On a Sunday, in January 2019, Art, 83, of Friday Harbor, with his loving family by his side, lost his well-fought battle against cancer. He was participating in a study to fight cancer at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, in 1935, the son of Arthur and Celia (George) Timmons. From an early age, Art loved the outdoors, exploring and hunting in the river canyon of Twin Falls.

His family moved to Willow Glen area of San Jose, California, where Art finished junior high and graduated from Willow Glen High School. He then entered the ROTC program at San Jose State College. Art was a proud SAE fraternity member there and also joined the boxing and track teams. Graduating with a business degree in 1957, Art’s first job was with Otis Elevator Company of San Francisco. He started at the bottom, or you could say the top, walking the steel beams of high rises under construction and free falling in elevators to test the brakes. Putting his business career on hold, Art joined the U.S. Army Artillery Division where he earned his captain’s stripes.

After his military service, Art began what was to be a long career in mortgage banking. He earned a masters degree in mortgage banking from Northwestern University. He owned and operated his own mortgage company in the San Jose area. In addition, Art began expanding into real estate development, doing several projects in the Santa Cruz, California area.

Upon retirement, Art and Margherita moved to San Juan Island, Washington. Together they built their first home there. Island life was full of boating activities, which led to his rise to be commodore of the San Juan Island Yacht Club in 1997. A passionate and meticulous man, he loved to dress well and eat dessert. He loved duck and pheasant hunting, tennis and pickle ball. Travel was a passion after retirement, and he was proud to say that he had visited 54 different countries.

Art was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Colleen Graaskamp. He is survived by his wife, Margherita; sons: Guy and Clay; Clay’s wife Valerie; his sons’ mother: Pricilla Brown; and grandchildren: Cassandra, Ashton, Anders, Morgan, Pauline and Jeremy Timmons.

Art will be greatly missed. He leaves an empty space in our family, our community and the duck blind. A celebration of life will be held in March and announced on Evans Funeral Chapel’s website. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA).

To share memories of Art, please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com.