Richard Westbrook Middleton

Richard Westbrook MIDDLETON JULY 3, 1923 - OCTOBER 23, 2002 Richard W. (Rick) Middleton passed away at his home in Seattle on October 23, 2002 at the age of seventy-nine. In the end, after a sixteen-year battle with cancer, he was surrounded by his family and his beloved dogs. Born in Aberdeen Washington, he was the son of Edward A. Middleton and Doris (Kerr) Middleton who are both deceased. He leaves his wife of more than forty-two years, Edith (Swanson) Middleton, three children - Jennifer L. Middleton, Kristin M. Middleton, and Richard W. Middleton, Jr., and a brother, Edward A. Middleton. Rick attended Aberdeen public schools, the Webb School in Claremont California, and Culver Military Academy in Culver Indiana - graduating in June 1941. He entered Stanford University in September 1941. In December 1942, he enlisted in the United States Army. He was a member of the 66th Infantry Division (Black Panthers), and was one of the last survivors of the sinking of the troopship Leopoldville by a German U-boat in the English Channel on Christmas Eve, 1944. Rick served as an Intelligence Observer, acting as point man for patrols behind enemy lines and also as a Forward Observer for the Artillery. He was honored with the Purple Heart. At the end of the war, he was sent to Austria and it was there that he learned to ski - a sport that he would love for the rest of his life. After the war, he returned to Stanford earning his BA in April 1948. In June 1950, Rick received an MBA from Harvard Business School. After returning to Aberdeen, he became the night sawyer at the Anderson & Middleton Stud Mill subsequently working at various other jobs in the sawmill and the stud mill. Upon the death of his uncle, Rick became the President of Anderson & Middleton Company. During his tenure, the Anderson & Middleton sawmill was modernized and recognized as one of the most modern sawmills in the industry. The Blagen Mill Company and The Grays Harbor Veneer Company were acquired as well as substantial amounts of timberlands. In the 1990s the company (with his cousin as President and Rick as Chairman of the Board) entered the table grape business in Delano, California. Delano Farms Company, a division of A&M, supplies major domestic and foreign grocery chains. A&M also owns Red Cedar Vineyards in Paso Robles -- supplying premium wine grapes to various California wineries. Rick was active in forest products organizations serving as an officer of the West Coast Lumberman's Association, past President of the Timber Operator's Council, and longtime board member and past president of the Western Forest Industry Association. He was a past president and a board member of the Aberdeen YMCA and a volunteer and board member of theAberdeen YMCA Swim Team. He was also a member of the Seattle Tennis Club, the Grays Harbor Country Club, and theAncient Skiers. Rick was a devoted family man who delighted in family travel and teaching his children to ski and play tennis. In the winter he skied regularly at Alta, Alpental, various areas in Europe, and more recently at Sun Valley, ID where he and his wife Edie own a home. Rick was also known for his love of dogs and could be seen regularly driving around town accompanied by his pets. He was considered a man of integrity and was a friend to people in all walks of life. All who knew him will miss him. Memorial Services will be held on November 1st in Aberdeen, WA at the Rotary Log Pavilion at 1:00 PM. On November 8th, a second Memorial Service will be held at The Bellevue First United Methodist Church at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, his favorite charities were: The YMCA of Grays Harbor, The Providence Hospice of Seattle, The Virginia Mason Cancer Institute, The Zion Preparatory School, and The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab Utah.