Dr. Harry O. Nyhus passed away on Saturday, October 6, 2012. Harry was born on March 2, 1920 in Hurum, Norway, and immigrated to the United States via: Ellis Island in 1931. He lived in Port Angeles, Washington, and then moved to Seattle.
Harry bravely served in WWII as a medic for the United States Army, and belonged to a very unique military unit called the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate). All of the men in his battalion were selected for this elite position because they were US citizens, born in Norway, and could speak Norwegian and English and most importantly ski. Their original mission was to liberate Norway. They arrived in Normandy, in June of 1944 and from there, the 99th continued north to carry out their mission in Norway. The uniforms they wore were white reversible ski suits; white for snowy days, and black for nights. As winter approached, conditions grew treacherous. Old Morse code transcripts saved from the time read: “Men are without proper supplies – Stop – Send supplies immediately – Stop – Men have been without food for days – Stop – Men are cold and wet – Stop – Men are taking phenethylamine to keep going – Stop - ” The conditions these men endured in order to secure the future for so many are hard to imagine. Had it not been for the bravery, stamina, and sacrifices of that great generation, the lifestyles and wonderful way of living in Europe and the US might be very different. Harry is truly one of the heroes of our lifetime who paved the way for the future of our families.
After coming home from the war, Harry went to the University of Oregon Dental School. He had studied chemical engineering prior to that, so he knew a lot about a lot of things. He had 6 children: 2 boys and 4 girls, and was a good provider for his family with two dental practices. The practice in Magnolia neighborhood specialized in general dentistry, and a second practice in the downtown Medical Dental building was for prosthetics. There are few people who worked harder than Harry. When he finished taking care of patients, he would come home for dinner, change his clothes and take care of the many rental houses and apartments he owned. This might include crawling under a house, digging a ditch, and/or repairing plumbing. He could fix just about anything. If there was a problem, he had a solution, and he solved it quietly. He owned a big farm in Port Angeles equipped with cows, horses, and chickens, and he enjoyed his family up there on weekends. Summers were spent with his family on Lake Goodwin, and during the school year, he lived in Magnolia. He gave his family everything they needed, set the example for hard work and good values, all the while showing everyone a good time. His family lived a very charmed life as a result of his hard work and happy attitude.
He is survived by his daughters: Jacque Lantz; Caroline Ellison; Tamera Nyhus; Stacey Nyhus; son Chris Nyhus, and numerous grandchildren and great- grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Timothy Nyhus and wife Mary Lou Nyhus.
A celebration of Harry’s life will be held on Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 4:00 pm at Broadmoor Golf Club, 2340 Broadmoor Drive East, Seattle, WA 98112.
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