Friends Keeping in Touch With Friends
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December 10, 20142013GIMARELLI, Jimmy Gimarelli (Woods), Betty Jo Sept. 14, 1932 - Dec. 20, 2013 and Gimarelli Sr., James Richard Nov. 12, 1927 - Dec. 20, 2013. They fell madly in love with each other on a blind date more than sixty years ago-a true love so enduring that it carried them off together to eternal life on the very same day, a mere eight hours apart. Jim was one of nine children born in Portland to Vincenzo and Grace Gimarelli. Also one of nine children, Betty hailed from Garden City, Mo., the daughter of Edgar and Nellie Woods. The two were joined in holy matrimony on Aug. 14, 1954, and began a very happy and full life as husband and wife. Residing in southeast Portland all of their married life, Jim and Betty were wonderfully loving and involved parents for their two children, Sue and Jim Jr., raising them in the Catholic faith and making the sacrifices necessary to provide them with a strong Catholic education.
Throughout his more than four decades in the hospitality industry, Jim was "a people person" who quickly built a reputation for cheerful and dedicated service towards visitors to our community. A conscientious and hard worker, he served first as a bellman at the old Multnomah Hotel, followed by a 35-year stint as bellman, bell captain and concierge at The Benson Hotel. Jim was the first concierge in Portland and one of the founding members of Les Clefs d'Or USA, the international association of concierges. While at the Benson, he enjoyed many memorable encounters with a variety of notable visitors, be they performers, athletes or U.S. presidents- but his favorite guests were always the ordinary travelers who came to Portland to discover the beauty and rich culture of his hometown. Jim's priority was evident: Make each and every guest feel warmly welcomed, comfortable and important. As a result, he became widely known as "Mr. Hospitality" throughout Portland and beyond.
Gifted as both a businesswoman and artist, Betty served as Executive Director of the Metropolitan Business Association in the late-1970s and early-1980s before buying the gift shop at the Hilton Hotel, naming it Christopher's after her and Jim's toddler grandson.
In 1988, Betty founded the Ornament Division of Christopher's, Inc., as the Artist-Designer of The Portland Ornament™ and, five years later, of The Seattle Ornament™ as well. This 2013 season marked Betty's silver anniversary as "the ornament lady"-her 25th year of providing her beloved City of Roses with a special and unique gold-plated ornament to call its own. Betty believed hugely in the theme and focus of this year's ornament-It's a Wonderful Life-celebrating the "wonderful life" that she and Jim shared and celebrated each and every day. Knighted by the Royal Rosarians in 2012, Betty joined Jim as an unofficial ambassador of our fair city, both sharing their gracious and generous spirit with everyone that they met. Above and beyond everything else, family was the most important part of Jim and Betty's life.
They are survived by their daughter and son-in-law, Sue and Brad Harris; grandsons, Chris (Siobhan) and Matt (Gina); great-grandson James; their son and daughter-in-law, Jim Jr. and Bebe Gimarelli; granddaughter, Carolyn; great-grandson Zachary; Jim's sister, Josephine Granato; and Betty's siblings, Robert Woods and Virginia Hogue. Other survivors include a large extended family and a wide circle of lifelong friends.
Throughout their final days, Jim and Betty were cared for with great compassion by the nurses, social workers, chaplains and doctors of Providence Portland Medical Center. A remembrance Mass in celebration of Jim and Betty will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, at St. Ignatius Church, followed by a reception at The Benson Hotel.
To honor their passion for and belief in the importance of Catholic education, contributions may be made to a memorial scholarship fund in honor of Jim and Betty Gimarelli at La Salle Prep, 11999 S.E. Fuller Rd., Milwaukie, OR 97222.
Mosh and Posh, we love you with all of our hearts and will carry you with us in spirit each and every day. You were the most wonderful parents, grandparents and great-grandparents any of us could have ever asked for…Thank you for always, always making us feel so well-loved. Here's to great happiness in Heaven-holding hands, dancing up a storm, making each other smile and writing the next chapter of your love story for all eternity.
SMITH, Roger A. (73) passed away on November 1, 2013 after a ten year battle with Alzheimer's. He is survived by his wife Cathy of 46 years, son Evan (married to Katie), grandchildren Owen and Bennett, two brothers, Charles Smith and Steve Downing, and several nieces and nephews.
Roger was a native of Auburn, New York and always considered Owasco Lake his home. He graduated from Florida State University. He enjoyed a long career in the tourism industry, working for more than 16 years as a regional director of sales for Sonesta International Hotels and Westin Hotels before spending four years as vice president of convention marketing at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. He then served as president of the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (now VISIT DENVER) from 1984 to 1993. The last 10 years of his career he was the CEO of the Pasadena Civic Center Operating Company. He and Cathy retired to the Tucson Arizona area in 2006 and moved back to Denver in 2012, where he enjoyed his spending time with his family, especially his two grandsons. He will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved him. A memorial service will be held Wednesday November 13 at 2:00pm at Hope United Methodist Church 5105 S. Dayton Street Greenwood Village, CO 80111. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association at http://act.alz.org/goto/Roger_A_Smith.Church in Inglewood, CO.
RAMSAY, John F. Jr.. passed away at home on October 10, 2013 of complications from appendicular cancer. He was 80 years of age. Born September 9, 1933 in Seattle to Dr. John Finlay ("Red") Ramsay and Lydia Gair Bushell Ramsay, John attended Laurelhurst Elementary, John Marshall Junior High, and Roosevelt High School. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in biology and history, he served in the U.S. Army Infantry during the Korean War. John will be remembered as an excellent, well-rounded athlete who was at his finest when competing in events of any kind, including storytelling.
John was a former executive of Western International Hotels and served as General Manager of the University of Washington Bookstore during its expansion in the early 1970s. He also managed Del Norte and Pacific Hotels, and started Washington-Made Products, a co-operative food enterprise. He served on the boards of Children's Home Society of Washington, Boy Scouts of America, and the University District Chamber of Commerce. He was a long-time member of the Seattle Tennis Club and the Seattle Golf Club.
John is survived by his wife of 30 years, Catherine McCurdy Chatalas; daughter Victoria Ramsay Hartmann Atkins (Victor) of Santa Barbara, son John Finlay Ramsay III (Joanne) of Seattle, and their mother, Barbara Boid Ramsay Bradley of Santa Barbara; grandchildren Elizabeth, Lucia and Margaret Hartmann of Santa Barbara and Peter and Kate Ramsay of Seattle; stepchildren Jody Chatalas (Bryndis Jonsson), Helen Chatalas (James Butler), and step-grandchildren Ella Chatalas and G. Finlay Butler; aunt, Kay Ramsay; cousins David Ramsay, Jennifer Whalen and Margot Boyle, all of Seattle. He is also survived by former wife, Delanne Gleed, and stepchildren Tommy, Duffy, Terry and Cindy Boone. John was preceded in death by his parents; uncles Hugh Ramsay, Bertram Ramsay, Leo Eilertsen and Andrew Bushell; aunt Margaret Cameron Bushell Eilertsen, and cousins Pat Brunton, Mary Jean Bushell and Sally Hardman. John was a friend and mentor to many, an outgoing and warm-hearted man, proud of his heritage, who enjoyed a productive life filled with friends and family. He was gentle, generous and kind, a man whose presence touched many lives and who placed the welfare of others and the greater community above himself. At John's request, there will be no formal service.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, November 9th from 4 to 6pm at the Seattle Tennis Club. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Northwest Harvest, P.O. Box 12272, Seattle, WA 98102
LAMBERT, Michael July 2013:Hotelier Michael Malet Lambert, who was general manager of the Hotel Vancouver for 12 years, died in his sleep Wednesday.Lambert, 82, spent his working life in the hotel industry and rose from peeling potatoes in the kitchen to managing some of Canada’s finest hotels.
He was born Sept. 30, 1930 in England. His mother was from an old Quaker family and his father, whom he rarely saw, was a researcher for the Sudan Government who worked outside of Khartoum.
He was attending an English public school when financial reasons led to him leaving and at 16 found himself working in a hotel kitchen. A week later, he watched the head bartender and the cellarman hauled off to jail for stealing. “I saw then the ill effects of alcohol,” he would write later in a small summary of his life.
He was conscripted into the army and served in the Catering Corps as a lieutenant during his National Service.
Numerous jobs in various London and European hotels followed his leaving the army, including a year in Zurich’s Dolder Grand Hotel, one of the world’s finest hotels.
In 1956 he emigrated to Canada and worked in Regina with CP Hotels where he became head waiter.
“Regina was a great culture shock to me, not least because of the ‘no English need apply’ signs posted in local stores looking for staff,” he said.
In 1957, he married his wife, Sally. He was working as a desk clerk in Calgary at the time.Later that year he joined the Hotel Georgia, owned by Western International Hotels, and within a few years would become the general manager of a number of locations including hotels in Calgary, Montreal and the Mayflower in Washington, D.C.
In 1973 he moved to the Four Seasons chain and became a senior vice-president and executive vice-president, and is credited by Isadore Sharp, founder and chairman of the Four Seasons, with instituting the company’s operating structure.
He joined CN Hotels in 1983 as general manager of the Hotel Vancouver and was a regional vice-president of the chain. He and Sally lived in a suite in the hotel. He describes this as the highlight of his career, “living in the middle of Vancouver within walking distance to theatres, movies, concerts, not to mention Expo 86.”
He retired in 1995.
Stephen Darling, former general manager of the Shangri-La Hotel and now an independent hotel consultant, described Lambert as a “legend” in the hotel industry. “He was a wonderful man who led a wonderful life,” said Darling, who met Lambert in 1985. “He was not one to concentrate on the minutiae but on the larger picture. He felt if you looked after the team, the team would look after the guests — the good old-fashioned way.”
Bard on the Beach artistic director and founder Christopher Gaze was also a friend of Lambert’s for many years. Gaze said he first met him during the Bard on the Beach Gala dinners that were held at the Hotel Vancouver. “He was a friend of mine and of a lot of people. He was a marvellous man who enriched the life of everyone who knew him,” said Gaze. “He had humour, insight and wisdom and was a great supporter of theatre and I shall never forget his jaunty presence when he and Sally came in to see a performance.” Gaze last saw him just over a month ago when he spent the evening with the couple. “It was a delightful evening; everything was the way he liked it. He knew the sands were running out but he made no reference to that. “He was a dear heart, so, Michael, flights of angels.”
Lambert is survived by his wife Sally, and two sons.
BECK: Fredrick John "Fred" Beck pased away April 30, 2013. A memorial service will be held May 4 at 4:00 p.m. Johns Creek Baptist Church Chapel 6910 McGinnis Ferry Rd Alpharetta, GA 30005. Reception immediately following.
CARRETTE: Edward Hunter Carrette, Jr.: Services for Edward Hunter Carrette Jr, age 73, of Maydelle, are scheduled for 1:00 pm Wednesday, April 03, 2013 at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Jacksonville with Father Mark Kusmirek officiating.
Mr. Carrette passed away March 27, 2013 in his home with family by his side.
He was born February 16, 1940 in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Central America to Edward H. and Thelma Smith Carrette. After beginning his educational career at Stanford University, he graduated from the prestigious School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. Mr. Carrette was an alumnus of the New Mexico Military Institute, and served as an officer in the United States Army from 1961 to 1967. He also earned a J.D. degree at the University of Texas School of Law and a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Houston.
Mr. Carrette’s professional career spanned fifty years, developing and operating numerous hotel projects in Latin America. He was a lifelong Rotarian, joining the Club Rotario Ciudad de Guatemala in 1966, and continued his membership in clubs throughout Central America, California and Texas. A Paul Harris Fellow, he was recognized as Rotarian of The Year by the Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary Club.
Ed was always involved with many civic and charitable activities, including Children’s Miracle Network and Komen for the Cure, and was a charter donor to Rotary House International. During his final years, he was a Texas credentialed attorney mediator and volunteered as an Ombudsman at Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
Mr. Carrette is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Kathryn E. Carrette; his children Edward H. Carrette, III and wife, Linda; Alan S. Carrette and wife, Anna; Jeffrey T. Carrette and wife, Silvia; Heidi B. Carrette Ghiringhelli, and husband Jeff; his brother John Carrette and wife, Charlotte, and 14 grandchildren, 1 niece and 3 nephews.
Services are under the direction of Autry Funeral Home in Jacksonville.
Visitation with the family will be April 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Autry Funeral Home in Jacksonville, followed by the Mass of the Resurrection at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.
To memorialize Mr. Carrette’s lifelong work with Rotary International, the “Edward Carrette Jr Memorial” has been established with the Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary Club. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary Foundation, with a notation “Edward Carrette Jr. Memorial”. All donations received will go into the Sabalos Nicaragua Surgery Center project. Donations can be mailed to: Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary Club, P. O. Box 14953, Santa Rosa, CA 95402.
MOGUSH: James C. Mogush of Chicago, Illinois passed away peacefully on March 8, 2013 surrounded by his loving family. Jim is survived by his wife, Teresa; son, Matthew; daughter Jaimie; daughter-in-law Noelle, grandsons Tyler and Charlie; brother, John (Pam) Mogush; sister, Stacey (Bob) Funk . Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph J. Mogush and Dorothy O. Mogush. Jim was a graduate of Washington State University where he majored in Hotel Administration and retired in 1999 after thirty-two years with Westin Hotels and Resorts. Jim's life will be celebrated among family and friends in Tucson, AZ. Memorial donations may be made to Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, Lurie's Children's Hospital, Wounded Warriors Project, or the American Lung Association.
DUPAR: Robert William Dupar, Sr., 86, passed away January 12th, 2013. He was the fourth of eight children born to Frank A. Dupar, Sr. and Ethel Leona Gilbert Dupar. He was born February 14, 1926, at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Washington. He spent the majority of his years enjoying life in the Puget Sound area of Washington, and later Palm Desert, California, in his retirement years.
He was proud to be a member of the Class of 1940A of Laurelhurst Grammar School. He and his classmates had regular reunions for years. He graduated from Seattle’s Roosevelt High School in 1943, and attended the University of Washington. College was interrupted by the Second World War when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps where he was trained as an aerial photographer. He was sent to Japan in the fall of 1945, where he participated in the aerial mapping of the Japanese islands, and was honorably discharged in 1946.
After the war, he continued his education at the University of Washington, and then transferred to the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. It was at Cornell that he met and married Jessie Jane Gladys Polson on June 4, 1949. They shared a life together for 63 ½ years.
Bob took his bride west to begin his hotel career as a front desk clerk at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California. While in California, Bob and Jessie’s first child, Cathy, was born. In 1953, Bob was transferred to the Cascadian Hotel in Wenatchee, Washington, where he later became general manager. It was here that both Bob, Jr. (Corky) and Patty were born. He managed hotels in Spokane, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, before moving in 1959 to the corporate offices of Western International Hotels, Inc. in Seattle. He served as Vice President and as a member of the Board of Directors. He was also Executive Vice President of International Western Hotels, the subsidiary supervising the company’s Latin American properties, traveling extensively in Mexico, Central, and South America. He brought back many souvenirs of his travels that were fascinating to his children, including a llama rug from Peru. He also traded a mirror and comb for a spear and dart gun on a visit to a Pygmy village on the Amazon River. Bob retired from hotel operations in the spring of 1969 and the Board of Directors in 1972. After leaving WIH, Bob joined his sister, Dorothy Dupar Lynch, and brother, Jim, in building and operating the Holiday Inn of Bellevue, Washington. The family ran the Inn until 1997.
Bob was a trusted businessman and generous with his time, so as his responsibilities in hotel operations diminished, he began to volunteer his service to a number of charitable organizations in the Seattle area and beyond. He was a Trustee of the Dupar Foundation, a charitable foundation in Seattle, awarding grants to support youth, health care, and educational non-profit organizations. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees and President of Presbyterian Ministries, Inc., which operated Retirement Residences for the Presbyterian Synod and was a board member and President of King County Camp Fire Girls, who kept changing their by-laws regarding term length so they could keep him on as President. He was Vice President and a Board member of United Way King County and on the National Advisory Board of the Salk Biological Institute of La Jolla, California. He took his son-in-law Gregg to one meeting where they visited with Jonas Salk, the discoverer of the Salk polio vaccine. His longest standing commitment to an organization was his involvement with Seattle General Hospital which later merged into Swedish Medical Center, where he had been born. He served faithfully on the Board of Directors and retired in 2005 as Trustee Emeritus of the Board with over 38 years of service.
Bob and Jessie spent many years together sharing the company of long-time friends in dance clubs, bridge clubs, weekly tennis dates, and investment clubs. His laughter was booming and infectious. People always knew when he was nearby. Bob and Jessie were avid boaters, owning three different boats. They joined Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club in 1968, where they were very active and he served as Commodore from 1978-79. Following his stint as Commodore he volunteered for the position of Club Historian and published the first book on the history of Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club. The family shares many fond memories of the years boating, rendezvousing with friends and family at marinas from Puget Sound in Washington, to Princess Louisa Inlet in British Columbia. It was a rite of passage when a grandchild could read and accompany Grandpa and Grandma on a cruise. Bob cultivated within his children and grandchildren a love of fine music as his stereo boomed over the waterways selections from Mitch Miller, the Big Bands, the Osmond Brothers Boys Quartet, Kingston Trio, and the Smothers Brothers.
After the boating years, Bob and Jessie enjoyed cruising the Chaparral Country Club in their golf cart. They have enjoyed wonderful friendships, golf, and the sun and warmth of Palm Desert since 1991. Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many friends joined them for a respite from the northern cold over the years.
Bob was preceded in death by his brother, Jack Dupar, who was killed during the Second World War; his father Frank A. Dupar in 1960; his 91-year-old mother, Ethel, in 1987; sister Dorothy Dupar Lynch; brothers Frank A. Dupar, Jr. and James W. Dupar. Bob is survived by his wife, Jessie, of Palm Desert, CA; daughter Cathleen and husband, Gregg Oliver, of Winthrop, WA; son Robert W. Dupar, Jr. and wife, Brigid, of Bellevue, WA; daughter Patricia and husband, Mark Meredith of Sammamish, WA; 11 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; his sister, Marilyn Dupar McIntosh of Vancouver, British Columbia; Thomas Dupar of Washington state and his youngest brother, Rev. Dr. Kenneth W. Dupar of Cromarty, Rossshire, Scotland.
Bob was a storyteller and joke sharer extraordinaire, as well as an encourager to his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He shared his sound advice with them into his last days. Bob’s stories, jokes, and infectious laughter were heard in Puget Sound marinas, corporate boardrooms from Seattle to San Diego, and family gatherings from Seattle to Hood Canal to Palm Desert. We have lost another of the Greatest Generation.
A celebration of life will be held on March 10th at 2pm at Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club in Bellevue, WA.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Dupar Foundation, PO Box 2060, North Bend, WA 98045.