Caroline Ollie (Cays) Baumunk
Caroline Ollie (Cays) Baumunk of Sequim died of natural causes at home on Jan. 22, 2020.
She was 91.
Baumunk was born Oct. 15, 1928.
A memorial is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, at Dungeness Community Church, 45 Eberle Lane, with a reception to follow in the church’s chapel.
Sequim Valley Chapel is in charge of the services.
William E. Chisham, Jr.
William E. Chisham was born in Kansas City, Kansas, to William, Sr. and Grace Chisham. He “shuffled off” in late December, 2019.
Bill was on this planet nearly 88 years, and his love was expansive. Hiking, reading, writing, woodworking, looking for old cars, telling jokes, buying old cars, cooking, eating, working on old cars, helping others—-Bill enjoyed life and he loved deeply. He often said in his later years, “It’s been a good run. It will be interesting to see what’s next!”
He spent a good deal of his younger years working at various jobs, including selling penny newspapers and magazine subscriptions, delivering newspapers, shoveling coal and snow for neighbors, and many more. He needed the money to support his hobbies such as buying reading material and radio parts, creating various inventions, and specifically, keeping his cars going.
His high school vehicle (owned with his brother) was a 1930 Ford Model A panel truck. Many weekends were spent cannibalizing other vehicles or creating their own fixes to hold the car together. That was only the beginning of his love for cars, especially older ones. Until his final days, he could look at a vintage car and tell you the year, make, and model – and whether it had aftermarket parts on it.
After graduating from Kansas State with a degree in journalism and an Army ROTC endorsement, Bill entered the military and served two tours of duty which provided experiences for many of the stories he wrote later in life. (Only the non-classified stories, of course!) Then civilian life found him working in California for General Dynamics.
Soon, his marriage to Anne Beardsley and addition of their two children, John and Kate, found Bill busy with family as well as work.
He had many different jobs during his working years including a technical writer, an insurance adjuster, an attorney, and finally, as a Risk Management Officer for the State of Alaska’s Department of Administration.
He also was an inventor and one of the things he developed was a gas saving pedal restrictor. It was a 3 x 2 foam cube when placed under the gas pedal one of three ways could restrict the lead foot and save gasoline. To market the product, he wrapped them and individually typed instructions for use. There are probably thousands of them decomposing in landfills across the west!
In the late 1980s, with an empty nest and single again, Bill fulfilled his dream of moving to Alaska. He had a great love for his adopted home of Juneau. He loved to walk and hike up and down the steep streets and trails that put San Francisco hills to shame. Bill organized people to develop and maintain the trails in and around Juneau and Douglas, by founding the organization named “Trail Mix, Inc.,” which coordinates volunteers and also the City and Borough of Juneau, the State of Alaska, and the U.S. Forest Service.
He also helped in his community by serving with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, being a board member of the Humane Society, and helping with his church, Holy Trinity Episcopal.
In 1999, Bill and his wife, Kay Snowhook, and step-children, Janelle and Deven, moved to Oregon and then Washington. Bill continued being heavily involved in Holy Cross (Boring, Oregon) and St. Luke’s (Sequim) Episcopal churches. He also added Habitat for Humanity to his list of places to volunteer and in Sequim and Port Angeles volunteered for years on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Years of involvement with the Sequim Valley Car Club was another important part of Bill’s life.
Woodworking also took up many hours of Bill’s time, and resulted in many pieces of furniture and toys for him and Kay and also for the children and grandchildren. He enjoyed creating and donating rocking horses for the children’s nurseries in his past 3 churches and they are still being used today.
Bill was a painstaking note keeper, leaving hundreds of small notebooks filled with observations of the world around him. He often referred to those observations when writing his poetry, essays, and plays.
One of the three books he published was inspired by imagining what might be on a roll of film he and Kay found in a rental car while on a trip. He enjoyed his involvement in two writing groups in Sequim, and frequently read his musings at local reading events. One of his plays was even produced at the Old Schoolhouse several years ago.
Bill loved people and looked out for those less fortunate. Many stories are saved in the memories of his family and friends of special things that he did for others…often not wanting any recognition or thanks. He felt this is just what we should all do.
When struggling with health/memory issues during his last years, he settled for a more sedentary life that included his love of reading, writing, and having a good conversation. Conversations triggered memories of his youth and his family and the joy of stories of his children and grandchildren’s exploits and successes. Finally, he was able to celebrate his grandson Matthew’s high school graduation and his 24th wedding anniversary – a life well lived.
Bill is survived by his wife, Kay Snowhook; children, John Beardsley Chisham Sr. and Katherine Anne McWhorter; step-children, Janelle Snowhook and Deven Snowhook; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A service for Bill will be held in Sequim at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 8, 2020, followed by a celebration at the church, including Bill’s favorite blueberry pancakes, his favorite music, and many wonderful memories shared by family and friends.
Bill requested that any memorials go to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s Rector’s Benevolence Fund which helps those in need. (P.O. Box 896, Sequim, Washington, 98382.)
Pamela Smith Godsey
March 31, 1947 – December 5, 2019
If you’ve ever been advised by a friendly owl to, “Give a hoot! Don’t pollute,” you just may have Pamela Godsey to thank for it.
As an executive with the U.S. Forest Service, Pamela had a passion for conservation education, which led her to work on campaigns for Woodsy Owl and his better-known counterpart, Smokey Bear.
But it was her profound faith, generosity toward others, and unflagging appetite for adventures great and small for which she will ultimately be remembered.
Pamela Smith Godsey passed away, at her Sequim home, on December 5, 2019, from complications of Multiple Sclerosis. She was 72.
Born in Washington D.C., Pamela attended George Mason High School in Falls Church, Virginia. She spent summers out west, where she developed an abiding love of travel while working at a hotel and exploring the mountains of Colorado.
A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Pamela soon joined the United States Department of Agriculture, where she excelled as a junior professional in the Department’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Her work at the FAS complemented her sense of adventure, taking her to Japan, Bolivia, and Indonesia, among other countries.
It was also at the Department that she met her husband, Richard Godsey, whom she married in 1974. As newlyweds, the Godseys rafted through the Grand Canyon, camping nights along the Colorado River and exploring some of the park’s smaller slot canyons. They later traveled by windjammer off the coast of Maine, toured the islands of Hawaii, and explored the Mayan ruins of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
The Godseys made their home in Vienna, Virginia, where they raised three daughters: Sarah, Meg, and Allie.
With a growing family came a deeper commitment to Pamela’s long-held Episcopal faith. She served as a member of the vestry at St. Michael’s in nearby Arlington, where her daughters were acolytes. She also worked as a lay eucharistic minister, bringing the sacraments to the infirm and homebound. In addition, Pamela worked closely with Kairos Prison Ministry, spending days at a time counseling and praying with incarcerated women.
She also pursued a variety of writing projects, penning a newsletter column that channeled her beloved Granny Besley, and she consulted with famed children’s author Madeleine L’Engle while drafting a manuscript about her late friend’s battle with breast cancer.
Meanwhile, a transfer to the Forest Service presented fresh opportunities. Pamela traveled the country to implement agreements with state foresters. In addition to her work with Woodsy Owl and Smokey Bear (which included at least one appearance by Richard as the ursine icon at a daughter’s piano recital), she also spent a semester training at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
As with a growing number of women in her generation, she balanced a successful career, a vibrant home life, and a host of outside interests — all of which was complicated by her disease, which prompted her early retirement in 1999.
Pamela and Richard Godsey moved to Sequim in 2005, drawn by the region’s breathtaking natural beauty and mild climate. She quickly knit herself into the fabric of Sequim’s community, swimming regularly at what is now the YMCA. Her weekly prayer group at St. Luke’s was a source of deep spiritual growth and joy. She also attracted a cadre of loyal friends and caregivers, whose home visits over the years provided crucial emotional and physical support.
Pamela revelled in the area’s lush colors, spending hours contemplating the view from her dining room window. She was also fond of taking her scooter to Hurricane Ridge, visiting Lake Crescent, and exploring Railroad Bridge. She thrilled at the family’s annual gatherings, playing checkers with her grandchildren and producing her beloved “Mary Poppins Bag,” which she filled with gifts and games.
As her health declined, Pamela never lost her enthusiasm for life. Her knack for putting people at ease meant she connected deeply with those around her. And despite her advancing illness, she continued to plan for the future, greeting her best mornings with the question: “What are we going to do today?”
Pamela Godsey is survived by her devoted husband, Richard; daughters, Sarah and her husband, Bryan, who live in Idaho, Meg and her husband, Dave, who live in Honduras, and Allie and her partner, Malcom, who live in Massachusetts; two siblings, Pat Getson and Bill Smith; and three grandchildren, Rosemary, Naomi, and Ben.
She leaves her friends and family a rich legacy, one imbued with determination, resilience, faith, grace, generosity, and love.
Memorial services will be held in Sequim, on Saturday, February 15, 2020, at 2:00 PM, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (525 N. 5th Ave., Sequim, 98382).
Interment services will be held in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at 11:00 AM, at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church (1132 N. Ivanhoe St., Arlington, Virginia, 22205).
In lieu of flowers, the family asks those so moved to consider a memorial donation to one of the following organizations: the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; Multiple Sclerosis Foundation; Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County; St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia; or St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Sequim, Washington.
