BLAKE HOWE Age 81. Born August 13, 1933, in Seattle, WA. Passed away February 24, 2015, in Seattle, WA. Blake was a life long resident of Seattle. His father grew up on Queen Anne Hill at 22 West Highland Drive. Blake is a graduate of Lakeside High School, and he received a BA in History from the University of Virginia in 1955. From 1955 through 1958 Blake served in the United States Navy, he served aboard the destroyer USS James C. Owens DD776 in the Atlantic. Including two cruises to the Mediterranean, one of which went through the Suez to Kuwait, and several visits to Guantanamo, and liberty ports in Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica. His last rank was Lieutenant Junior Grade. After the Navy, Blake attended the University of Washington School of Law. He graduated in 1961, and was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association the same year, and spent his career working as a Lawyer, at the law firm that employed other family members, then for the City of Seattle, and later working independently.
Blake was an Episcopalian until about 1987 when began attending the University Presbyterian Church for approximately 22 years. More recently he attended the Plymouth Congregational Church in downtown Seattle. Blake’s passions were reading, broad intellectual interests, current events, travel and bicycling. Blake also enjoyed spending time with his aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and extended family members in Silverdale during the holiday’s such as Easter, 4th of July and Thanksgiving. It is a bit of an understatement to say Blake enjoyed bicycling. He participated in many rides with the Boeing Employees Bicycle Club, the Seattle to Portland rides, over the North Cascades Highway, various places in the United States. He also made multiple trips to Europe for bicycle rides. Blake also did two 2-week mission trips with Church groups including one to Haiti and one to Cuba. In 2010 Blake moved into the Bayview Retirement Community, where he made new friends, and enjoyed the way all the residents treat each other, the good food, and observing ships and ferry boats in Elliott Bay. Two of his father’s sisters were residents of Bayview when it opened up in 1960. Last year Blake took a guided autobiography class at Bayview. In his writing he opened up about his accomplishments and the most important successes in his life, which included the following: “I was proudest of when I was leaving the ship for the last time, to be honorably discharged at my choice after 3 years aboard her – and the officers piped me off as my side boys...”
At the time of his death Blake was divorced. Blake had two sons, Blake’s younger son, Tommy, was a loving Downs Syndrome boy, who passed away due to health problems at age 7. Blake is survived by his son James (Lyn) of Colorado, and three grandchildren (Jimmy, Rose and Emily), his sister, Caroline of California, as well as cousins, nieces, nephews, and many other loving extended family members.
A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at Bayview Manor in the Chapel.