Garth Gleason Schimelpfenig

Garth passed away peacefully March 21, 2017 at the age of 89. He was born Feb. 21, 1928 to Lydia and Moritz Schimelpfenig, in Sara, WA. Garth grew up on the family farm with his sister Meta (1924-2011) and his hardworking parents. He attended Sara Elementary, and graduated in 1946 from Ridgefield High School. Garth was the first family member to attend college, and graduated in 1951 from Washington State University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. While he was in school, Garth met JoAnn, and they were married in 1952. Garth and JoAnn were married for 65 years, and had one child, Mary Jo Schimelpfenig (Mark Kelly). Garth served in the Army, and was stationed in Alabama. He worked for Alcoa for 35 years and retired in 1986. Garth was an avid fan of jazz, and a proud supporter of KMHD. He attended First Presbyterian Church, served on the Grounds Team for years, and was well-known for the delicious cookies he brought every Wednesday to the Men's Coffee Group. He took excellent care of his family. He loved to garden and the yard shone like a jewel under his care. He will be greatly missed by many. VIewing will be available Friday March 31 from noon to 9pm at Evergreen Memorial Gardens at 1101 NE 112th. A graveside service will be held Saturday, April 1 at 10am at Evergreen Memorial Gardens. The memorial service will be held at 2pm, Saturday, April 1 at First Presbyterian Church, 4300 Main, Vancouver, WA. Reception to follow. Donations may be made to the Memorial Fund (Grounds Team), First Presbyterian Church.