With Doug in heaven, the party's underway."Įricksen's brother Don Ericksen described him as a man "clear in his convictions who never wavered" and David Ericksen, the oldest brother, recalled his family standing outside St. "Doug did it right, without failure," Dansel said.
#DAVE ERICKSON BELLINGHAM WA PASTOR MOVIE#
They met while golfing, Dansel said, and midway through their round, Ericksen kicked off his Crocs to hit the ball barefoot, blasting Southern rock tunes from a speaker in his golf bag and quoting lines from the movie "Top Gun." "Doug Ericksen was the same man inside the room when no cameras were looking as he was when he was outside the room," Dansel said. "When it came to policy, Doug was a walking encyclopedia," Baumgartner said. "Clearly, he was in his element."īaumgartner spoke by video from Britain, describing Ericksen as a strong conservative but a pragmatic legislator who would reach across the aisle for Democratic support on key bills. "I looked at Doug and he had a look of awe and wonder on his face," Shockley said.
Once, when Shockley and Ericksen were kayaking off the San Juan Islands, a pod of orcas began breaching near them, and one large orca swam right under their tiny boats. "The most exhilarating and terrifying moments of my life happened with Doug," Shockley said. Shockley described Ericksen as an adventurer with a mischievous sense of humor. Speakers included Ericksen's brothers Don and David, his good friend Dave Shockley, and former state Sens. Senate Republican Leader John Braun presented Ericksen's wife Tasha Ericksen with a ceremonial Washington flag, representing his service to the state. Video screens played a selection of family photos showing Ericksen as a boy, hunting and fishing, playing high school sports, kayaking and backpacking, traveling to the Pyramids and Stonehenge, and in Southeast Asia. His brown wooden casket was decorated with a bouquet of white roses and the church altar glimmered with dozens of white candles.Ī Veterans of Foreign Wars color guard opened the ceremony, solemnly carrying the U.S. Family members asked that no photos or private recordings be made of the service. "We hold on to the hope of Doug's faith today," Fishbook said.Įricksen represented the 42nd Legislative District that includes northern Bellingham and northern Whatcom County for more than two decades - from 1998-2010 in the state House and from 2010-2021 in the state Senate.įew mourners wore facemasks to prevent spread of the coronavirus. Grant Fishbook of Christ the King, who officiated the service with about 250 family and friends attending. "He was someone who represented us all," said the Rev. 17 after a five-week battle with COVID-19. 29, at Christ the King Community Church in Bellingham.Įricksen, 52, died Dec. Doug Ericksen was remembered as a devoted family man, a devout Christian and a dedicated legislator in a funeral service Wednesday, Dec. No really, shoot him an email and grab some coffee.By Robert Mittendorf / The Bellingham Herald He can be reached at any time by phone or email. Either way, Pastor Joel would love to sit down with you over coffee at a local coffee shop and get to know you. He loves backpacking, the Pacific Northwest outdoors, technology, and coffee. Pastor Joel lives in Bellevue with his wife Christelle and their three children still in the home. It was at this time that God laid a burden on his heart for the people of Bellevue, to establish a new Baptist Church to reach his friends, colleagues, and neighbors. God called Pastor Joel to pastor and to preach and so he attended bible college and studied under his pastor at Foundation Baptist Church in Sammamish. He accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and God has been transforming his life ever since. For the first time in his life he was confronted with his sin and the truth of the eternal consequences that he would face. It was while he was working at Microsoft and raising a young family with his wife Christelle that someone brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ to him. Shortly thereafter he began working at Microsoft Corp. in technology and innovation management from Pacific Lutheran University. After graduating with his undergraduate degree he received a M.B.A. in cellular and molecular biology, while living in Bellevue. Pastor Joel is a native of the Puget Sound area and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S.