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Max Soriano
Max Soriano was born on Halloween, 1925 in Prince Rupert, B.C., the ninth child of the Soriano family of eleven children. He died peacefully among loved ones on Saturday morning September 15, 2012. When Max was six weeks old his family moved permanently to Seattle which became home base for the rest of his life. Playing the game of baseball was a deep family tradition and Max was a premier pitcher for Emerson Grade School, Franklin High School, and the University of Washington Huskies. At the University of Washington younger sister Gloria introduced Max to Ruth Allingham where they fell in love and married in 1950 and were married for 49 years. Max served proudly in the merchant marines as a ship's officer during World War II and the Korean conflict. Max thought about following in the footsteps of his older brother Dewey with a career as a professional baseball pitcher, but a sore arm and a growing family led him to UW Law school instead and a short career as an admiralty lawyer. Even more than the practice of law, Max possessed the entrepreneurial spirit and loved deal making, participating in the building of apartment houses, housing developments, starting a bank, owning a baseball team, and building a downtown parking garage. Along with his older brother Amigo, Max started the successful Western Pioneer shipping company to Alaska. He founded Delta Western Fuels, a large independent fuel distribution company in Alaska. He grew the present family business of real estate and retail with the Alaska Ship Supply company. He helped build housing developments and a senior retirement community on Maui. Max's favorite thing was to sit down over lunch or dinner to talk about business and do deals. Max had a great life was involved in politics and the community and was very generous. He was a listener at heart, but when Max spoke, he had a point to make and was always quick with a story or a laugh at a favorite joke. Even though in the later years of his life, Max when had lost a step or two down the first base line, he was ever positive to the end.
Max deeply loved his family and is survived by his children, daughter Sharon (Richard), son Larry (Elizabeth), daughters Susan, Elizabeth, and son Jim (Nancy). Grandchildren: Conor, Graham, Kendra, Eric, Scott, Trudy, Alex, Jonathan and one great-grandson. He is also survived by sister Gloria and brother Chuck and numerous nieces and nephews, and good friend Marilyn Langner.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the special charity or cause of your choice. A memorial gathering celebrating Max's life is planned at Ponti Seafood Grill on Sunday, October 14 at 1:00 p.m.
Published in The Seattle Times from September 20 to October 14, 2012
