Michael Jones, age 78, passed from this life on Feb. 18, 2017 after a long struggle with prostate cancer.
Born in Lakeview, Oregon, to Melvin and Hazel Jones, Michael grew up in Elgin, Oregon. Completing high school, Michael returned to his birth home at Lakeview where for three years he was a printing apprentice at the Lake County Examiner. Moving to Fairbanks, Michael entered the University of Alaska, studying German language, linguistics and writing. In 1963 he married Sally Erickson and left college, departing Fairbanks to begin life in Alaska.
The newlyweds joined Michael’s brother Keith and his wife Anore north of the Arctic Circle near Ambler on the Kobuk River. Daughters were born in 1966 (Rebecca) and 1968 (Manya). Between 1963 and 1977, Michael worked as a fisherman, logger, builder and Park Service employee at Stehekin, Washington. During those years, his young family lived in Kotzebue, Fairbanks, Ambler, Lake Chelan and Valdez. Finally settling in Eagle River, near Anchorage, Alaska, Michael built an A-frame house for his family.
Several life-changing events occurred there. The marriage dissolved, Michael became a licensed plumber and he became involved with a local church in Eagle River. Formerly called Maranatha North, the group became part of a network of churches across the United States and Canada then called the Evangelical Orthodox Church. These groups were later received into the canonical Orthodox Christian Church.
In early 1984 Michael and his youngest daughter took a trip to the “Lower 48” and one of their stops was Nashville, Tennessee, where he met Kathleen Thompson. Introduced through mutual friends in their EOC connections, they hit it off quickly, discovering many shared interests and values. After Michael returned to Alaska, they started writing letters and running up huge phone bills. (This was all before email and cell phones.) They were married July 21, 1984, after which Kathleen and two young children Matthew and Jessica joined Michael in Eagle River. After years in the construction trades, Michael became a journeyman plumber and also participated in the Valdez Oil disaster cleanup.
Weary of the Alaskan winters, Michael followed the advice of a close friend to check out Bellingham. In July 1995 Michael and Kathleen moved to Everson, near Bellingham. They joined a small church they had visited several years before — St. Innocent Orthodox Church, located outside Everson, and dove in to help the little mission church grow into a parish. Michael helped in constructing the church building, completed in 1997, and continued to help with repairs. For many years, he was also a chauffeur on Sunday mornings for older and/or non-driving parishioners living in Bellingham. He loved that “job” and his passengers loved him. He enjoyed many deep friendships in this church community.
When moving to Washington, Michael retired from plumbing. He worked at Ace Hardware in Lynden for several years, then became a home inspector. The last five years of his working career, Michael worked at Lynden Manor as a “Mr Fix-it.” Those fix-it skills were lavishly shared with many grateful friends through the years.
Michael was a man of inordinate character, known to his friends by his deep faith and peaceful spirit. He was always the quiet servant and never one to utter a negative word. Many were touched by this profoundly special man.
Michael was preceded in death by his parents and brother Keith.
He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; daughters Rebecca (Randy) Smith and Manya (John) Snyder; stepdaughter Jessica Thompson; stepson Matt (Katherine) Thompson; grandchildren Ashlyn Thompson, Sarah Hummel, Elliott Hummel, Mali Snyder, Hana Snyder and Rohan Bansal; stepbrother Bryan Jones; stepsister Susan Van Bevers; sister-in-law Anore; and many other beloved relatives and dear friends.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Innocent Orthodox Church, 7461 Goodwin Rd., Everson, WA 98247; or to Whatcom Hospice. Condolences may be left in Michael’s online guestbook at www.gillesfuneralhome.com.
