Contour Laminates Company with his father and was later joined by his brother in the business. Contour Laminates started out as a small wholesaler of Formica counter tops but grew into a large successful business providing laminated products to large commercial construction projects and the building supply industry. Bob retired from the business when he sold it in 1990 and had spent a year transitioning the company to the new owners.

 

Bob and Brenda met when Brenda was hired in 1959 to be Bob’s secretary at Contour Laminates and they enjoyed a great marriage that lasted 47 years. Their son David was born in 1966 and the family enjoyed many hours on the family boats and sometimes living on them. After several years of living in Magnolia, the family moved on to an Alaskan model GB in Shilshole Marina. This was fun family living until Brenda moved the family back on shore when one morning she found toddler David outside exploring the decks! Since the early 1990s, Bob and Brenda have lived in the Sunset West condominiums where Bob took great pleasure in watching al the marine activity. During winters since the early 2000s, the Radekes lived in Palm Desert.

 

With the exception of his military service years, Bob’s lifelong passion was being on the water on his power or sail boats (sometimes both at the same time) and he enjoyed working on them as well as cruising Pacific Northwest waters. He was very energetic and hardworking and always wanted to keep busy working with his hands building things. Bob was a member of Tyee Yacht Club, Seattle Yacht Club and a life member of The Queen City Yacht Club.

 

Bob joined Queen City in 1971 and owned several boats while a member of the club, several named Spoofum, including the above mentioned Grand Banks. In the late ‘80s, the Radekes owned a 60’ Chris named Un-Bel-Di and then returned to the name Spoofum when they purchased a 50’ Sea Ray.

 

Due to Bob’s heavy work schedule, the Radekes did most of their boating on weekends, going often to Port Hadlock, where they rented a slip or mooring their boat at the Bayshore Hotel Marina in Vancouver BC and commuting on weekends by Lake Union Air floatplane. They also like to weekend at Port Madison and Port Ludlow and some years would get up to Big Bay on Stuart Island above Desolation Sound.

 

Bob is survived by his loving and beloved wife, Brenda; his son, David; his brother, Richard (Patricia); nieces: Julie Olson, Karen Olson, Ann (Radeke) Lindblad (Craig) and Mary Radeke; and brother-in-law, Jim Jordan (Helen). Bob will be forever missed and never forgotten by his friends and family. There was a private grave side service at Acacia Memorial Park.