Charles Mickey Louis Conlin

Charles Louis Conlin was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this man was an outstanding luminary and that his natural abilities served him well. He knew with certainty how he wanted to set priorities in all aspects of his life. He struck those who knew him as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what he expected from his day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. Mickey was a man who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, Mickey would set about immediately to create it.       His parents were Hildagard and John Conlin. Mickey was raised in Queens,NewYork. Mickey was brought up to be reasonable in his actions and was taught to use his intellect wisely. He was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced his self-confidence. Even at a young age, Mickey was credited with having a positive influence on those around him.      The positive atmosphere that Mickey generated spread to his family. Mickey was raised with 6 siblings, Jack,Walter,Irene,James,Joan & Thomas. Mickey served as a catalyst within the family. He often found himself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, Mickey was able to demonstrate his uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.      Mickey's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to his exhibiting leadership qualities early on in his childhood. He liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, he was willing to experiment with different approaches as he worked a plan towards a solution. As a young boy, he took part in Baseball and stickball.      As Mickey knew in other aspects of his life, he had a clear vision of what he sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. On October 21, 1961 Mickey exchanged wedding vows with Beverly Jean Bruss at Holy Rosary Catholic Church of West Seattle. Beverly was a significant part of his life, and it wasn’t necessary for Mickey to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. Mickey's secret to success was that he always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener.      Family and children were important to Mickey, even if he didn’t always show it. Mickey was blessed with 5 children, Mary(John)Dymek, Janet(Jeff)Monks, James Conlin, Seipral McConlin, Daniel(Cindy)Conlin, Carol Schmahl. They were also blessed with 13 grandchildren,Shawna Talley, Andrea,Olivia & Miranda Monks, Tyler & Aidan McConlin, David & Jacob Conlin, Nathan & Jack Schmahl, Susie,Christopher & Michael Dymek. Mickey was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as he did at work. Mickey rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, he was subtle and patient in his dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.      At work Mickey was viewed as a natural leader. He could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. He was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. Mickey was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. He was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although Mickey might have been described by some as an overachiever, he was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. His primary occupation was Real Estate.      Mickey joined the Navy in 1951. He was onboard the USS Yorktown. Mickey saw action for Korea. Mickey's fellow soldiers knew that he worked well within the system, understanding the importance of rules and striving to follow them. Mickey's life approach, much like the Navy’s, was all about order. He was Honorably discharged in 1955     He went to work for the Boeing Co. and then the Rainier Brewery before entering Real Estate in 1968. He worked for HomeFinders for 4 years before he started his own company of Conlin Realty. He started another company Tiffany Marble Works in 1978 and ran both of them until 1980 when the Real Estate market crashed and he went full time working Tiffany Marble Works. He loved working with his hands making cultured marble, it made him very happy. He sold the company in 1996 and went back into Commercial Real Estate. He worked for Del Bianco Realty for 8 years and last year transferred to Cornerstone Commercial Investment Properties.  Not only did Mickey find pleasure in pursuing his various hobbies, he also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. His skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. His favorite pursuits were reading, golfing, fishing & politics.      Mickey was a man who took pride in upholding his beliefs. When he became active in community affairs, he did so in the same determined and forthright manner that he applied to other aspects of his life, serving on committees for the Discover Burien, The Planning Commission and the Internatrional Cast Polyme.r Association Board of Directors. He also served on the Katch Auction for Kennedy High School for several years. Politically, Mickey was a Precinct Comitteeman for the Repulican Party Buriens Boston Precinct. Mickey lived his life guided by a well-defined set of beliefs. His faith and religion were important aspects of those beliefs. He was a member St Bernedette for 35 years. During that time, he was Eucharistic Minister and Usher.      Traveling, especially vacations, was another way for Mickey to apply his exceptional leadership and organizational skills. He liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. Favorite vacations included taking the whole family to Hawaii and traveling across the US with our tent trailer and many camping trips. He enjoyed cruising, they went to Alaska, Bermuda and the Caribbean. His most memorable trip was his last one to the Holy Land in Oct of 2008. He walked in the footsteps of Christ and that is something he would never forget. It meant so much to all of us.      Mickey passed away on January 3, 2010 at Highline Community Hospital in Burien,WA. Congestive Heart failure. He is survived by His Loving Wife and Children 13 Granchildren 1 Brother and a Sister. Services were held at St Bernadette Church. Mickey was laid to rest in Gethsemane Cemetery Federal Way WA.      Charles Louis Conlin knew what he wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. He could be characterized as driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. Mickey was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. He was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If he saw that something needed to be done, he was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan.