Ulf Rasmussen Obituary

ULF RASMUSSEN
December 30, 1943 ~ November 12, 2013

Ulf Rasmussen passed away peacefully early in the morning of November 12 at Salmon Creek Legacy Hospital. Many friends were able to visit him before his passing, and his special helper and dedicated friend Mandy Olsen was with him when he left this world.

Ulf was born December 30, 1943, to Erling and Gunvor Rasmussen in his mother's hometown of Tromso in northern Norway. Since his father was an army officer, the family moved frequently. As a youngster he played the trumpet in a marching band. Ulf grew up with walks in the woods and in the mountains; fishing, picking berries, and collecting mushrooms. He became an eager lifelong fisherman, both in fresh and salt water.

He went to high school at The Cathedral School in Trondheim, the oldest school in Norway, established in the year of 1152. He served his country in His Majesty the King's Guard in Oslo.Ulf completed graduate studies in zoophysiology at The University of Oslo, specializing in fish biology.

Ulf met his wife Janet Elaine (Guthrie) Rasmussen in Oslo in 1971. They were married in her hometown of Paxton, Illinois in June 1972 and made their first home in Cambridge, MA. The marriage ended in divorce in 2004.

Upon moving to the US, Ulf became a research fellow at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. A move to Washington State in 1977 provided a welcome opportunity to resume work with fish biology. Courses in fish culture at the University of Washington led to employment with the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (1979-1996) and a rewarding career in fish hatchery management. He served the Lakewood hatchery as assistant manager and later manager and also spent significant time at the Skookumchuck and Skamania hatcheries.

From 1996-2001, Ulf dedicated himself to public relations and hospitality at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA; during that period, he served on the board of directors for the Western Virginia Land Trust and for Opera Roanoke. In 2001, he retired in Vancouver, WA.

A world-wide traveler, he was fascinated with tropical climates and thoroughly enjoyed his travels to coral reefs and rainforests. Ulf was a lover of Dobermans and was preceded in death by his dogs, Idun, Tora and Loke. His last dog, Jada, has returned to her earlier home.

Ulf remained a Norwegian citizen all his life.

He is survived by his brother, Erlend Rasmussen, sister, Torunn Angell, niece, Ida Olsen, and grand nephew, Leon, all of Oslo, Norway. He is missed by his many friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, November 30 at Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 3500 NW 129th St, Vancouver, WA. A reception will follow.

Please sign Ulf's Guest Book at www.columbian.com/obits.

Published by The Columbian on Nov. 24, 2013.
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To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Memories and Condolences
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6 Entries

Oh Ulf, how I miss you. My Sundays will never be the same, I can't bear to turn off my Ulf alarm yet. You were an incredible man who will always have a special place in my heart. Your sense of humor and kind, gentle soul have made an quite impact on my life and many others. You'll never know how much you meant to me. Thank you for all the memories! I'm proud and grateful to have known you. It is a relief to me that your journey to the other side was peaceful and you are no longer in pain. Rest in peace, my old man friend. You may be gone, but you won't be forgotten.

Mandy Olsen

December 8, 2013

I will miss Ulf a great deal. I cleaned for him on occasion and had enjoyed visiting him. He was a very kind and generous soul. His jolly humor never failed to make me laugh. Rest peacefully, Ulfie.

Jesse Harrison

December 6, 2013

Ul - Ul ... Jonathan, I shall always remember M Fish, the cheese, Jessie, fruit trees with too much fruit, your dobermans, and our shared sense of humour that no one else really understood. LOL Mostly I miss you bothering me. Thank you for the off-timed last visit. I thought it would be your last and it was. I do miss you my viking friend. Love and Blessings Amy

Amy Loughrey

December 6, 2013

Love you, Ulfie.

Trudy Swan

November 25, 2013

If you wish to send a card to his family who lives in Norway, please send it in care of me and I will be sure they get them. ERLEND and Ida will be here for the memorial, and we hope many of Ulf's friends can attend!

Thank you-

c/o Sheri Tonn
7311 East Side Drive NE
Tacoma,WA 98422

Sheri Tonn

November 24, 2013

Ulfie meant a lot to me and my husband Rick. I met him as a customer at WinCo foods and he became a very good friend to us. He used to bring me all kinds of goodies from his garden, bosc pears, flowers, greens - he had a very generous heart and we loved him. He is missed and we hope that he is at peace, knowing he lived a life well lived. Love you Ulfie.

Julie Meyer

November 23, 2013

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