In Memoriam
Knapp, Russell Harley 1922 - 2008
Captain Russ Knapp passed peacefully on Jan 30, 2008 at age 85. Russ was born Sep 5 1922 in Riverton, WA and grew up there, graduating from Foster High School. Russ and Kacey actually met when she was about 10 years old through their parents who often enjoyed social events at the Riverton Masonic Temple. Kacey remembers she first became aware of Russ when she noticed a shiny new bike parked on his porch and asked her parents who owned that! Russ’ Dad owned the local Ford dealership and also a Flying A gas station so his family always had a new Ford to drive but Russ drove his Model A cars through his college years. After high school, Russ worked for his Dad at the dealership and gas station and also drove a school bus route. He then went to work at Boeing in the drafting group for three years.
Russ served in the U.S. Army Air Corps 1944-1946 and was assigned to a cartography group because of his drafting experience. His unit mapped Europe through North Africa during for his three years of the war. He was discharged in June of 1947 and entered UW Engineering School that fall.
While Russ was in school at the UW, Kacey was teaching Jr. High Art classes in the Foster school district. Russ and Kacey were married in 1948 and lived in Burien where they started their family two years later with the birth of their daughter Gail. They moved to Normandy Park after their son Ted was born in 1953 and the birth of son Scott followed in two years.
After receiving a BS ME from University of Washington in just three years, Russ began a 33 year career with Boeing Military & Space. He worked various engineering jobs and as a program manager. Based primarily in Seattle, in 1964 Russ moved his family to Huntsville, AL to work on the Saturn V program as part of the Boeing team that helped design, build and provide systems management for NASA. The first manned Saturn V sent the Apollo 8 astronauts into orbit around the moon in Dec 1968. In July 1969, a Saturn V launched the crew of Apollo 11 to the first manned landing on the Moon!
After returning to Seattle in 1972, the family moved into a house in Gregory Heights. Russ worked on various Boeing programs and then was assigned to the Boeing Jetfoil program. Russ and Kathleen spent several years in Gerrard’s Cross near London selling the Jetfoil before his retirement from Boeing Marine Systems in 1984. Russ had a lot of good stories about his assignment in England that he shared with many of his QCYC friends.
In addition to Queen City YC, Russ and Kathleen have most recently been members of Glen Acres Golf Club. Russ was a Mason, an avid boater, private pilot, marksman, flying model builder and U.S. history buff. Foremost, Russ was a much beloved husband, father and grandfather.
Russ joined Queen City in 1982 and became a Life Member last year. Upon joining, Russ became an energetic participator in club activities especially after his retirement from Boeing in 1984. Over the years Russ served as Chair of the Grounds Committee for 2 years, Chair of Family Visitation for 4 years and advertising Committee Chair in 1997 ( Kacey served on the Memorial Fund Committee from 1994 – 1997). But having done all those jobs, Russ’ favorite activity at QCYC was his extraordinary interest in and participation in Predicted Log Racing! Al Smith has complete records taken from 100 predicted log contests for North Sound contests for the period from 1989 through 2003 and writes:
“Russ Knapp participated in 78 of those 100 contests. The record indicates he won the 1989 Rainier/Poulsbo race and the 2000 QCYC 1st of the Season. It also shows that he scored in the top 5 racers in 24 of those contests. Russ was a dedicated and skillful contestant, at least part of the reason being, I am sure, is because he was one of the most organized men I have ever known. It might also be noted that I have never known of a time that Kathleen did not accompany and participate with him in the racing. He was a long time good friend whom I will surely miss.” From 2004 through this past 2007 season, Russ & Kacey were avid contestants and were “honorary” winners of the 2005 Stimson, placed Second overall in the 2005 Filucy Bay race and Russ and Dick Timmerman won the 2006 NAI contest! From 1998, Russ was a member of our QCYC/SYC Challenge Race Team, or Racemaster, 8 times! We usually won the contest when Russ was on our team.
For the 2007 season, Russ and Kacey entered four (4) N. Sound contests, three (3) S. Sound contests and the ICR out of Anacortes. They finished 4th in the FOS, 5th in the Eagle Harbor and finished 9th Overall for IPBA North!
Russ & Kacey owned the “Karu” a 34’ Mainship for the entire time of his membership. After years of log racing, it is one of the most recognized boats on Puget Sound.
Russ is survived by Kacey, his beloved wife of 59 years; daughter Gail Merrick (James) of Stanwood; sons Edward (Ted) Knapp (Lanette) of Enumclaw & Scott Knapp (Debbie) of Mukilteo; 5 grandchildren: Dillon & Alex Merrick; Sarah Knapp; Randy & Teresa Knapp and Russ’ sister Phyllis Storvick of Normandy Park.
Ware, Ray 1916 – 2007
Captain Raymond "Ray" Ware, born July 3, 1916 in, Spokane, Washington passed away peacefully, October 28, 2007 in Seattle at age 91. Ray, the son of a military officer, grew up in many different regions of our country including Texas, Washington, Hawaii, and other states as his father was assigned.
After graduating from high school, he came back to live in Spokane where he worked as a federal employee of the CCC building federal projects such as National parks. It was in the CCC that Ray learned many of the trades that he worked in for much of his life, especially as an electrician. After the depression, Ray was married to his first wife and worked in Spokane as an electrician. They had two daughters and one son. In the fifties, Ray moved his family to Lake Forest Park.
In the Seattle area, Ray again worked as an electrician and eventually went to work at Boeing. Ray was a fifteen year employee of The Boeing Company as well as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for 64 years. He retired from Boeing in 1978. He also belonged to the Lake City Elks for sixty three years and was a member of the Elks YC for several years.
After a divorce, Ray married his second wife Jan in the seventies and they became avid boaters.
Ray joined Queen City in 1980 and became a lifetime member. When he joined, Ray owned the “Jan Ray”, a 29’ Owens. He and Jan were active participants in the club and cruised many years to the San Juans, Gulf Islands and South Sound. Jan worked at the telephone company with a close friend Cathy Dahl who later would help Ray care for Jan after Jan was diagnosed and bedridden with cancer. Jan succumbed to cancer in 1985.
In 1986 Ray married Jan’s, and his, close friend Cathy. Cathy and Ray spent 21 years happily married. In 1988, Ray sold the Owens and bought “The Last Hurrah”, a 40’ Cruise-A-Home with twin 225 OMCs. Ray and Cathy would attend Opening Day weekend at Queen City where they spent great times with their many boating friends. They would then leave Seattle the week before Memorial Day on "The Last Hurrah" and cruise Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and the Canadian Gulf Islands returning the week after Labor Day. Their favorite cruising grounds were the south Puget Sound destinations including Tacoma, Olympia, Jarrell’s Cove and Fair Harbor Marina. Often they would spend several days or even weeks “home basing” at Winslow enjoying the camaraderie of fellow Queen City members. Having a car at the outstation, they would often take day trips to Kingston, Port Townsend, Sequim and other interesting destinations and visiting favorite restaurants.
Cathy remembers fondly the times out cruising when they would meet the Jim Bradys, Lloyd Vospers, Roy Gustafsons and Jack Dahlquists. Ray loved to work on boats and in the ‘90s replaced the engines and generator in the Last Hurrah. He had replaced the engines in the Brady’s “Tons of Fun” in the mid ‘80s so he was very knowledgeable Cruise-A-Home mechanic. He often helped other members with their boat projects.
Ray and Cathy enjoyed Friday lunches at the club and attended every Friday if at all possible. After Ray encountered health problems, Ray and Cathy donated the Last Hurrah to the American Cancer Society in 2006.
Ray is survived by Cathy his loving wife of 21 years, his nephew, Denny Behrend (Gayle) and a son and two daughters from a previous marriage.
