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My Brother passed away Saturday, September
28 2002. I meet his 2 Sons in Seattle where we had him cremated
as he wished. We brought him back to Ketchikan where we had a
small memorial service on October, 3
2002, officiated by the Reverend John Judson of the Gateway Baptist
Church.
After the service sons Mark and Tom,
daughter Carrie, their mother Carolyn, brother and sister-in-law
Johnnie and Fran, niece Kim and her daughters Tarah and Ashlyn
and mother Mary F Laird boarded two Beaver (float plane) aircraft.
We flew west crossing Clarence Straight and over Prince of Wales
Island. We continued west across San Fernando and Lulu Islands.
We landed on a sheltered beach on the east cost of Noyes Island
along St Nicholas Channel. It was a very calm and beautiful flight
on a very nice fall day. We saw a Whale surface, spout and dive
as we circled for the landing. We gathered together late that
afternoon in a place where Thomas wanted his remains spread.
We hugged, we prayed, we cried and we collected sea shells in
his remembrance.
Thomas E. Laird, 59, died September
28, 2002, at his home in Seattle, WA. after a lengthy illness.
He was born November 10, 1942, at Fort
Riley, Kansas, to Tom R. & Mary F (Frances) Laird. He spent
most of his youth in Fairfield, California, and graduated from
Armijo High School in 1960. He married Carolyn Heber of Vacaville
in 1960, they had 3 children.
During his lifetime, Tom pursued many
occupations; from logger, carpenter, house painter, const. laborer
to commercial fisherman in Southeast Alaska. He also enjoyed
outdoor interests like hunting and fishing, but his all time
passion was Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Tom was preceded in death by his father
Tom R Laird
He is survived by his sons & their
families: Tom & Kim of Fresno, CA; Mark & Michelle of
San Bernardino, CA; and daughter Carrie (Laird) Pinkney of San
Bernardino; mother Mary Laird of Ketchikan, AK; and brother &
family Johnnie & Fran Laird of Ketchikan, AK; grandchildren:
Louis, Nick, Aaron, & Katlyn of Fresno; Amanda, Joshua,
& Niki; Carynn, Chase, & Clay all of San Bernardino;
nephew Tod, and nieces Kim, Nickel & Sarah. He leaves relatives
from Florida to Oklahoma/Texas, & California to Alaska including
numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
For Thomas's online obituary visit http://www.columbiafuneralhome.com.
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