In loving memory of
Ole Bakken
December 10, 1927 - March 9, 2023
On March 9th, 2023 we said goodbye to Ole Arvid Bakken. Ole was born on the island of Vaeroy in the Lofoten Islands in Norway on December 10, 1927 to Jacob and Hanna Bakken. After spending his childhood in northern Norway, he graduated from School and made his way to Oslo where he met his future wife Eli Steensen while they both worked at the Norsk Telegrafverket phone company.
Ever the ambitious student, Ole had an opportunity to pursue an education at the University of Washington in Seattle where he thrived and graduated with a degree in Engineering. Soon after graduating, Eli joined Ole in the US where they married in Bellingham on February 2nd, 1957.
Ole had an acclaimed 35-year career at Boeing where he received numerous awards and honors, working on multiple high-profile projects in flight, aerospace, and international consulting. During his time at Boeing, he also continued his education, achieving both a Masters' degree from Seattle University as well as a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington.
Despite his demanding job and challenging pursuits of post-graduate degrees, his career and education never took precedence over his family. In fact, he declined many opportunities that would have meant more time away from home, prioritizing instead evenings and weekends with his young family. As a family, we have some amazing memories of camping and hiking in the Cascade Mountains, incredible summers in eastern Washington, and time at the beach and cabin on Camano Island.
Ole had a passion for projects and was the ultimate DIY handyman! Whether fixing a roof, electrical wiring, plumbing, or building a cabin ground-up on Camano Island, he took on anything with an "I can do it!" attitude! After retirement, he actually worked with an architect to build a dream home on Camano. After a few years, they decided to move closer to Seattle and he took on yet another project remodeling their home in Richmond Beach where he did nearly all the work himself to restore the house to mint condition.
Despite some health setbacks over the last few years and the loss of his beautiful wife Eli in 2022, Ole was remarkably one of the most upbeat, high-spirited, and caring people you would ever meet. He loved to laugh, tell jokes, and keep everyone entertained. He was truly a positive spirit with a quick wit and youthful sense of humor.
We also need to thank Lina, Mira and all the wonderful caregivers with Estalita Su home care who took such amazing care of both Eli and Ole which allowed them to stay in their home in Richmond Beach to the end.
Ole is survived by his loving family - Jan, Inger, Cris, and their families, his nephews and niece in Norway, his friends at the Harbor Square Health Club in Edmonds, and wonderful friends in the community.
Ole (Dad) constantly told us to "Enjoy today, for it will never come back." Wise words indeed.
We will miss him dearly.