Obituary of Harold Haddock

HAROLD (HAL) RAY HADDOCK

Born to Dale and Cleo Haddock at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, on April 21, 1941, Hal passed away at age 74 in Green Valley, Arizona on April 26, 2015, from lung cancer. He is survived by wife, Danna, his step-daughter Bethnie (Jeff) Morrison, their children Kayleigh (TJ) Butenschoen and Logan Morrison, step-son Andy Beech, his children LaBrazia and Zoe, step-daughter Becky (Larry) Raney, daughter, Kimberly (Mark) Eibel, grandson, Austin, granddaughters, Emily and Amy as well as step-son, Mark (Charleen) Wallace, their children Nathan Brittni), Nicholas and Jessica, step-son Keith (Jodi) Wallace and their children Rachel and Graham. He was pre-deceased by his second wife, Valerie (Wallace) Haddock in 2005 and sister Billy Brewer in 2009.

Hal's early school years were spent in Wayne, Michigan before the family moved to Walla Walla, WA in the late forties. He attended Garrison Junior High and Walla Walla High school, graduating in 1959. He lettered in fifteen of the sixteen sports offered throughout high school: football, basketball, baseball and track. He continued his education at Washington State University where he played baseball as a pitcher and football as a half-back, full-back and left-footed punter for which he remains in the WSU record books. He also received his military training certificate for this two years of service in the ROTC and was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.

Hal transferred to Western Washington University in the fall of 1961 with several WSU football team mates, but elected to play baseball instead of football. This is where he met and married Beverly Sherman, the mother of his daughter, Kim. He played baseball with the semi-pro team, the Bellingham Bells, and in the spring of 1962 was signed to play for the New York Mets Organization. He played AAA ball in the California League for Santa Barbara and Salinas, 1962-64, and the New York-Penn League, 1964-65.

Hal then returned with his family to finish his degree in secondary education at WWU which he obtained in spring of 1968. He was hired that summer to teach at Nooksack Valley High School in social studies and physical education. He also became the head baseball coach and assistant football coach through 1973, later assuming the reins as head football coach. After thirty years of a very successful teaching and coaching career at Nooksack Valley High School, Hal retired in 1998. He was a substitute teacher there until 2002. Hal was recently recognized as having coached a few of the top 150 winning football teams to have played in Whatcom County over the last forty years. In addition to his coaching at the high school level, Hal returned to Western Washington University as an assistant football coach in the late 70's/ early 80's. He also was an excellent local basketball referee and with the WACO association. He was honored to have received several nods to go on to referee at several state tournaments.

In 1989, Hal married Valerie Wallace and lived in Sumas, Washington. After retiring, he and Val enjoyed traveling to Kauai, taking cruises to Europe and the Caribbean as well as motor-homing across the East Coast and Canada. They also spent time with family, friends and their church community. Hal enjoyed playing golf with friends around the area and was a course marshal for Homestead in Lynden, WA and as a volunteer for Professional events like the Bob Hope Classic in Palm Springs. His humor and love of the game kept his schedule full, playing with friends and family around the country.

In 2008, Hal married Danna Beech and they became Snowbirds traveling between Green Valley, Arizona and Everson, WA. In 2012 the couple became full time residents of Quail Creek in Arizona. He joined the Desert Hills Lutheran Church in 2012. Hal and Danna shared a love of traveling that included Hawaii and exotic cruises to the Middle East, Europe and South America. Hal relished telling the tale of the Somalia pirates and riding a camel. Both Hal and Danna continued their love of golf and spending time with friends and family over the last few years.Throughout his life, Hal has left an impact on each of the communities he lived. Whether he was teaching, coaching, playing golf or traveling , Hal had a knack of meeting strangers on a ball field, golf course or cruise who would soon become new friends, adding to a long list of people who admired Hal's gift and ability to create an immediate bond. His easy going sense of humor and ability to put people at ease, allowed everyone to feel they had been friends for life. Hal has left a legacy of friends and family who loved and admired him for his many talents, attributes and all he was to them, each in their own way. He will be missed by all whose lives he touched.

A memorial service is being held at Nooksack Valley High School, 3326 E Badger Rd, Everson, WA 98247 Saturday, May 9, 2015 at 1:00 P.M.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either of these foundations:

Whatcom Hospice Foundation: c/o Hal Haddock 2901 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham, WA. 98226-1851

-or-

Nooksack Valley Scholarship Foundation: c/o Hal Haddock PO Box 4337 Nooksack, WA. 98276

After high school and college, I moved to California working in San Francisco for an insurance company and later in San Ramon, Azusa, and El Monte for Aerospace companies.  

Have two wonderful children, a boy and a girl.  In 1980, I moved to Lacey, Wa. and married Gary Longmire (class of 58) and now share Gary's two children.  Between us we have six grandchildren.  We both worked for the State of Washington in information processing.  I retired in 1997.

in 1996 we moved to Grapeview, Wa. and love it here.  We live on the small island Treasure Island with a one-lane bridge.  It is a very rural community and we have met so many wonderful people.  The life here is easy and enjoy being involved with community projects.

We spend several months during the winter in our motorhome.  Seeing different areas of the United States has been great and our favorite trip was to Alaska. 

Sandra Lee Warren

April 12, 1941 – May 30, 2017