John Vatcher of Shoreline, WA passed away peacefully on May 30, 2023 after a courageous struggle with Leiomyosarcoma. He was 66 years old.
John was born in Providence, Rhode Island. The oldest of three boys, he was raised on the east coast, but the Pacific Northwest called to him at an early age and he moved west immediately after graduating from Penn State in 1980.
John is survived by the love of his life, Ellen Forgett Vatcher, brothers Rob ( Erin ) of Little Compton Rhode Island, Steve ( Ginny ) of Kennebunk Maine, nieces Annie and Charlotte Vatcher, and nephews Jack and Teddy Vatcher. He will also be dearly missed by Ellen’s children, Sean and Morgan McCurdy.
John had a successful career in the forest products industry and became a recognized expert in the design and manufacture of wood and vinyl windows. After working in engineering roles for several window companies, he eventually became the part-owner of Weathervane Windows in the Seattle area.
John’s true passions came through in his love for the outdoors, cooking for friends and family, and cheering for the Boston Red Sox. He was also a devoted practitioner of the Theravada lineage of Buddhism, integrating meditation and Pali teachings into his daily life.
John’s practice and the love he shared with Ellen and her children made the final decade of his life by far the happiest. His calm and steady presence, selfless acts of kindness, and desire to make others laugh are deeply missed.
His nieces and nephews adored him, and he never forgot a birthday, or missed recognizing a major life milestone. He usually took over the cooking at family gatherings, sparing all of us from the casseroles of our youth, and making family events feel celebratory.
We will miss his bolognese and pulled pork tacos.
John was always and especially game for a spontaneous ski trip, and he never let sound judgement stand in the way of having a good adventure. Somehow, he always managed to find a way to get the car out of the snowbank, find beer in a dry town, and obtain lodging with an outdoor hot tub.
On the slopes he was easy to spot in his onepiece “Elvis” ski suit; something he wore way back when that attire was cool, then when not cool, and most recently, alas, when it was cool again. He had no patience for “gapers”, who according to John’s definition, are the people who spend way too much time staring down the ski trail mustering their courage.
He loved backpacking, and Washington’s Wonderland Trail loop was one of his favorites. As a backpacker, John did not set out to conquer mountains, but to temporarily live among them, walking softly and deliberately, experiencing solitude while taking in the sounds and smells of the forest.
His love of the outdoors was a perfect complement to his meditation practice.
As he moved through treatment for his cancer, John maintained a realistic outlook, while pursuing the best possible course of treatment to give him more time with Ellen.
He worked to remain in the present, regularly reminding himself “I’m OK right now.”
A celebration of John’s life will be planned for a later date in White Salmon, WA. In the meantime, you can raise a glass of your favorite pale ale in John’s honor and perform an act of loving kindness for yourself or someone else.
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