Denis Holcolmb
Denis Holcolmb died on July 31, 2018, in Seattle. He was 77.
Holcomb was born April 15, 1941.
No services were immediately announced.
A full obituary will follow.
Judith McInnes Tozzer
5th generation Sequim native Judith McInnes Tozzer passed away peacefully on July 25th, 2018 in Port Angeles.
Judy was born the day after Christmas in 1942 to Rex “Bud” McInnes and Jean (Holmes) McInnes. The family lived on Jamestown Beach in the McInnes farmhouse.
As a teen, Judy served as Worthy Advisor for the Sequim Chapter of Rainbow Girls and graduated from Sequim High School in 1961. Decades later, she became active with the Sequim Alumni Association and planned several reunions.
In 1966 Judy married Sequim local Larrie “Red” Tozzer. They made their home in Port Angeles and welcomed their first child, Jana, in 1971. In 1975, the family moved to a 20 acre cattle farm on Atterberry Road in Sequim. Their second child, Jeffrey, was born in 1979. Red and Judy divorced but remained close friends and business partners, managing an oil distributorship with multiple gas stations.
Judy had a passionate interest in children’s education and in 1988 she joined the Sequim School Board. One of Judy’s several accomplishments during her term was the construction and opening of Greywolf Elementary.
Judy also volunteered as a Guardian Ad Litem through a program that gave a voice to every child in Clallam County’s legal system. Judy’s compassion for children grew and in 1993, at the age of 50, she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree. With this degree, she was hired to supervise the very program for which she had volunteered. Judy helped manage the 45 volunteers that saw to the needs of hundreds of minors passing through the court system. At the time of Judy’s retirement in 2000, Clallam County was the only jurisdiction in the state in which every child involved in Child Protective Services had an advocate.
In 1993, Judy renovated her family farmhouse on Jamestown Road and moved there. Soon after, she renovated the farm’s old milker’s cabin and it became a vacation rental she named “Beach Garden Cottage.”
In 2014 Judy sent a letter to her family and friends which read in part, “I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s this spring… in recent year’s I have lost loved ones to cancer, stroke and a variety of life-compromising circumstances. My point is, everybody has something. My ‘something’ has provided me the opportunity to get things in order and I am thankful for that.”
The following 3 years were very active for Judy. She and her son set off to see all 4 corners of Washington and even snuck in a few cruises. Her daughter made sure “Gigi” got to her grandchildren’s basketball games and family dinners.
In January Judy moved to a memory care facility in Sequim. This transition was eased by the compassionate employees at Dungeness Courte.
Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Rex and Jean McInnes, and by her brothers, Thane and Jeffrey. Judy is survived by Larrie Tozzer, her children Jana Grasser (Steven Grasser) of Sequim and Jeff Tozzer (Doug Miner) of Seattle, and her two grandchildren Alisha and Joe Grasser of Sequim.
With apologies, the family is not planning a service at this time. Donations may be made to “Friends of Clallam County CASA” and sent to Healthy Families, 1210 E. Front St. Suite C, Port Angeles, WA 98362. This program funds activities for children navigating their way through the court system and is closely tied to the organization that Judy volunteered for and supervised.
James Paul Reed
November 17, 1941 – July 25, 2018
Jim Reed loved life and lived it to the fullest. He was born in Michigan City, Indiana, and spent his childhood building dinghies and sailboats on the sand beaches of Lake Michigan and constructing tree houses in the woods nearby. He and his three siblings were born within a five year span and were a close knit group. Whenever Jim looked back on his youth, it was not his prowess in sports nor the mischievous pranks he pulled that were important to him but rather, he took great pride in the fact that he had achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
Jim and his wife, Sandy, met and married while attending Ball State University where he graduated with a degree in molecular biology. However, Jim soon discovered working in a lab all day was not for him. He realized what he really wanted to do was share his love of math and science with others and thus spent the next 17 years in a classroom as a school teacher and principal.
Most of Jim’s years as an educator were in Juneau, Alaska, where Jim and Sandy moved in 1971 seeking adventure and a wholesome environment to raise their daughters. And they were wonderful years! However, after 11 years it was time to fulfill a promise they had made each other when they married…a year traveling in Europe. They took the girls’ school books with them and traveled together in a motor home visiting ancient ruins, battle fields, cathedrals, museums, even the Berlin Wall. Upon their return to the States, they moved to Port Angeles because it reminded them so much of Alaska. Jim then returned to his childhood love of woodworking and he and Sandy started a construction company in which Jim designed and built custom homes. He was a gifted, self-taught craftsman who loved working with wood. Sandy was often heard to say that she loved the man but hated the sawdust!
Jim found people fascinating and enjoyed learning about their lives. He was always willing to offer a helping hand whether it was church or Rotary projects, officiating swim meets, mentoring young people, or working on Habitat for Humanity projects. He always put others before himself.
Cancer entered his life 19 years ago and tried to steal him from us multiple times over the years. But, he was not having it; he had too much life left to live. So each time cancer reared its ugly head, he stared it down with his signature, quiet resolve until the cancer skulked back to the far corners of his body. He endured so much during those times, but he never complained, and the doctors learned what we had known all along: never bet against Jim.
We got another 19 years with him, years that were filled with marriages, births, graduations, friends, grandchildren, construction projects, trips around the world, meals of vegetables from the garden, evenings sitting by the river, tears, laughter and lots and lots of love.
In mid July, cancer came knocking for the last time and after a short battle, Jim passed away peacefully at home knowing that the Lord was waiting for him. He leaves behind his wife, Sandy, and daughters, Shelley and Heather. He is also survived by his sister, Marilyn; brother, Tom; two sons-in-law, four grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
A 2:00 memorial service will be held on Wednesday, August 22nd, at Sequim Community Church with a reception following at the Reed’s home.
Memorials
Tricia Jenden Billes
Please come to a memorial for Tricia Jenden Billes (April 12, 1954 – October 14, 2017)
Beloved Teacher, Mentor, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt and Friend.
All are welcome to come, remember and celebrate a life well-lived!
August 18th, 2018 at 3:00 PM at the Guy Cole Convention Center at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim.
Potluck dishes welcome.
Drinks and some light refreshments will be provided by the family.
A full obituary will appear at a later date.
