John Clifford (Skip) Lund, 85, a resident of Burlington, died unexpectedly on August 10, 2017 at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon.
Skip was a devoted husband to his wife of 64 years, Sally, and a beloved father and grandfather who was known for his kind and gentle spirit.
That warmth and ready smile was evident to all he met, a living testimonial to the God he served. Skip loved spending time with family, enjoyed long conversations over coffee (which he called “black gold”), Scandinavian delicacies at the holidays such as lutefisk and pickled herring, was a faithful churchgoer and an avid sports fan.
Skip’s pleasant demeanor shined through despite living much of his life with Multiple Sclerosis. He fought a courageous battle with MS for more than 55 years, yet never complained about his condition, even in recent years when he lost the mobility in his legs and was confined to a wheelchair.
A lifetime Skagitonian, Skip was born April 29, 1932 in Mount Vernon, the fourth child of parents John Eric Lund, a Swedish immigrant, and Elizabeth Eleanor Lund (Elde). He graduated from Union High School in Mount Vernon in 1950 and attended Seattle Pacific College for three years.
On June 27, 1953 he married the love of his life, Sally Marie Davidson, at Bethany Covenant Church in Mount Vernon. He served in the U.S. Army from 1955-1957, including stints at Fort Ord, Calif., and Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
Returning to the Skagit Valley, Skip went to work for Shell Refinery in Anacortes, and then in 1960 was hired by Seattle First National Bank in Mount Vernon, the beginning of a 23-year career in the banking business. He served the Monroe branch of Sea-First from 1963-1965, before returning to the Skagit Valley for good to join Seattle First in Sedro-Woolley, where he would become vice president until his retirement in 1983.
Skip coached the “Mighty Mites,” his sons’ Sedro-Woolley Little League baseball team, was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Sedro-Woolley, and served on the Sedro-Woolley Housing Authority from 1982-1994. He also channeled his banking and financial expertise to serve as treasurer and other leadership positions at Bethany Covenant Church in Mount Vernon, where he and Sally were longtime members, Community Covenant Church in Clear Lake, Crossroads Covenant Church in Burlington and more recently at Central United Methodist Church in Sedro-Woolley.
Skip was preceded in his death by his parents, John and Elizabeth Lund and two brothers who died in infancy. He is survived by his wife, Sally, of Burlington, his sons Rick (Vicki) of Conway and John (Brenda) of Mount Vernon, and daughter Cindy (spouse Susan) of Vancouver, WA; grandchildren, Kent, Ryan, Krista, Colleen, Sonja and Greta; great-grandchildren, Torsten, Austin, Isaac, Ryker, Svea, Sutton and Odin; a brother, Vernon Lund of Minneapolis, MN, and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.
A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, August 18th, at 2:00 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church in Sedro-Woolley, with a reception to follow.
Memorials can be made through donations to the Greater Northwest Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Seattle, or Central United Methodist Church. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.
I’m so sorry to read of Mr. Lund’s passing. My mother, Della Shook, worked as a secretary to Mr. Lund at the Sedro Woolley Seattle First National Bank. He was such a fine, kind, calm person. My sympathies to the family and friends.
Blessed to have known this Godly man.
He will be missed
I am deeply saddened by the loss of this pleasant man. A piano player for some of the services he attended at Central United Methodist Church, I always found him to be extremely pleasant, kind, and engaging in conversation during fellowship times after services.
His warmth, character, and personality will be sorely missed. I thank God for Skip and will be praying for his wife, family, and dear friends during this grievous time as we celebrate his life.
I first met Skip and Sally almost 8 years ago at the Central United Methodist Church in Sedro-Woolley. My wife, Maryanne, and Sally had previously known each other from the days they worked together at the Skagit Valley College Library. We shared our stories of how we came to this congregation and a denomination which was new to our Christian experience.
Skip and Sally occasionally attended the adult education classes I helped teach. When they couldn’t make it to class, Skip would ask for copies of our study guides. I would bring them over to their home and I would sit and talk with him about the contents. Also, a number of times, after worship, he and Sally gave me a ride home in which we would talk about many things.
In this developing friendship, I came to greatly appreciate and enjoy Skip’s warm hospitality and genuine interest in all we shared. It became rather special to just be in his gracious presence, benefiting from his insights and life wisdom. He became an inspiration to me.
When he died, I was shocked and surprised at how much of a personal loss I started to feel. I realize that my life has been really impacted by this special person along with his wonderful caring wife. Thank you, Skip. Thank you, God, for having had the privilege of knowing him.
Rich Ward