Services for Keith Leonard Gilson will be held Saturday, March 3, at Woodinville Cemetery. For details, call (425) 788-1965.

Keith was born Sept. 14, 1929, in San Francisco, Calif. and died Feb. 6, 2007, in Woodinville, Wash.

He attended schools in the San Mateo and was a graduate of San Mateo College, U.S. Power Squadron, U.S. Air Force Academy (Texas), California.

He was owner of Gilson’s Union Oil, California and Washington; supervisor of Pacific Northwest for American Tire and Whitefront Stores, Washington; a KMART manager, and a lead supervisor in charge of crating Alaska pipeline insulation panels for Owen’s Corning FiberGlass. As a journeyman sheetmetal worker for Polar Sea and Polar Star, he was injured on AS-39 Subtender. After recovering, he worked on the U.S.S. Nimitz air craft carrier as a sheetmetal mechanic and troubleshooter.

He overcame many surgeries and medical diagnoses during his life and always kept a positive attitude as he continued on with his life. He was strong willed man with a large heart and brain.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Joan E. Gilson; his son, Kurt R. Gilson; sisters, Kay (Mulligan) Hoyt, and Karmen Royer (Preston); nephews. Capt. Geoff Mulligan, Terry Royer and Tim Royer; and friends, Chris Gburski and John Coughlin. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elsie and George Gilson.

Keith was instrumental in the purchasing of land for Woodinville High School, He stepped forward for the third grade children of Cottage Lake Elementary when they were being bussed to Northshore Junior High during construction and suffering health problems as a result.

He was an active fisherman of California and Washington lakes and rivers, He loved the outdoors and generally carried a fishing rod at all times. He loved traveling, boating and fishing on Puget Sound and Hat (Gedney) Island where he built a 2,400-square- foot house with his son Kurt. He was also on the Board of Trustees for Hat Island.

He loved spending time with his family and friends and would occasionally take a spur-of-the-moment trip to camp or spend the night, sometimes going as far as Glacier National Park for a two-day trip.

As a teen he would often take 70-mile hikes during the summers.

He played football with such greats as Burl Toller, Olli Matson, Ed Brown, and Bill Walsh (future coach of the San Francisco 49ers).

Keith also spent time as a taper and assistant for the Detroit Lions football team.

He enjoyed snow skiing and was the founder of the Sierra Ski Club at Squaw Valley and Dodge Ridge, He was a snowmobiler, a world class swimmer, waterskier, boater, and a voracious reader (especially history), He often visited museums to see artifacts he had read about.

He had been an instrument-rated airplane pilot since 1951 and took a 50th anniversary flight in 2001 with his son Kurt at Harvey Airfield,

He enjoyed playing golf and in his last years traveled to Hat Island with his family and his Samoyed dog Kodiak by his side. Keith was a loving husband, father, brother and friend. A nephew said of him: “He is a larger than life character with positive can-do attitude.”