Ora Bernard Milton

Ora Bernard Bernie Milton was born October 6th, 1915 in Farmer City, Illinois and peacefully died in his Shoreline, Washington home with family at his side on August 22nd, 2010. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Marya Price Polly Milton on February 13th, 2010. Together they shared a life full of love and caring for each other and their many friends. Their ashes were buried together in a private ceremony with family in attendance. At a very young age, Bernie was drafted into the Army at the onset of WWII and eagerly pted his call to duty. He served all throughout the Asia/Pacific theater in places like Okinawa, Japan, the Philippine Islands and other remote areas. Always a leader and quick thinker, Bernie was rapidly promoted to Non-Commissioned Officer status and ultimately attained the rank of Sergeant. Toward the end of his 5 year military campaign, Bernie was transferred to Boeing Field in Seattle. Although his primary duties required him to drive a Jeep, he also performed surveillance and guard type duties during the many mandatory blackouts for the area. Although he held a strong conviction and seriousness for his duties, he was able to find some time for fun during his off hours, and this usually involved activities with the local girls. Little did he know that his life was about to change in a profound way.. Bernie loved to dance and so did Polly. During that era, there were many local taverns and dancehalls for the people to enjoy. One night at one of the taverns, their paths crossed and the destiny of Bernie and Polly could not be changed. As Polly once said, I played hard to get, but I couldnt resist, so I asked him to dance. Bernie was obviously a good dancer. As with most fairy tales, they immediately fell in love and soon married on New Years Eve in 1945.. true romantics! Bernie then settled into the Northwest style of living with his new family and their extended group of friends. They started out around Haller Lake in North Seattle and then eventually moved/settled into their Shoreline home in 1955. Bernie had a varied and rewarding work career. One of his first jobs was as a driver for the upscale store, Frederick and Nelsons, and then a small local company that was building national recognition..United Parcel Service. Also around this time frame, Polly had opened up one of the first Laundromats in the Seattle area and Bernie helped when time permitted. From here, Bernie did tile work and transitioned into a Crew Boss to black top and pave major roads around the region - like Interstate 5 and others. After this rewarding job ended, he went on to work and then semi-retire as a delivery driver from Diesel/Sound Oil. Shortly after this retirement, Bernies need to keep busy led him to work for the Seattle Times as a courier and distribution driver for a few years. As you can expect, Bernie knew all the shortcuts and best routes to take around the Seattle area. Although Bernie woke up early and worked a full day, his nights and weekends were times where he could embrace one of his true passions..tinkering. To most people, tinkering on something might be a waste of time, but not to Bernie. Here, he was able to unleash his creativity and hone his craftsman type skills on various home projects from building technical and precise cabinets, to an elevated deck, to a major remodeling of the basement into a workshop, bedroom/bathroom and entertainment room with bar. His best buddy and brother-in-law, Jack Babe Halley, was usually at his side keeping him happy and full of laughter. Bernie now had another outlet for his craftsmanship and a reason to tinker some more, when Polly and daughter Virginia Fink collaborated to open up Crazy Quilt based in Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco, CA. This store featured hand-made NW quilts, patchwork clothing, stuffed animals (Polly loved ducks!!) and hand-crafted wooden trucks, cars, boats, and bird houses just to name a few. If this wasnt enough activity, Polly started PM Enterprises later in the 1970s to design and produce quilted uniforms for auto racers, hydroplane racers and costumes for entertainers. As you can guess, this became more tinkering for Bernie as he contributed and collaborated in many ways. This also enabled Bernie to tap into the experience and knowledge of his racing days to design and develop new products. Originally located across from Pike Place Market on Union St. in downtown Seattle, they eventually moved and expanded and to a larger location in South Seattle. It wasnt all work in no play for Bernie and Polly. In fact, there was never a dull moment at the Milton residence. There was always some type of activity going onnamely group bar-b-qs that always involved family, good friends and plenty of laughter. When things got wild, the dancing started. They always said thats how we could tell if it was a good party or not. All throughout these busy years of work and celebrations, both Bernie and Polly were great mentors for the younger generation; daughter Virginia, nieces Mary and Debbi, nephews Bill, Jim, Tim and Tyrone, and grandchildren Melinda and Michael. All of the neighborhood kids were also lured into the various tinkerings going on in the Milton household. These activities and interactions no doubt kept Bernie Polly youthful and open-minded. As with all those they touched, they deeply cherished and embraced these relationships. In closing and in very short summary, Bernie was meticulous and organized about his home, his garden, his clothing, his car and his appearance. He was passionate about Seattle sports (Mariners Baseball, University of Washington football, Seahawks football, Sonics Basketball, Seafair) and last but not leastNASCAR racing. In the 60s he built and maintained a midget race car with his brother-in-law Babe Halley, driven by the outstanding racer Shorty Templeton. Bernie is survived by his younger siblings; sister Shirley Short Clifton (Weldon, IL) and brothers Bob (Weldon, IL) and Bill (Edmonds, WA). Aside from all of these cherished encounters and many untold stories and events, his true passion was Polly. He loved her very deeply and was devastated by her passing in February of 2010. They were each others lifeline and depended on each other in so many ways. They are now at peace and share each others love once again. We will miss your spirits!