Thomas Howe Cecil

June 25, 1939 ~ July 18, 2011

Thomas Howe Cecil was born "Paul Eugene DeMink" in Seattle, WA on June 25, 1939, to Cathryn Anne Barton, of Salem, Oregon. He was adopted later that summer by his wonderful, loving parents, Joseph W. and Christine I. Cecil. Tom grew up in Seattle, first on Queen Anne as a young boy, then later on Magnolia during his middle and high school years. He was a devoted Grizzly and Husky, graduating from both Queen Anne High School ('57), and the University of Washington ('87). Tom joined the U.S. Coast Guard in San Francisco in1957 and served as an E3 Fireman aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Ponchartrain at Station November in the Pacific. He was honorably discharged in 1960. After his Coast Guard service, Tom worked at his father's sawmill in Port Angeles, attended lumber grading school in Memphis, and later traveled with his dad to Costa Rica and Panama, where they established a lumber mill at La Palma, in the Darien Jungle of Panama, to harvest and transport exotic hardwoods. Tom lived in Panama for 12 years, learned to speak Spanish, earned his Masters License, and spent 9 years working for the former Polaris Navigation Company, Panama R. de Panama, as the Captain of the MV RIGGER II, transporting lumber and other cargo all over Central and South America, all around the Caribbean - from Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, to Peru, Ecuador, and up the Amazon River. During a 1974 transit of the Panama Canal, Tom stopped into the Port Captain's Office to obtain permission to transit the Canal without a pilot, where he met his future wife, Judy Lee Clarke, who was the Panama Canal Port Captain's court reporter for maritime accidents within the Canal. Port Captain Art Logan provided Tom with the required transit permission, and Tom called Judy for a date that night. Judy and her son Ricky (then 10 years old) married Tom on February 8, 1975 at the Balboa Union Church in the Panama Canal Zone. In October 1975, they returned to the States, first living in San Francisco near Judy's family (where son Scott was born), then Sacramento (where daughter Christie was born), and finally back to Tom's hometown of Seattle in 1981, where they have lived for over 30 years. During the 1950's, Tom's love of sports car racing had him spending many hours at the old Seattle Raceway. Later, in Panama, he raced his Formula Vee with the Isthmian Racing Society's SCCA club, which included race cars from all over Central America. After returning to the States, Tom became editor of The Tingler, a publication of shared enthusiasm for vintage 500cc racing cars of the 1950's. He spent many hours working on his beloved Vintage racing cars, and lived for the day he could race his 500cc Dane with the Cooper Car 500cc Club.The Internet brought him many dear Vintage race car friends from all over the world, especially Doug Stokes (So. Calif), Mike Edick (Calif), Richard "Woody" Neale (England), and Duncan Rabaglioti (England). Tom considered them his "brothers". In 2007, the Vintage Car Racing 500cc Club awarded Tom their Harry Morrow Trophy for his devotion to the club. As a young man, Tom also loved racing sailboats on Puget Sound. He learned to sail in the Star fleet. He taught sailing on Lake Union (at the old Sailing Unlimited), and raced on several sailboats, including the Rosinante, a Hereschoff-designed sailboat that he always loved. Tom taught his children to sail using the Beetle Cats at the Wooden Boat Center on Lake Union, never missed a Wooden Boat Show. Later, the family enjoyed sailing their little San Juan 23, the Hey Jude, all over Lake Union, Lake Washington, and out on Puget Sound.Tom and Judy especially loved sailing "Wing & Wing" on Lake Washington on a sunny day, with Mt. Rainier out in all its shining glory. Tom was incredibly devoted to his wife and children, always attending their sports and school functions: Ricky's football, Scottie's Baseball and Art, and Christie's Gymnastics and FAME Drama group. He happily supported Judy with her Wellness Group, driving her friends and co-workers to places like Lopez Island for the annual Bike Tour, to Wenatchee & Skagit Rivers for White Water River Rafting trips, the St. Paddy's Day Run/Walk in Seattle, and many other Wellness events. He was our Rock, and was unfailingly always there for us, cheering us on. Prior to retirement, Tom proudly worked for King County Metro as a Transit Operator for close to 12 years, always fascinated with the people of Seattle and the view from the Driver's seat. He was devoted to King County, and had many good friends among his co-workers, base chiefs and union reps. Tom was preceded in death by both of his parents, and is survived by his loving wife of nearly 37 years, Judy; their eldest son, Richard Cameron Cecil (wife Paige), of Livermore, CA, his beloved grandchildren Britton, Kyle and Camille Cecil, all of Livermore, CA; son Thomas Scott Cecil (wife Kara), of Portland, OR; and daughter Christina Cecil Chacon, RN (husband Joey), and new baby granddaughter Cabryne, of Richland, WA. The Cecil Family wishes to convey its heartfelt thanks to the doctors and staff at Group Health Oncology, Capitol Hill, especially Dr. Feldman, Med. Asst. Katie, and Receptionist Judy Simms - as well as Carol Donohue, RN, Tom's Hospice nurse - for their compassion and caring throughout Tom's valiant fight with cancer. A Celebration of the Life of Tom Cecil will be held at the Evergreen Funeral Home and Cemetery, 4504 Broadway, Everett, WA on Saturday, July 23, 2011, at 5:00 PM. All who knew and loved him are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you please donate to the American Cancer Society .