Arthur Albert Duborko

Arthur Albert Duborko

Art Duborko was born August 3, 1914 at Three Lakes, Washington to Olga and John Duborko. He was baptized in the German Lutheran Church in Snohomish. He attended Marysville schools from 1920 on, graduating in 1932 from Marysville High School.
In 1919 they moved to Marysville, WA, by then the family included his sister, Eleanor. They lived in the house that may have been the former Catholic rectory when his Dad bought it. Art and Eleanor were raised in that house and walked through what is now Comeford Park to the Old Lincoln School at 7th and Columbia. In his school days, Art had a Herald paper route, which paid for his clothes and books. He went to work at Hulbert's Mill in 1935, earning 60 cents an hour for six-hour days as a shingle weaver, these were union wages. His dad was also a shingle weaver, and after 35 years, still had all ten digits a record for that occupation. Art moved on the Everett Shipyards, until the war ended and then to Reinell Boat Works in 1945, until 1951. Payment of union dues continued throughout his lifetime. Art served in the Washington National Guard, and remembered training with regular rifles then double-barreled shotguns. The Marysville Post Office was the next of employment, where he drove a leased government truck to deliver mail. The truck was the first of the present cab trucks. Leonard Amundson and Art took the test together for the position of Postmaster. They received the same grade, but Amundson was awarded the position because he was a veteran. Art retired from the Post Office in 1978, and continued to pay his dues to the National Association of Letter Carriers thereafter. Art's dad suggested he run for City Council, and he did so, encouraged by his fellow Lions Club members. He was appointed in 1953 to a vacated position. After that he was elected at least six times to the Council, until 1968, when he successfully ran for Mayor, and served until 1972. His philosophy as an elected official was to work for the common people, and vote and act like those he represented, while working with the Council. Always a reader for knowledge as well as pleasure, he always liked to think he was an ordinary person. Civic organizations, leisure time activities, fraternal groups and 1932 class reunions all benefited by the participation of Art and his wife, Dorothy in their retirement years. Art also enjoyed duck hunting and fishing. His passion since age 14 was building wooden boats. All together he probably built more than 50 of them.
Art married Marinne Pryer, who passed away March 8, 1951. They had one daughter, Judith, who is married to Donald Saunders. In 1961, Art married Dorothy (Helgeson) Rhodes. They had one daughter together, Naoma. He has one granddaughter, Marianne (Saunders) Hobson; husband, John; and great-grandchildren, Alexanderia, Charlotte and Thomas Hobson. Art has one grandson, Nicholas Duborko; along with his three step children, Arthur Rhodes, David Rhodes, and Teresa Ollis-Ideker and their families.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, February 26, 2008, at Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home, 804 State Ave., Marysville.