Fredrick William Bourland Sr., a Friday Harbor resident and former general manager for Valmark, went home to be with his Lord and Savior following complications from radiation treatment for lung cancer.
He was 73.
His life was a testimony of commitment to God, his wife, family and friends.
Fred was born Oct. 6, 1936 in Tacoma, Wash., to William E. and Hazel C. Bourland. He grew up in Gig Harbor, Bremerton and West Seattle, and graduated from West Seattle High School in 1954. After various jobs in Seattle and California, he joined the Army and in 1959 was stationed at the Alaska Communication System in Glenallen, Alaska. It was there he met an adventurous school teacher from North Hollywood, Calif., Merilyn Berthold, whom he married July 30, 1960.
Returning to Seattle, he briefly attended the University of Washington and worked in accounting for Associated Grocers before the birth of twin daughters in March 1961 and two sons in July 1962 and November 1967. He was a member of Riverton Heights Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he found great satisfaction in the retail and wholesale grocery business. He worked for Associated Grocers for 30 years in accounting and as a retail accounts representative throughout Northwest Washington and Alaska.
In 1971, he moved the family to Bellingham where he was active in Geneva Community Church. He “retired” to begin his second career in 1991 in the San Juan Islands where his father had been born. A descendent of Waldron Island pioneers Friederich and Louise Krumdiack, Fred felt like he was coming home.
As general manager for VMAL (later Valmark, Inc.) he enjoyed overseeing operations for three grocery stores, Harbor Airlines and especially Roche Harbor Resort, as his great-grandfather had delivered cord wood for the limekilns in the late 1800s.
Retiring for real in 2004, Fred enjoyed island life and shared his love of baseball, football, biking, fishing and golfing with his family and friends. Even during the last two years struggling with lung cancer, he rarely missed his grandsons’ Tiger football and Little League baseball games. He faithfully served as treasurer of Islands Community Church.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents (1959), surrogate parents Uncle Clifford (1992) and Aunt Katherine Bourland (1999), and son-in-law Thomas Unger (1994).
He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Merilyn; sister, Billye Anderson (Richard) of Spokane; daughters, Kristine Brown (David) of Friday Harbor and Kelley Unger of Bellevue; sons, Fredrick Jr. “Rick” of Maltby and Randy of Bellingham; grandsons, Carson and Connor Brown of Friday Harbor.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. at Islands Community Church, 127 Gilbert Lane, Friday Harbor; and Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 1 p.m. at Christ the King Church, 4173 Meridian St., Bellingham.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Islands Community Church, P.O. Box 1326; or FHAA Tiger Football, P.O. Box 809, both in Friday Harbor, WA. 98250.
— Family of Fredrick William Bourland Sr.
