Cecil Gordon Holmes, 74, a longtime resident of Burlington, passed away on Monday, July 10, 2006 at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon.
He was born on June 27, 1932 in Sunnyside, Washington, the son of Floyd & Gertrude McAlpin Holmes.
He was first raised and attended grade school in Patterson, WA, later moving to Prosser, WA where he completed his education.
In 1950 he enlisted in the Army National Guard and in 1951, the U.S. Army, where he first served in the military police before being deployed to the front lines during the Korean Concflict. After serving a duty there he returned state side and was stationed at Fort Lewis & Fort Ord before being stationed in Germany. He was united in marriage to Valda Thorne on December 31, 1952 in Ballard, WA.
After his discharge in 1957 he returned to Eastern Washington where he worked for nearly 35 years in the petroleum industry, first for Northwest Natural Gas and then for Williams Energy. Over the years he worked as a clerk, pipe liner, First Aide instructor and finally as a pipeline inspector.
Following his retirement in 1996 he and Valda traveled the U.S. several times.
Cecil was a loving gentle giant of a man, always caring and always there willing to help someone in need.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Shriners; he was Past Commander of the Veteran of Foreign Wars in Fall City, WA and a member of Veteran of Foreign Wars in Burlington, WA. He was also active with Jobes Daughters and the Rainbow Girls with his daughters.
Cecil is survived by his wife, Valda of 53 years at the family home in Burlington; 3 daughters, Vickie Cecile Holmes of Mount Vernon, Patricia Lynn Mitchell and her husband, Marv of Overland Park, KS and Anna Marie Boswell of Samish Island; 8 grandchildren, Daniel & Dawn Eldred, Roxanne Wilks, Christina Crim, Alisa Mitchell, April Still and Brandon & Breanne MacMenamin and 9 great-grandchildren. 1 brother, Ralph Holmes and his wife, Joan of Vancouver, WA; 2 special nieces, Helen Cherry of Tacoma and Louise Morris of Henderson, NV and numerous other nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and by a daughter, Nora May Still in 1993.
Graveside inurnment services will be held at Hawthorne Memorial Park Cemetery in Mount Vernon on Friday, July 14, 2006 at 11:00 AM with Masonic Rites and Military Honors.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.