Jerry Thorsen, 76, died May 6, 2009, of mantle cell lymphoma.
He was one of the founding members of our Society. In fact it is thanks to Jerry we call it a Society. While it was generally agreed on what not to call the group, no one want a yacht club, that did not mean they knew what to call it. Jerry came up with the name the South Sound Sailing Society during a planning meeting in his kitchen. It has served us well so far.
Jerry owned and raced an Yankee 30 called Acquavit, then a Crown 34 called General Delivery. General Delivery was named after the boat was delivered to the port by a trucker with no other address or contact information. One day after Jerry made the order, the boat just showed up. Crown boats said “Well we knew you lived in Olympia, and we figured you would find it.”.
Jerry worked for the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources, the state’s geological survey. Amoung other things, he was an author of parts of the Washington Department of Ecology’s Coastal Zone Atlas and, with a co-author, wrote a manual to help owners of shoreline property minimize bluff erosion. In 1966, he earned his M.S. in geology from Washington State University. One of his reports about earthquake hazards in Washington won a national award. He retired in 1988 and was a consultant, particularly in slope stability issues in Jefferson and Island Counties. He moved from Olympia to Port Townsend in the mid-1980s where he was a volunteer with the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.
His widow is Katherine Reed; they were married in Bellevue in May 1999. He was formerly married to Gwyneth King Thorsen, of Wenatchee; and Beryl Hodge Thorsen, deceased. He is survived by his daughter Peggy, of Lynden. At his and the families’ request, there is no service. Burial will be private. Arrangements are being handled by The Neptune Society.
Memorial contributions may be made to:
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Washington/Alaska Chapter
530 Dexter Avenue North, Suite 300
Seattle, WA. 98109
or
Port Townsend Marine Science Center
200 Battery Way
Port Townsend, WA. 98368
or
Cascade Christian Home
131 West King Tut Rd.
Lynden, WA. 98264