Obituary of George Oscar Darkenwald

George Oscar Darkenwald born July 25, 1939, in Fargo, North Dakota passed peacefully on September 18, 2016. George will be forever remembered for his passion for life, his zest for learning and his commitment to faith and family. During George's courageous battle with cancer he took great comfort in clutching a rosewood cross from Bethlehem and gained peace in knowing the Lord was forever present in life and in death. George considered his greatest blessing in life to have been chosen by the orphanage to be placed in the unconditional loving care of Pearl and Oscar Darkenwald. George moved with his loving parents to Olympia, Washington in 1941. Upon their arrival to Olympia, the Darkenwald family became very active with St. Michael’s parish and school, where Pearl taught elementary school and George attended as a student. Oscar worked and retired at the Olympia Brewery. George was lovingly referred to as “Skip” by his many Darkenwald family members and childhood friends. George, a devout Catholic, graduated from St. Edwards seminary high school with an Associate of the Arts and graduated from St. Thomas Seminary with a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1961. George took a leave of absence from the seminary and entered the Air Force from 1963 to 1969 where George proudly served as a Captain in the US military. He often spoke of his time spent as a navigator for C-130 pilots during the Vietnam War. This experience sparked a lifelong love for aviation. George became a certified private pilot in 1977. For many years, George took flight in both ground and float planes, which brought him and his family much joy. After leaving the Airforce, George continued his pursuit for the love of all things academic by receiving his law degree from the University of Washington in 1971. George commenced his legal career as a prosecuting attorney for Thurston County before pursuing a successful private law practice in Olympia for many years. As a lifelong scholar and gifted educator, George was selected to establish the Paralegal Program at South Puget Sound Community College where for two decades he devoted himself to his students and faculty, forever embracing the wisdom that learning is ageless and welcomes all who have a desire to learn. Throughout his lifetime, George’s signature calling card was carrying many newspapers in multiple languages and reading Latin and Greek biblical materials. George met the love of his life, Linda Lee Phelan Darkenwald, in 1977 and they were married shortly after. They celebrated 39 years of marriage this past June. George loved hiking with Linda and enjoying their home together nestled in the woods on six acres on the lake. He especially loved being outdoors, playing cribbage on the deck with Linda and considered everyday waking to the views of the lake a true blessing. George was proud beyond measure to be the stepfather to Amanda Myers (Olympia, WA), Sean Myers (Tucson, Arizona) and Ryan Myers Hall (Olympia, WA) and greatly enjoyed his daughter in law Angeli Naiknimbalkar Myers (Tucson, AZ) and son in law Kurt Hall (Olympia, WA). His heart burst with joy to be called “Papa Jorge” by his seven grandchildren. He always found time for them and was up for any adventure they requested including taking them kayaking, making a tire swing for them, playing cards, and listening to their stories about school, friends and adventures. He shared a great love for animals – especially the many dogs that we raised on the lake, including his “grand dogs” that he cared for when they needed a place to stay. George was a lifelong Democratic who was deeply passionate about politics, a committed philanthropic supporter and volunteer. In his retirement George devoted his time to the Shelton Men’s prison ministry and provided countless hours of legal guidance to family, friends, and those who could not afford to pay for legal guidance. As a compassionate man, George was a dedicated blood donor and would frequently be seen and heard at the Thurston County blood bank. Throughout his life George participated in numerous marathons, bike rides and outdoor experiences. Special memories abound, we take great comfort in visualizing the images of George hiking Mt. Rainier with his beloved wife, Linda, enjoying the sunsets on the lake, and actively participating in spin class at The Valley with his “spin family.” He loved and lived life to the fullest and was often found crafting inspirational messages to share. We are very grateful for the care and kindness the doctors, nurses and all who cared for him in his final days at Virginia Mason hospital who were inspired by him and adored him. A message from George O. Darkenwald recorded on September 11, 2016 “To my immediate family of forty years. To my wife, Saint Linda, wife, mother, grandmother extraordinaire. Amanda, Sean, Ryan, Angeli, Kurt, Tim, Morganne, Jordan, Sydney, Carson, Kylee, Sophia, and Avery. I’m speaking to you from my hospital bed at Virginia Mason. I may not be returning to my physical home, but YOU are my home. What a privilege to have you as my family. My message to you is about the past, the present, and the future. When I was a 4 month old orphan in Fargo, North Dakota, my parents selected me, took me home, and named me after George Oscar Darkenwald, the father of my father. I was affectionately called “Skip” from day one. My parents introduced me to a wonderful, wonderful family….the Darkenwalds. Some many years later, on a blind date, your mother and I fell in love. (Yes, that does happen often). Your mother welcomed me into your family, and you became my family. What a wonderful forty years it has been. I have been blessed to be surrounded by a galaxy of other family and friends, as well. God has been very, very good to me. I pray for each of you every day. And I mean each of you; not in a mass or in a group, but one by one. I believe in miracles. I believe in the resurrection of the body and of life everlasting. I recite from memory the Credo, the Our Father, every day. I believe in those words, though I may not always know what those words mean. I don’t really know what eternal life means, but I believe in it. I don’t really understand what life everlasting means, but certainly look forward to sharing with you what I find out. I think it will be very good, and I look forward to sharing life eternal with Mom, my beloved, beloved wife, my dearest friend, the love of my life, my life…..and all of you. I love you all very much, and I am thankful and confident that we will all live together forever. I love you all.” G.O.D. A celebration of George’s life that he planned during his last few weeks of life will be held on September 26 at noon at St. Michael’s Parish at 1208 11th Avenue SE, Olympia with a reception immediately following. McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory are assisting with George’s funeral.