Richard Lawrence Timbers Obituary
Rich was born on October 10th, 1926 in Chicago, Ill. The only child of Lawrence and Marcella (Subis) Timbers, he spent his early years being raised by his Aunt Ann while his parents toured the country as a chautauqua lecturer and circus chorus line singer.
In his eighth year Rich was reunited with his parents in Seattle where he graduated from Queen Anne High School and subsequently went into the military. As Rich was crossing the Pacific to be part of the land assault on Japan, he was saved from probable death by the blinding light of technology and the tragedy that oftentimes accompanies it. Having served the remainder of his time as a medical technician in the Philippines he returned to Seattle where, thanks to the GI bill and an injury sustained in basic training, he attended and graduated from the University of Washington.
While at the University, he met the love of his life, Shirley Goddard (07/02/1928 - 06/02/2021). Shirley was from Klickitat County, Washington in an area now underwater thanks to the unrelenting march of progress. In this case the expansion of the Grand Coulee Dam. She and her brother, Addison "Laddie", were raised by their mother, Ilma, their father having decided that a wife and two small children was an inconvenience not to be bothered with.
Shirley was able to attend the University thanks to academic achievement as well as grants for the poverty stricken. Thus, thanks to government "hand-outs," she and Rich met, had a family and were able to contribute towards a better society.
Rich graduated from the University with a degree in accounting. A few years later, while sitting across the table from the soon to be retiring head accountant, he had an epiphany as to what his life as the future head of accounting would be like. Rich promptly started to work for his father in his small printing and advertising notions shop. After he bought the shop, through hard work, a bit of luck, constant integrity and the lessons learned by growing up during the depression, he was able not only to keep the shop afloat during numerous economic downturns but to grow it. Becoming concerned that his employees did not have health insurance, Rich started providing it long before it was customary for businesses to do so.
While Rich spent much of his time on business the more valuable portion of his life was devoted to other activities. He, along with Shirley, were not only founding members of the Bellevue Christian Church, they literally dug the foundation. They also bought a house which had a dirt cellar for canned goods and a foundation of tree stumps in an area made fun of for being where poor trash lived. But it gave Shirley the "farm" she wanted and with six and a half acres and its own island they could raise goats, cows, chickens and geese. And cats. There were always cats. Later, after multiple tech giants moved into the area, it was made fun of for being where the rich trash lived.
There they also raised their three children, Shelley, Heidi and Brock. While Shirley lead the girls Bluebirds and Campfire Girls meetings Rich always found the time to help coach Brock's soccer teams. A constant source of embarrassment to their children was the fact that very often they were some of the only parents who showed up for their children's activities. Sometimes "the wisdom of children" takes a day off.
Family camping trips were an important part of life and Rich always made time for them. More important were the nightly dinners with the entire family where the good silverware was always used, because what are you saving it for?
After their children left, Rich and Shirley built their dream house and changed from having one bathroom for five people to three for two. Not being much for hobbies, Rich never the less took great pride and joy in the landscaping and maintenance of the Timberly "estate."
When Rich retired, he and Shirley took their "trip of a lifetime" to Europe with friends Ben and Norinne Keeney. They subsequently realized what living a modest lifestyle had provided them and took several more.
Much of Rich's life was devoted to showing Shirley how much he loved her. He gave her goofy, elaborate, handmade gifts. He sent her up in a hot air balloon and a glider. He even arranged for her to operate (strictly on a need-to-know basis) a backhoe doing culvert excavation. And though, on occasion, Shirley might call him, "Richard!" or his hearing aid batteries might, "need replacing," through nearly 70 years of marriage he always felt lucky to have found her.
On February 2nd, 2022, in the 96th year of his life, Richard Lawrence Timbers died. His death certificate says the cause of death was Covid. In reality, he just wanted to be with his best girl.
Rich is survived by his children Shelley, Heidi and Brock (Margaret). Grandchildren Logan, Tristan and Christy (Bret). Great grandchildren Jessica and Jamie.
