Martin Marty Wayne Estergreen

Martin Estergreen was born to Line’ and Ellene (Westrom) Estergreen on December 20, 1956 in Champaign Illinois. His family moved back to Pullman, there chosen home, in 1961. He attended Jefferson Elementary school for most of his grade school years. Then he went to Lincoln Middle School followed by Pullman High School (Go Greyhounds!). While in school Marty was involved in Cub and Boy Scouts. In High School Marty played in the Pep Band, School Band and Swing Choir. He was involved in VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America). He had an interest in electronics and competed with others from other schools to see how fast and correctly they could repair TV’s and other electronics.

Marty was a Christian. His Lord Jesus was very important to him and he felt it important to share his faith with others. He played guitar in the Christian singing group Love Hymn. He also talked with his friends, telling them about what he believed.

In 1975 Marty graduated from Pullman High School. Marty worked on the Hughlett farm during the summertime. He worked there for several summers while going to school in Seattle. Marty attended the Lutheran Bible Institute from 1975 – 1976. At LBI he made many friends.

He began taking classes at North Seattle Community College in 1976 and in 1978 he graduated from the college with an Associates degree in Digital Electronics. While attending NSCC, Marty found a place to live within a Christian community called Son Light Christian community where he made many life-long friends. Boeing plucked him up the year he graduated from NSCC and Marty began looking at Seattle as his new home.

One day Marty was riding the bus to work as he usually did and he saw this girl as he got off the bus. She had a red back pack and so he thought she might be attending Central Seattle Community College. He thought he might like to take some classes at the College so he asked the girl if she did indeed attend the Community College. She told him that in fact, she’d graduated from the U of W and was working at Harborview Medical Ctr. He asked if she worked there as a nurse or a doctor – which made her laugh – and she told him that she worked in the lab at Harborview as a Medical Technologist. That is how Marty met Joanne Johnson.

Marty would see Joanne on the bus on a regular basis and they would talk and visit about their faith about things going on in the country and the environment. Joanne found out after they were married that Marty would wait and let 2 buses pass by at the end of the day so he could catch the bus back to where he lived (in an apartment now) that Joanne road as well. One day Marty asked Joanne out on a date and Joanne invited Marty to attend Advent services with her.

They dated and after a while they fell in love. Marty proposed to Joanne in August of 1985. On February 15, 1986, they were married at Messiah Lutheran Church in Seattle.

In 1987 Marty and Joanne moved into their first and only home in Lynnwood. In 1988, Philip was born and the house became a real family home. They enjoyed chasing a little boy around the house for 3 ½ years. Then in 1992 Laura was born. Everyone loved the little girl, especially her proud big brother.

Marty continued at Boeing working as an Engineering Tech. Aide and was involved in the testing of many of the planes produced. He was involved with the 747, 757, 767, 777 and Peacekeeper projects, and was working on testing of the 787 Dream-liner when he died. He worked for Boeing for over 30 years.

Marty has continued to be involved in church as well. He served as both a deacon and elder at Messiah Lutheran Church. He’d sung with the choir for a little while. Marty enjoyed cooking Brats and Sauerkraut at the October Fest gathering Messiah would have annually. Marty also helped his wife several times with Junior High group outings.

January 22nd Marty was coughing in the bathroom and suddenly found himself on the bathroom floor. He’d lost feeling in his arms and legs. He was taken first to Evergreen Hospital where he was stabilized and then was transferred to Harborview Medical Ctr. When he was in the E.R. at Harborview he was still sharing his faith with the staff there and singing praises to God.

He was transferred in February to the Rehab Ctr at Northwest Hospital and had surgery to repair the injury to his spine at Northwest. Complications post-op resulted in his receiving a tracheostomy and being placed on a respirator. Eventually he was moved to Kindred Hospital of Seattle for the purpose of rehab treatment and weaning off of the respirator with the hope of eventually removing the tracheostomy. On April 18 he spiked a fever from a bacterial infection of his blood and on April 19 was diagnosed with septicemia. He went into shock and finally, on April 20th his heart gave out. We loved him so much and miss him so much….

Marty loved his family. He loved his friends. He enjoyed the technical work he did at Boeing. He enjoyed sharing and working with kids in Junior Achievement. Marty supported the Scouts of America programs. Politically, Marty was conservative but he was liberal with his love of people. Most of all Marty loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He appreciated everyone’s prayers and visits and the love they shared with him. He knew who his Lord was and when

the time came he knew where he was going. Our family looks forward to the day we will all be together again. Our prayer and hope is you will be there too.

Arrangements under the direction of Acacia Memorial Park & Funeral Home, Seattle, Washington.