THURSTON BARR AMES

Former La Conner resident Thurston Barr “T.B.” Ames died at age 90 on Saturday, July 5 in the loving care of his children and the wonderful staff of Rosario Assisted Living in Anacortes.

He was born in Ossining, New York on May 9, 1924 To Helen Aird Ames and Edward Maurice Ames and was a fun-loving sibling to Shirley Keeler, Ned and Jimmy.

T.B. was a dominating force of personality. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served as a pilot during World War II and in the Korean War and retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1962.

Piloting a transport flight from Marseilles to Casablanca, T.B. met the young Army nurse who would become his wife, Phyllis M. Currey. They were wed in Germany in 1945.

After his military career, T.B. succeeded in business and retired as vice president of Northern Life Insurance Co. and began his own successful incentives business, Ames & Shoemaker. He and Phyllis retired in Anacortes and lived for a few years at La Conner Retirement Inn. Phyllis died in 2006.

T.B. was captain of the Phyllis M. sloop, father to Robert T. Ames (Sue Schiesser), Kathryn M. Morrison, and William E. Ames (Gretchen Chambers) and a memorable grandfather to Amber, Brian, Aubrey, Nick and Ava, and great-grandfather to Jack, Cassie, Kenzie and Amalia.

He was a planet of immense social gravity to which all were attracted. T.B.’s stories were ribald, his humor was outrageous, he took his gin on the rocks and he never will be forgotten by anyone who met him.

To share memories of T.B., please sign the online guest register at http://www.evanschapel.com