Joseph R. Lang, 94, a long time resident of Sedro-Woolley, passed away on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at the Mira Vista Care Center in Mount Vernon.
Joe was born in Concrete on October 19, 1913 to Robert A. and Katherine O’Brien Lang. The O’Brien family homesteaded on the south side of the Skagit River across from Marblemount in 1896 at the current site of the O’Brien-Riggs State Park.
He was raised in Concrete, attended Concrete grade school thru the 8th grade and graduated from Sait Martin High School in Lacey, in 1933. After high school one of his several jobs was working for the Lake Shannon Shingle Co. which was located in the area of the current boat launch.
He was united in marriage to Eleanor Claire Reynolds on April 13, 1940 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Sedro-Woolley. They made their home in Concrete until 1941 when they moved to Seattle where he learned to become a welder. He worked in the shipyards during World War II. They returned to Concrete in 1946 where he went to work at Superior Portland Cement Company until 1956. He then went to work for Shell Oil refinery at Anacortes until his retirement in 1976.
Joe was very hard working, talented and particular. While living in Concrete he built a concrete block house, with tile roof, but moved to Mount Vernon without ever having the opportunity to live in it. There were several times that a concrete block wall was removed because it wasn’t ‘just right’. After his retirement they purchased a house in Sedro-Woolley and he spent several years remodeling the house from the floor joists to the attic and every where in between.
He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid fisherman. As rumor has it, he was fishing so much when he was first married that he was given a choice of fishing or marriage and luckily for him and his son he chose marriage. He also was a gardener and raised roses and dahlias for which he won numerous awards at the Skagit County Fair. There was also a competition between Eleanor and Joe on whose garden was better.
He enjoyed traveling, especially to Hawaii with his sister and brother-in-law. He and Eleanor also made trips to Alaska, where he got in some fishing, and trips to Canada and the east coast for the fall colors.
Joe is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, David and Georgia Lang of Birdsview; granddaughter, Lisa Derosier Mayfield and her husband, David of Seattle; his sister, Mararet Weith and her husband, Victor of Seattle and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Eleanor on June 17, 2006 and his brother, Edward and his wife Reva.
Memorials are suggested to the Immaculate Conception Regional School Endowment Fund, 1321 E. Division, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 12721 30th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98125.
The Rosary will be prayed at 12:30 pm followed by a Funeral Mass at 1:00 pm on Saturday June 21, 2008 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Sedro-Woolley with Father Martin Bourke, Celebrant. Interment will follow at the Sedro-Woolley Union Cemetery with a fellowship to follow afterwards at the Immaculate Heart of Mary fellowship hall.
The family wishes to thank the Mira Vista nurses and staff for their loving care and attention they provided to him during his stay with them.
Visitation is available at and services under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.