Adolph Paul “Mickey” Meisch, Sr. died at his home surrounded by family on Nov. 26, 2011. He was born Nov. 22, 1926, in Aurora, Ill., to Adolph C. and Rosamond Meisch, the oldest of seven children. Adolph was an award winning ice and roller figure skater. At the age of 17, he quit high school and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was married to Dolores M. Trafton in Anacortes on Jan. 26, 1946.
Mickey developed a love of flying as a young man and purchased his own plane.
Flying became his second love and he continued flying into the 1990s. He served as an aircraft mechanic with the Navy, retiring on his birthday in 1967 as an ADRC (E-7).
Adolph spent his last duty station at Sand Point Naval Station, Seattle and made his home in Bothell. Following retirement, he began a second 20-year career as chief mechanic with Kenmore Air. While in Bothell, Adolph and Dolores were active members of St. Brendan’s Catholic Church.
In 1990, the Meisches grew tired of the traffic of the city and moved to Oak Harbor. Mickey was an avid builder of models, pop-can airplanes, building display models and flying models. He was a longtime Boy Scout leader and a former commissioner with the Boy Scouts of America. He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid bicyclist for many years.
Adolph and Dolores were active members of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Coupeville, members of the PBY/Catalina International Association (CIA) and pioneer members (Plank Holders) of the PBYMF. He was a member of the Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 97, and the American Legion, George Morris Post 129, both of Oak Harbor, the AOPA, the Navy Museum of Flight of Pensacola, Fla., the Seattle Museum of Flight, and the Knights Of Columbus.
Mickey is survived by eight children, Dolores Struthers of Calloway, Minn., Rosanne Berkey (Bill) of Las Vegas, Adolph “Skip” Jr. of Oak Harbor, Cheryl (Doug) Parrott of Edmonds, Susan Meisch of Arlington, Wash., Tim Meisch Sr (Cheryl) of Bothell, Roberta Phillips (Craig) of Bothell, and Jill-ann Cooper of Atlanta; by two sisters, Rosanne Henningson of Naperville, Ill., and Roberta Bates of Batavia, Ill.; one brother, Tom Meisch, Sr. of Fresno, Calif; 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Nicholas C. Meisch (son), Tricia and Tracy Jackson (grandchildren), Duane Struthers (son-in-law), Roberta Meisch (daughter-in-law) and three brothers, John I., John B. and Richard J. Meisch preceded him in death.
Funeral mass for Adolph Meisch will be celebrated Friday, Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, Oak Harbor with Rev. Philip Raether as Celebrant and Rev. John Madigan as Con-Celebrant. Private family inurnment will follow at Grandview Cemetery, Anacortes, at a later date. Memorials may be made to the PBY Memorial Foundation, PO Box 941, Oak Harbor, WA 98277-0941.
Friends and family are encouraged to share memories and condolences at www.wallinfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home & Cremation, Oak Harbor.
