Earle Judson Whitbeck was born January 18, 1916 in Harrington, WA, the fourth of seven children, to Kenneth Judson and Gertrude Belle Adams Whitbeck. Earle was always considered the serious one, the studious one. Early in life he developed a love for the out-of-doors, horses and tennis, in addition to his love for reading.
The family moved to Bonners Ferry in northern Idaho in the early 1930’s where Earle helped with farming and logging. Earle entered Seattle Pacific College in the fall of 1935 where he planned to study law. In the fall of 1936 at the beginning of his sophomore year, his father passed away and he had to leave school to go home and help his mother run the farm.
On March 19, 1941 Earle married Eva Pearl Douglas, a Bonners Ferry girl. In the next six years they had four children, Joan Carole, David LeRoy, Steven Earle and Philip Eldon. Earle continued to farm, and worked in a grain elevator and in a saw mill in the winter time. He was a charter member of the Bonners Ferry Free Methodist Church where he became a lay pastor. A real student of the Bible, he enjoyed teaching Sunday School classes and Bible Study groups. He also loved to sing and sometimes lead the congregational singing or filled in at the piano.
After losing crops to the Kootenai River flooding several years in a row, Earle gave up farming and moved his family to Tacoma, WA, where he got a job at Boeing in the summer of 1957. He was laid off after 13 years of work at age 55, and finally decided to go into full time Christian ministry. He began his ministry at age 60 as the associate pastor of the Bremerton Church of the Nazarene, then moved as an associate pastor to the Renton Church of the Nazarene from which he retired at age 75.
After their 50th wedding anniversary celebration at the Renton Church in 1991, Earle and Eva took a trip to Hawaii, fulfilling a long time dream of Eva’s. Earle took along his tennis racket and got in a few games while they were there. They moved from Renton to Boise for two years, living near a brother and two sisters, then moved into a mother-in-law apartment in their daughter, Carole, and son-in-law, Chuck Vick’s home in Kenmore, WA, where they lived for 10 years. Living near grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the area was a great source of joy for them. Chuck retired from Boeing in July 2003 and Earle and Eva moved into an apartment in Bothell when Chuck and Carole moved to Sedro-Woolley, WA in Skagit County.

When their health began to fail, they moved into their granddaughter, Melinda, and her husband, Ray Coglas’s home in Lynnwood, WA for nine months. From there they moved to Country Meadow Village, an assisted living complex in Sedro-Woolley near their daughter’s home. Earle celebrated his 90th birthday on January 18, 2006 with a party at Country Meadows surrounded by family and friends. In March he and Eva celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with another party in Country Meadow’s dining room. Earle entered United General Hospital on Sunday, July 2, 2006 with several health problems. He died of pneumonia on Thursday, July 6th.
Earle was preceded in death by his parents, younger sister Joyce Guinn, older brother Frank, and older sister Evelyn Watson.
He is survived by his wife, Eva, of Sedro-Woolley, WA; his daughter, Carole Vick, of Sedro-Woolley, WA; his 3 sons, David of Dallas, OR, Steven of Salem, OR and Philip of Wenatchee, WA; his six grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Graveside services will be held on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 11:00 am at the Mountain View Cemetery in Tacoma followed by a Memorial Service at the New Hope Nazarene Church, 9310 Meadow Road in Lakewood at 2:00 pm with Pastor Lowell Welker officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.
Share memories of Earle and sign the online guest register at www.lemleychapel.com