Wilford Henry Blain

passed away on Thursday, October 29, 2009, at his home on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his family by his side. He was 65 years of age. Wil was a loving husband and brother, great dad, beloved grandfather, avid outdoorsman, loyal friend, and mentor to many of his co-workers. He was passionate about his family, friendships, hobbies, and career. He will be fondly remembered for his warmth and humor, his kindness, and how he treated all he met with dignity and respect. Wil was born May 12, 1944, in San Diego, California, to Wilford Hoyett Blain and Bonnie Lou Blain. He met his wife-to-be, Lynda Killingsworth, in high school geometry class. She was 15 and he was 16 when they met. Wil and Lynda married in 1964. He graduated from Mission Bay High School in 1962 and San Diego City College in 1965, with a degree in business. Wil moved his family to Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1977.Wil loved to hunt, fish, camp and shoot trap. He was a regular at the Bainbridge Island Sportsman's Club, where in recent years he enjoyed Friday morning trap shoots with other retirees and his son, Wesley. He always looked forward to fall hunting trips to Eastern Washington or Idaho. Wil also enjoyed tinkering with, or building, engines. In his 20s in California, he built several dune buggies from scratch. His children have fond memories of camping and dune buggy trips to the deserts east of San Diego. Wil once bought a dismantled motorcycle in an antique trunk and quickly turned it into a running motorcycle. While in California, Wil began what would be a long and successful career in the construction industry. He began as a carpenter, initially working on projects such as the Coronado Bridge. He steadily worked his way up to foreman and project superintendent. Over the past two decades, he ran numerous multi-million dollar commercial construction projects, including the extensive remodel of Saint James Cathedral in Seattle and several complex bio-tech research facilities in or near Seattle. In 2006, his employer, Lease Crutcher Lewis, created the Wil Blain Mentorship Award, to honor his contributions to fostering talent and mentoring employees at the company. He retired from Lease Crutcher Lewis in 2006.Wil valiantly fought cancer for nearly six years. He should have been with us much longer. The family would like to thank the staff at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle�especially the RNs and PCTs on the 15th floor, Dr. Aboulafia and his staff, and the RNs and PCTs in the Oncology Infusion Center�for all that they did to help Wil and his family in this battle. The family would also like to thank Kitsap County Hospice for their help during the last two weeks of his life.Wil was preceded in death by his parents Wilford and Bonnie. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Lynda; son Michael Blain and daughter-in-law Julie; daughter Shelley Reimer and son-in-law David; daughter Kimberly Cole and son-in-law Jeremy; son Wesley Blain and daughter-in-law Amber; grandchildren, Leo and Sadie Blain, Ashley and Jaden Cole, Djemilah Birnie, Jordan and Emily Reimer; sister Wanda Taylor and husband Dave; nieces Kathy Anderson and Anita Mason; and nephew Chuck TaylorFriends and family are invited to attend a celebration of his life Sunday, November 29, 2009 from 2:00pm til 4:00pm at Island Church on Bainbridge Island, WA. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation www.multiplemyeloma.org.