Earnest Lee French

1933 - 2018

Earnest Lee French

Earnest Lee French of Oak Harbor, WA passed away on August 10, 2018 at the age of 84. Earnie was a 7 year resident of Harbor Tower Village Retirement community in Oak Harbor, WA.

Earnie was born at home in a log cabin in Sobel, Oklahoma on November 16, 1933 to James and Ethel French. In 1941 he and his family moved to Brewster, WA and then moved again to Omak, WA in 1945. He graduated from Omak High School and in 1961 he graduated from Washington State University with a BA in Agriculture with an emphasis in Landscape Design.

He married Mary Ellen Roberts in 1979 in Seattle, WA and in 1994 they became snowbirds, splitting their time between Edmonds, WA and Apache Junction, AZ.

From 1962 to 1970 Earnie worked for Seattle Parks Department, gardening at the Arboretum greenhouses. From 1970 to 1994 Earnie worked for King County as a Landscape Architect with the Department of Public Works, Road division.

He was a veteran of the Korean War and served in the Army with the 46th and 7th division infantry on the DMZ border between North Korea and South Korea. Earnie was a State Commander of the Disabled American Veterans 1980-1981.

Earnie is preceded in death by his wife Mary Ellen in 2011. He is also preceded in death by his brother Leonard, his stepson Richard Roberts, his son in law Herb Johnsen and his son in law George Hofman.

Earnie is survived by his brother Ira, his niece Abby Crawford, his nephew Jamie French. Also survived by his step children Cheryl Hofman, Mary McCormick (Edwin), Eileen Rudnick and

Patricia Johnsen; his 13 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

A private memorial will be held at a later date. Any donations to the Disabled American Veterans.