Florence Ohswaldt Dale

Florence Ohswaldt Dale, 74, died Jan. 31, 2002, in Albuquerque, N.M., after a long illness.

She and her husband, Homer L. Dale, had moved to Lagoon Point on Whidbey Island from Dallas, Texas, upon his retirement in 1989. Both became active in their new community. Mrs. Dale was a charter member of Chapter IF of P.E.O.

An avid reader, she helped to start a book club at Lagoon Point. She was an accomplished weaver and created many beautiful fabrics on her room-sized loom.

Mrs. Dale and her husband enjoyed fishing and cruising in their boat, the Lady D. They traveled extensively and were active in Friendship Force. They belonged to the Kiwanis Club, and were members of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Freeland.

To be closer to their family, the Dales built a home in Albuquerque three years ago.

Mrs. Dale was preceded in death by a son, Jeffrey Dale. Surviving are her devoted husband, Homer; her mother, Mrs. Francis Ohswaldt; a daughter, Merri Jean and son-in-law Don Jones; a son, Stephan Dale; two sisters; five grandchildren; a great-grandson; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. at St. Chad’s Episcopal Church, Albuquerque.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Chad’s Foundation, c/o St. Chad’s Episcopal Church, 7171 Tennyson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122.

Alicia Willene Barrett

Alicia Willene (West) Barrett, 68, of Oak Harbor, died Feb. 1, 2002. She was born Sept. 15, 1933, in Spokane.

Mrs. Barrett was raised in Cheney by her grandparents, Mel and Mabel West, after her mother, Willene West Brown, died when Alicia was 8 months old. She grew up and went to school in Cheney and graduated from Cheney High School. She attended Washington State University and Eastern Washington University.

Alicia met Frank Barrett in 1953 at a weekend outing on Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. They were married Oct. 30, 1954, at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral in Spokane. They renewed their vows after 40 years of marriage at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Oak Harbor with family and friends present.

Alicia and Frank followed his Navy career. In 1962 the Navy stationed them at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, and Oak Harbor became home. Alicia worked in the Navy Supply Department at the Naval Air Station. She retired in January 1994.

During her working years, Alicia defined the role of Working Mom. She took her role as wife and mother very seriously and did a wonderful job. Her tireless efforts in being there for her family in all aspects did not go unnoticed. Family was the most important part of her life.

She and Frank actively participated in their children’s and grandchildren’s lives, attending all sporting events, concerts, religious milestones and plays that her loved ones were in. She was a Cub Scout den leader for her sons and the neighborhood boys, introducing Frank to an organization that has become a passion for him, and she was a Campfire leader for her daughter.

She loved her grandchildren deeply and took great pride in their accomplishments. She was instrumental in planning family functions and gave us lives full of traditions that we will continue to follow.

Frank and Alicia included the family and also friends during their retirement years. They traveled extensively with their fifth-wheel trailer from 1995 until February 2001, seeing many sights, visiting loved ones and making new friends. It was a wonderful time for her, and she grew to love their new lifestyle.

Her hobbies included sewing, reading, gathering family genealogy and, together with Frank, making memory books for her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed theater, and they were season ticket holders at 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle. She was also a Mariners baseball fan and enjoyed their trips with the fifth-wheel to Arizona for spring training.

She is survived by her loving husband of 47 years, Frank; three children, David Barrett and wife Sue of Renton, Bruce Barrett of Lynnwood, and Shannon Dumke and husband Mark of Freeland; grandchildren Frank and Conor Barrett of Scottsboro, Ala., and their sister Lauren and mother, Kim, Kristina and Erin Barrett of Lynnwood, and Danielle, Aimee and Brianne Dumke of Freeland.

She also is survived by brothers and sisters-in-law Bob and Nadine Barrett and Donna and Walt Abel, all of Spokane; numerous nieces and nephews; and lifelong friends Walt and Verda Ratcliff and their families in Bellingham and Ferndale.

Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 9 at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Oak Harbor, with a reception following.

Donations in Alicia’s name may be made to either the American Heart Association at P.O. Box 345, Oak Harbor, WA 98277 or to the American Diabetes Association.

Paul Dunlap Ratsch

Our dearly beloved Paul Dunlap Ratsch died Jan. 27, 2002, at Kennewick Life Care Center in Kennewick. He was born May 12, 1913, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Mr. Ratsch’s father was a Presbyterian minister who moved the family to Spokane, where Paul grew up and graduated from John Rogers High School. He attended Eastern Washington University, where he played varsity football and majored in physical education and manual arts.

After three years of college he became employed by the sheet metal company Brandt Brothers in Spokane. While serving his apprenticeship installing furnaces at Brandt Brothers, he met and married Erma O’Reilly in 1938. Paul also worked for Fox Metal Products and Warren, Little and Land for six years in Spokane. In 1947 he relocated to Richland, and was employed by Atkins and Jones Sheet Metal.

After Erma O’Reilly died in 1963, he met Ruth Neer and married her later the same year. He retired as superintendent in 1974 after working 27 years with J.A. Jones.

Paul moved to Clinton, where he settled down and enjoyed much of his retirement years. After Ruth died in 1984, he moved to Kennewick. There he met Rosemarie Ware and they married in 1985. He remained married to her until her death in 1998. Paul lived the rest of his life in Kennewick.

Paul was a person who lived a full, adventurous and exciting life. He was an extremely talented man with many accomplishments. He was an active member of the Masonic Lodge No. 153 in Kennewick, where he was Past Master in 1958. He earned the Scottish Right 32 degree consiserree.

Later in his life he was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 151 in Clinton, where he served as Worthy Patron in 1980 and 1981. Paul also was an active member in the Kennewick Yacht Club in the 1960s and ’70s, where he served as commodore in 1968.

Paul was a man of many hobbies, and his favorite was fishing. He fished commercially out of Neah Bay for king, silver and humpie salmon. As a recreational fisherman he preferred trout fishing as his favorite freshwater species. His fishing excellence and expertise inspired many of his family members to emulate his love and enjoyment for the sport. He also liked to catch various species of crab in the Puget Sound area.

Paul also enjoyed gardening and physical fitness. He had a weight-lifting regime he followed regularly up to the last years of his life. He participated in the Richland and Kennewick bowling leagues throughout the 1950s and ’60s. He loved boating and waterskiing on the Columbia and Snake rivers. He played golf whenever he could find the time. One of his many other hobbies was gardening with his spouses. One of Paul’s greatest God-given talents was in the arts and crafts. He thoroughly enjoyed woodcarving and stained glass art. He was loved and will be dearly missed by all his family and friends.

Paul is survived by a sister, Elsie Fariss of Glendale; a son, Paul W. Ratsch of Des Moines, Wash.; two daughters, Phyllis A. Carney Crawford of Gold Canyon, Ariz., and Carolyn H. Clements of El Paso, Ill.; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held at Langley Cemetery at 1 p.m. Feb. 9 in Langley. Visitation will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Visser Funeral Home, 432 Third St., Langley.