Russell L. McClintick Sr

Russell L McClintick Sr.

Lifelong Kirkland resident Russell L. McClintick Sr. died August 13^th, 2016 at Evergreen Hospice.  He was born September 14^th, 1926 at his family home on Rose Hill (Kirkland, WA) to Charles H. and Eleanor E. McClintick.  He was the youngest of 5 children.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Freddie Ann and his son Russell McClintick, Jr.

His father passed away when Russ was 4 years old, leaving Eleanor to raise the children on her own.  He started school prior to turning 5, after the school called Eleanor requesting she enroll him, due to low enrollment. His sisters accompanied him to school each day and said he cried for the first week, maybe even the first month because he didn’t want to stay there.  The children all worked outside the home and pooled their pay for the family.  Russ started with a newspaper route and won a bike.  He delivered telegrams from the train depot to Kirkland and Juanita for 25 cents each.  By junior high he was working in a radio repair shop.  As a freshman he worked in a wood boat factory, and then was hired by the Lake Washington Ship Yards as a journeyman marine electrician.  In the fall of 1943, at 17 he signed up for the Marines. Kirkland High School gave him credit for his last semester and his mother attended graduation and picked up his diploma for the class of 1944.  His radio experience got him into the Marine Radio School and eventually assigned to the 2^nd Signal Company, Division Headquarters.  He received advance Morse code schooling, learning the Japanese alphabet.  He served in the Pacific intercepting and copying Japanese Morse code which was sent to Washington DC for analysis. After Japan’s surrender, Russ spent time in Japan with the first Marine Armed Forces Radio Network, WVTO, Voice of the Island of Kyushu.  He came home in July, 1946.

Russ attended Skagit Community College and worked at KBRC where he handled the afternoon request lines.  He met his wife Freddie Ann Huelsdonk in Mt. Vernon and was married June 26, 1948.  He transferred to Western Washington College of Education, graduating in 1950. He taught 2 years in the Highline School District and then the Lake Washington School District for 28 years.

He taught at Central and Lakeview Elementary and then became the principal at Lakeview, Redmond and A.G. Bell and completed his 30^th year, teaching at Mark Twain. He was instrumental in separating the principals to their own association, out of the teachers’ association.  .  He received his Master’s Degree from the University of Washington.

During these years, Russ joined the Kirkland Volunteer Fire Department where he served over 35 years.  He also served many years as a County Fire District commissioner.

After retiring from the school district, he became a commissioner of Evergreen Hospital, serving 17 years, and presiding at times as president.  The hospital grew from a small 37 bed facility to a 35 acre campus, including a Hospice, Family Maternity center, and expanded ER and surgery center during his tenure.

After loosing his wife in 1994, Russ spent a few years in Cottonwood, AZ, where his two sisters lived.  He returned to his same Kirkland apartment in 2004, which he previously shared with Freddie Ann.  In 2013 he moved to the Vineyard Park at Bothell Landing, where he participated in countless activities and made a special friend, Hazel Odom.

Russ wrote “My young years … taught me to be a better man and spend my life doing something every day that will make my life and the lives of people around me better.  I believe we have to show gratitude to our fellow man and the community for what they do for us.  I believe your family, friends, acquaintances and old memories will give you the greatest wealth and provide all the prosperity you will ever need or want”.

He is survived by his sister Betty Gaudy, his daughters Patti (Marv) Hiebert and Mary Menard, daughter-in-law Pat McClintick, granddaughters Crysta (Gus) Weigel and Anna (John) Heckman, grandsons Russell McClintick III and Jonathan McClintick, and 5 great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at Lake Washington United Methodist Church, 7525 132^nd Ave NE, Kirkland, Thursday, August 25^th, 1:00 PM.  Interment prior at Kirkland Cemetery located on 122^nd Ave NE and NE 80^th St., Thursday, August 25^th, 11:00 AM.

Memorials may be given to Kirkland Historical Society, 203 Market Street, Kirkland, WA or Evergreen Health Foundation 12040 NE128th Street, MS#5, Kirkland. WA 98034-3098 (Hospice program)