In Memory: Founder of Camano City Schoolhouse

Jim Turk, age 91 of Fairhaven, passed away peacefully at home on April 29, 2020 surrounded by family. Born in Enumclaw, WA, the only child of Mildred Tougaw and Joseph Jacob Turk, he was raised in Waukegan, IL. 

Jim embraced every day with gusto. He savored each conversation and relished beauty in nature and cultures around the world. His advice would be to "always take the scenic route". He was a graduate of Waukegan High School and the University of Iowa. While stationed as a captain with the U.S. Air Force in Fukuoka, Japan, he met the love of his life, Michie Sugimoto; they married in Japan in 1957. After a Kyoto honeymoon, they began their married life in Evanston, IL. His career began an Pan American Airways. Relocating to the West Coast in 1960, he worked as an account executive in the cosmetics industry in California and later Washington. 

Jim was a lover of sunlight, strong coffee, dark chocolate, all citrus, a good crusty bread, the nuances of the English language, alliteration, libraries, New Yorker cartoons, and dabbling in languages (Spanish, Japanese, French, and a little Farsi). 

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years; his cross-cultural family of 3 children: Lia (Kamran);Trina (Jonathan) and Carter (Debbie) and 4 grandchildren: Kima (Gwendolyn), Kalina, Taylor and Talus. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Camano Island Schoolhouse Foundation or The Nature Conservancy. Camanoschoolhouse.org or nature.org. 

Estamos contigo, Diego. "See you on the other side."