Robert James Wuflestad

Robert James Wuflestad

Robert James Wuflestad, age 92, of Camano Island, WA passed away on April 23, 2011. Bob was a kind and considerate gentleman of strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who consistently honored God with his actions and his words. He loved his family dearly and always had a genuine interest in the lives of his family, friends and former students. Bob was born on June 26, 1918 in Cooperstown, North Dakota to Norwegian immigrants Krag Peder and Anne Pedersen Wuflestad. He moved from North Dakota to the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA in 1927 when his father was called to pastor the Norwegian Salem Evangelical Free Church. Bob graduated from Ballard High School in 1936. Following high school, he worked in the sheet metal business in Seattle and on commercial fishing boats in Alaska to earn money for college. In 1939, he enrolled in the School of Engineering at the University of Minnesota and attended there until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on Saturday, December 6, 1941. He was assigned to the Navy's first Construction Battalion and served as a Naval Officer in the South Pacific until 1945. On a brief leave from the Navy in 1945, Bob married Gudrun Vevang, whom he had known since childhood from church. After the war he enrolled at Seattle Pacific College to complete his degrees, graduating with a B.S. in Mathematics in 1949 and a B. Ed. in 1950. He later received his M.A. in Education from the University of Washington. He began his career with the Seattle Public Schools in 1950 as a math teacher and later served as vice principal at Lincoln High School and as principal at Whittier Elementary School. He was an active long-time member of United (formerly Salem) Evangelical Free Church. Following retirement in 1985, Bob and Gudrun moved to Camano Island where they enjoyed many good times with family and friends. Two years after Gudrun's death, at age 81, Bob married Betty J. Smith in 2000. Bob and Betty were blessed with nearly eleven years together.
Bob is survived by his wife, Betty; his three daughters, Karen (Alfred) Lunde, Gina (Robert) Thorstenson and Lisa Wuflestad; and his eight grandchildren, Kristina (Rick) Hagemeier, Larry (Kristen) Lunde, Martin Lunde, Andrew (Devany) Lunde and Sylvi, Magnus, Ingrid and Robert Gunnar Thorstenson. He is also survived by his eight great-grandchildren, Annika, Nathan and Kristian Hagemeier, Bergen, Halle and Mae Lunde, and Kallen and Anna Lunde. He leaves step-children, Judi (Nick) Seegert and Mick (Karen) Smith; as well as their children and grandchildren.
A celebration of Bob's life will be held at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at United Evangelical Free Church, 1420 N.W. 80th Street, Seattle, Washington.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to United Evangelical Free Church or the Union Gospel Mission.