Edward Lee Selfors

passed away at the age of 81, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, at his home on Bainbridge Island, Washington. He was a fourth-generation Islander, from a pioneering family.An Island Tradition:His maternal great-grandfather, Alfred E. Welfare, arrived in the 1850s, as a schooner captain, taking lumber from Miegs Mill, Port Madison, to San Francisco. His son Alfred, Jr., was a Mosquito Fleet captain.Ed's father's relations, the Selfors/Monsaas families, emigrated from Norway to Bainbridge Island, in the late nineteenth century. They made their living as fishermen.Ed Selfors lived in Port Madison his entire life. After graduating from Bainbridge High School in 1953, he earned a BA in Education from Seattle University, and a master's degree in guidance counseling. He then served as an Army Field Artillery Officer.Teaching was the perfect occupation for a man whose family worked in the commercial fishing industry. Selfors had a summer career, salmon fishing in the Bering Sea, for 18 years. He ended up as captain of a fishing tender, the Walrus.Selfors taught at Commodore Bainbridge Middle School for three decades. He liked to say that he spent 30 years in the eighth grade. Nearly every student passing through the school between 1959 and 1989 had some contact with him. He taught seventh and eighth graders in every subject, except girls' PE and Home Ec. He was most proud of the four-pronged Unified Arts Program of art, metal shop, woodshop, and home economics, which he established at the school.He spent the majority of his career teaching woodshop. It was an open program, where students worked on any project that interested them--provided it fit through the door. Former students still have what they made in class: pig cutting boards, bowls, birdhouses, rocking horses, Native American masks, dinghies, etc. Selfors began each class with a lesson about the power tools: "safety-first!"Selfors's original students were the offspring of his contemporaries. He remarked, "When their grandkids start coming through, you know you're getting old."Ed Selfors cared about students. He could be gruff when needed, but always had a twinkle in his eye and magical woofadust (sawdust) in his pockets. The kids understood it. He sprinkled it on a student's head, and got marvelous results. He was a mentor, father-figure and a safe place to be, whether you were a colleague, a student, or friend.There were thousands of fun moments in the schoolhouse including a six foot six turkey running through the classrooms chased by a pilgrim; transforming the industrial arts area into the Great Pumpkin Patch and inviting elementary school kids to come and confide in the Great Pumpkin and he excelled at telling Sven & Ole jokes.This lifelong teacher never stopped learning. His motto was "if you can read, you can do."His imagination served as a source of creative inspiration and Selfors went through many different phases. He had a connection with the art and culture of indigenous people of the Northwest Coast, carving his first totem pole more than 50 years ago. He learned the art of Norwegian Rosemaling (or flower painting). He built a double-ender sailboat and fired a real cannon in Port Madison Bay. He was a great naturalist and tended a large garden, growing Halloween pumpkins with the neighbor kids' names magically appearing in the rind. He enjoyed harvesting and canning, calling himself, "The Pickle King of Port Madison." Our lives became enriched for his having nurtured his interests.He tried to be a grumpy old man. But we all knew. He was full of love. Every great artist can be impossible to live with, but worth the effort.Marriage & Family:Ed met Dagmar Strom on the ferry, and they married in 1960. When his eldest daughter was born, unlike other fathers, he brought his wife a plastic lily in a vase full of martinis. Dagmar was delighted.Ed and Dagmar's marriage had many challenges (he being a Norwegian, she a Swede). They were true to their promise and have stood beside one another drying the dinner dishes for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. Dagmar and Ed shared a love of traditions and multi-generational gatherings, spinning stories around the table. They traveled, going all the way to Poulsbo and all the way to Europe several times.The Selfors girls, Ingrid and Erica, were proud to have a father who was world famous, on Bainbridge Island. He knew someone everywhere they went. This became effective insurance, when raising kids, because they were never anonymous. Had the Selfors girls gotten into any trouble, Ed and Dag would have known before they got home. Ed praised his girls for using their heads, and was impatient when they did not. He always remained true to his child-self and there were never any attempts to thwart playfulness or criticize creativity, instead he would eagerly join in. Remembrance:There is an empty chair at the coffee group, who meet every day except Thursday. "Thursday is our day for girls; we haven't figured out why." Together, they represent over 300 years of Bainbridge Island history. Like Bainbridge Island strawberries, Ed was a local treasure. There are some great stories out there. To say he will be missed is an understatement. May he rest in peace; his legacy will live on for all of us.He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Dagmar; his daughters, Ingrid and Erica and their families; relatives, friends, colleagues, and students. This is a huge loss for all of us who knew him.Arrangements will be under the direction of the Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island. A memorial will be held on Jan. 14, 2017 at 1 p.m. at Woodward Middle School (9125 Sportsman Club Road NE, Bainbridge Island). All are welcome.Ed Selfors' roots on Bainbridge Island ran deep, and he cared greatly about what happens to it. Memorial contributions can be made in his name to The Bainbridge Island Land Trust.Please sign the online guest book for the family.