Saturday; July 18, at the San Juan Island cemetery was the scene of a commitment ceremony for William (Bill) MacKinnon, born Oct. 1, 1926, a former longtime resident of Friday Harbor who passed away on January 8th of this year in Mesa, Arizona. Bill moved to the island from Minnesota with his parents and three sisters in 1943.

He served in the U.S. Army Air Force with overseas duty in the Philippines. Upon discharge he returned to Friday Harbor and was employed by Orcas Power & Light. He married Donna Lou Getz, a native born islander at St. Francis Catholic Church on June 11, 1949. They moved to Petersburg, Alaska with first born son, Dale in 1954.

From Petersburg  to Ketchikan, Alaska, where second son, Bruce was born. The family moved to the Seattle area in 1957 for Bill’s employment with Puget Sound Energy, then called Puget Sound Power & Light Company. He retired from the power company after 31 years of service on January 1, 1988 as Director of Operations at the Bellevue Corporate office. After Bill’s retirement, he and Donna moved back to Friday Harbor into a new home off of Cattle Point Road that Bill designed, and was the construction foreman on the job.

He and Donna became Snowbirds to Arizona and in 2003 built another new home in Mesa, Arizona, that became their permanent home. During retirement years on the island they were active members in the San Juan Island Yacht Club and San Juan Golf and Country Club. Friends and family will certainly remember well, Bill’s love of boating and fishing.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Donna, sons Dale and Bruce, two grandchildren, sisters, Beverly Krumdiack, Doris Louthan, and Judy Haag, numerous nieces and nephews. We miss you Bill and wish you your biggest catch ever and your first hole in one.

– Family and friends of Bill MacKinnon.