William "Bill" George Iffrig

William was born to Clarence and Fannie (Blofeld) Iffrig on June 13, 1934, in Everett, Washington. He grew up in the Riverside neighborhood in Everett and graduated from Everett High School in 1953. He met Donna Ayres on a blind date and married her a year later, in 1954. Their daughter Susan arrived shortly after that, followed by two sons, Mark and Curt. Our dad and mom were married and devoted to each other for 69 years.

After high school, our dad worked as a carpenter at the Weyerhaeuser sulfite pulp mill for twenty years. When it seemed like the mill might close down, he moved to Scott Paper Company, where he worked as a mason for twenty-two years until he retired in 1994.

In 1964, at the young age of thirty, he spent a year working in the evenings after work and on weekends to build our family's home. This home was our gathering place, where we met for comfort and celebration until they moved after 53 joyful years.

In 1971, he became the scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 43 in Lake Stevens and served for five years. Along with a strong core of other fathers, he continued a tradition of taking the group camping one weekend every month, rain or shine, and a week-long backpacking trip every summer. Later in life, he loved reminiscing about this time, remembering the boys and other fathers, and laughing about our rainy hiking and camping adventures.

While hiking with the Scouts, he developed a love for the mountains and enrolled in the Everett Mountaineers Basic Climbing course in 1976. He was active in that organization for the next two decades, eventually serving as branch chair and trustee. He particularly enjoyed the climbing courses, teaching new students to climb and leading them on climbing trips. In recognition of his service to the club, he was awarded the Branch Distinguished Service Award in 1984 and the Ken Nelson Award for contributions to the climbing program in 1988. He climbed mountains extensively, including an attempt on Mount McKinley, summits in the Tetons, and hundreds of classic routes and summits in the Cascades.

While in his early forties, our dad discovered his life's passion for running. He found he had a natural ability as a runner that, combined with his discipline and drive, led to a forty-year running career during which he became one of the most accomplished masters runners in the northwest. Competing in his age division, he won thirty-six national championships and countless local races. Perhaps as much as the races and competition, he simply loved to run and the camaraderie he shared with other runners. For him, a highlight of any day was to meet up with his friends and go for a run.

In 2013, when he was seventy-eight, he drew national attention when he was knocked to the ground by a bomb at the Boston Marathon. The subsequent media attention he received surprised and overwhelmed him and our family. The major TV networks all interviewed him, and his picture was featured on the front page of many newspapers nationwide and the cover of Sports Illustrated. Even President Obama mentioned him in a speech. Through all the craziness, he kept his perspective and stayed true to who he was.

For all of his accomplishments, we will always remember him most for the love and care he showed his family. For us kids, he was a patient teacher of life’s lessons and strived to provide us with opportunities to pursue our own interests. He gave us the confidence we needed and encouraged us to try things for ourselves while always being there to guide us through any challenges. He instilled in us his love of adventure and the outdoors, and we have countless unforgettable memories of camping, hiking, running, climbing, canoeing, and skiing with him. Whenever we needed help, he was always there to come to our rescue. Calm in a crisis, he made any problem seem solvable merely by being there. He was a humble, kind, and hardworking person who lived life to the fullest, always maintaining a positive outlook no matter what. We loved and admired him and will always cherish our memories of him.

William is survived by his two children, Susan (Michael) Shephard, and Mark (Lynnae) Iffrig; 4 grandchildren, Kyrsta (Joshua) Carpenter, Curt (Anna) Iffrig, Eric (Janet) Shephard, Amanda (Brad) Iffrig; 2 great grandchildren, Brooklyn Basten, and Michael Thurston and 2 sisters, Doris Frazier and Neila Winders. He was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Iffrig; his son Curt Iffrig; and his parents Clarence Iffrig and Fannie Brearly.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 1:30pm at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 2111 117th Ave NE, Lake Stevens WA 98258. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Boy Scout Troop 43 (Lake Stevens) or Ebenezer Lutheran Church Choir.