Jay V. Salkield

Jay V. Salkield died in Bellingham, Wash., on April 22 at the age of 97.

He was born in Salt Lake, Utah on May 2, 1914 to Joseph and Luella Salkield.

He was W7RWL to the ham radio world. He married Betty Singleton on September 12, l934, after he had graduated from Dietrich High School in Idaho. While working for the Union Pacific Railroad he learned Morse code and became a telegraph operator for the railroad during the second World War. In 1945, he and Betty purchased the Dietrich Mercantile store and ran it until 1954.

He became an airplane pilot who flew for the Idaho Fish and Game Department in addition to being instrumental in building the Dietrich air strip and hanger for his plane. He was also appointed a Deputy Sheriff for the county and was a Boy Scout Master for seven years.

After selling the Dietrich Merc for health reasons, he and Betty moved to Warden, for one year and then on to Seattle, to work in electronics for Boeing Airplane Company for two years. Then they moved to Ritzville, as the Tidewater Oil Distributor and then purchased the Empire Motel.

While in Ritzville, he was a city council member for 12 years. The couple retired in 1976 and built their retirement home on the Ritzville Golf Course.

They have one son, Larry (Audrey) Salkield of Seattle; two grandchildren, Andy (Mary) Salkield of Bellingham and Molly (Frank) Lawrence of Seattle; plus great-grandchildren Chloe and Oscar Salkield of Bellingham, all of which will miss him very much.

A private family celebration of life is schedule next month.

Arrangements, online obituary, and guestbook by Whatcom Cremation & Funeral, 360-734-7073, http://www.wcremation.com.