Richard Arthur Sherwood (Dick) age 89, life’s journey ended February 3rd 2017. Born on December 8th 1927 to Arthur William Sherwood and Laura Watson at home on the family ranch near Bell Creek, nine miles north of Deming Washington. The family ranch was initially established by maternal Grandparents James and Minnie Watson, all of their children, four girls and three boys, Dick’s aunts and uncles were born on the property as well. Dick’s parents soon moved the family to Bow Washington, where Dick’s dad got work with the CCC’s on the north approach to Deception Pass Bridge. Dick’s father and paternal grandfather also got work implementing flood control measures on the Samish River, using a team of horses, pulling debris, logs and grading levees. Dick and a family friend would on off hours, hire out the team, Chloe and Beauty, to cultivate large gardens and small plots of corn. It was during this period of time, 1939, that Dick’s younger sister Betty Lou died from meningitis. Shortly after Betty’s death the family moved to Clear Lake Washington where surplus mill houses could be bought reasonably. The new home needed a new roof, so Dick helped his Dad split large blocks of cedar into shakes and install them. While enrolled in the 8th grade at Clear Lake School Dick met the love of his life and future bride, Juanita Wilson. One of the memorable moments during this period of time was in 1941 when household radios broadcast and the close knit neighborhood broiled on news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Upon graduating the 8th grade Dick found work at odd jobs around the County including summer work at his maternal Grandparents reef net site on Lummi Island. The lookout perched on the observation chair shouting “sockeye, give it hell’ was an exciting recollection. Upon turning 17 years of age Dick hired onto SA Moffett Cold Storage located south Mount Vernon Washington where a number of family members, his dad included were already working. By December of the following year Dick joined the Army with two other of his Clear Lake buddies, Art Lamphere and Jim Good. Dick spent his 18th birthday in the barracks at New Jersey Aberdeen Proving Ground. By June of the following year the trio was transported to Le Havre Liberated France, spending the first night on the continent at Camp Philip Morris. They were shortly transferred to an ammunitions depot near Soissons France where Dick suffered a serious burn to his right arm when a small amount of gun powder was accidently set off. Three months later Dick was reunited with his detachment, the7846th Ordnance group based at Munster Germany. The detachment was responsible for activities associated with the demilitarization of ordnance equipment. Many of these activities involved labor provided by the use of German prisoners of war. A lasting memory of this period of time was the calamity of war; overwhelming devastation of the German infrastructure, buildings, roads and bridges, shortages of food, medicine and shelter, social order and norms disrupted, grieving families and individuals doing whatever they could to survive. After 2 ½ years of deployment overseas, Dick was honorably discharged in October of 1948. Returning home and finding little work available Dick stayed with family friends just outside Forks Washington. His hosts, the Crawford’s, sustained themselves by short logging, subsistence farming and hunting. A fond memory during this time was hunting cougar with pack dogs for the fifty dollar bounty paid by the state for a set of ears. Later in 1949 Dick moved to Blue Lake California to work logging red wood. It was during this period of time he was re-united with his sweetheart, Juanita Wilson, he’d met years earlier while living at Clear Lake Washington. They were married in July of 1949. One week later during logging operations while attempting to deploy a haul back line Dick suffered the loss of his right eye when inadvertently pulled back through a pile of debris. Finding logging no longer suitable, Dick and his new bride moved to Trinidad California and took up an offer to work from a commercial fisherman he’d met while in hospital recovering from the injury to his eye. The dual, aboard the fishing vessel Sundowner, fished for crab, tuna and salmon. During this period of time his first child, Linda was born in 1950. Finding this line of work thick and thin, Dick moved his small family back to Skagit County to look for work. After being employed as a temporary laborer for a short while, Dick decided to use his GI bill benefits to qualify for a mechanic’s apprenticeship. The family moved to Coupeville Washington in 1951 and Dick was hired as a mechanic’s apprentice at a Kaiser Frazer auto dealership in Oak Harbor. Later the dealership was sold, incorporated a body and fender shop and a Studebaker line. During this period of time his second child, Bill was born in 1952. Three years later, after a move to Oak Harbor, a third child, Vicki was born. Living in the house known now as the help house on the Ely property, Dick now worked for the Oak Harbor Garage. During this period of time jalopy races were becoming a popular community sport. The Oak Harbor Jaycees sponsored races held at city beach in the early to late 1950’s. Oak Harbor Garage and Piston Service sponsored the jalopy that Dick entered into races held and city beach and the Skagit Speedway, a stripped down ’32 ford coup. Although winning trophies in several “heat” and main event races the trophy Dick was most proud of was the “Best Appearance Car” trophy awarded by the Northwest Stock Car Association in 1959. In 1959 Dick moved his family south on Hwy 20 to Watson’s Corner. Dick continued to work for the Dodge Dealership until 1966 when he moved to Dean’s Chevrolet Dealership in Coupeville. About 1973 he quit Deans and hired on as the Oak Harbor City Shop mechanic. The years working for the city, the comradery between the utility crews, garbage truck drivers, ground maintenance, office and administration, were some of the best years in Dick’s career. In 1994 Dick retired for good and set about enjoying the rest of his years. In his retirement Dick enjoyed upland game bird hunting, fishing, clamming and towing a fifth wheel as far and to as many places as he could. In 1999 Dick suffered a major stroke and spent the rest of his life managing health issues associated with the stroke and others that followed. Nita passed away in 2013 after 63 years of marriage. Both are very grateful to a variety health care providers they relied on over the years, but particularly would like to gratefully thank WhidbeyHealth, WhidbeyHealth Hospice, Dr. Roof, the Lions Club, Granddaughter Alison Lee, Carrie Stone and Kim Dolan. Without these organizations and individuals it would have been impossible for Dick and Nita Sherwood to stay and manage their health and live their lives until their passing at home. Dick is survived by the families of Daughter Linda (Mike) Keith, Son Bill (Theresa) Sherwood, and Daughter Vicki (Larry) Deschaine, as well as 6 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
Over many years and conversations with Dick, one constant was ever present, the appreciation of those who helped him during times of trouble; injury, health, financial, career, and the great pleasure to have helped some of the people he met along the way. I’m sure if he could, Dick’s last words would have been “Good Luck and Farewell”.
A private family gathering will be held at Clear Lake Cemetery March 10th. In lieu of flowers please make any donations you may wish to make in memorial to the Oak Harbor Lions club or WhidbeyHealth Hospice.

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