Arthur Bernard Septon Jr.

Arthur Bernard Septon, Jr. returned to his heavenly home following a long battle with Parkinson's disease, on August 18, 2017 in Olympia, Washington at the age of 84. The third of four children, Art was born on January 15, 1933 in Tacoma, Washington, to Arthur Bernhard Septon, Sr. and Signe Johanne Nilsen Septon.

Growing up in Tacoma, Art attended Franklin Grade School, Jason Lee Jr. High, and eventually graduated from Stadium High School where he lettered in football, baseball, track, swimming, skiing, and rifle. Art was also involved in music, singing in choirs, participating in school plays and performing on a local radio station three times a week.

Art was a hard worker and enjoyed many hobbies during his youth. He worked on his grandfather's farm, milking cows and harvesting flax; he raised prize-winning racing pigeons; delivered newspapers along the largest route in Tacoma; made bicycles with his brother out of scrapped bike parts; picked berries, pie cherries, and rhubarb; and weeded fields. He worked at the midget race car track in Tacoma, managing concessions and warming up cars; operated a bulldozer for over a week to help build a backfire in the Olympic Mountains; made and packaged Quonset huts; worked at the Tacoma smelter, preparing copper bars for shipment; and then worked in the Northern Pacific Railroad yards for a time. After high school, he enrolled in a mountain climbing school and hiked seven major mountain peaks several times over. During his adulthood, Art enjoyed golfing and bowling, working in the Boy Scout program, and operating ham radios.

Art received an honorable release from the United States Marine Corps, operating radio communications for eight years. He served a two-year tour of duty in Korea, where he miraculously escaped capture after being taken prisoner of war. While deployed to Korea, he was also called to be an assistant mission president over the Japan Mission. Following his military service, he was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served undercover as a communications specialist for 17 years.

Art met his first wife, Naomi Pumau'u Lo while stationed in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii at the Marine Corps Air Station. He was serving in the Young Men Organization in the Kailua Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They subsequently married in the Laie, Hawaii Temple on May 13, 1955. They had four children together: Allen, Daven, Claire, and Nilsen. They lived in several states and countries throughout the world, including, Kailua, Hawaii; Twenty-Nine Palms, California; Warrenton, Virginia; Okinawa, Japan; Frankfurt, Germany; Miami, Florida; Manila, Philippines, Athens, Greece; and Jakarta, Indonesia. Art traveled extensively, meeting with many national dignitaries and church leaders during his time in the CIA.

Following the death of Naomi in 1977, Art met and married Rayola Hill Layton on August 28, 1984 in the Federal Way, Washington Stake Center. After their union, he became step-father to four more children: Tammy, Teresa, Jeff, and Trudy.

Besides his wife, Rayola, Art is survived by three sons, Allen B. (Ulla) of Orem, Utah; Daven W. (Kathy) of Columbia City, Indiana; Nilsen H. (LuAnn) of Orem, Utah; and one daughter, Claire L. (Delbert) Kim of Wahiawa, Hawaii; one step-son, Jeffery C. (Melissa) Layton; three step-daughters, Tamera J. (Dwight) Blazin; Teresa G. (Max) Beery; and Trudy M. (Don) Moore. He is also survived by one brother, Richard E. (Joanne) Septon of Edgewood, Washington; 32 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren. Besides his first wife, Naomi, Art was preceded in death by one brother, Ronald Lee and two sisters, Ella Mae and Louise.

Funeral services will be held on August 24, 2017 at 11:00 am. in the Henderson LDS Chapel located at 3800 Henderson Blvd. SE, Olympia, with a viewing scheduled at 10:00 am.

Arrangements under the direction of Mills & Mills Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Tumwater, WA.