Obituary

The Gentle Giant is gone.

Vic Andresen, 73, died peacefully with his wife, Jean, at his side on 1/25/17. Vic died of heart failure. He was born in Berkeley, CA on March 4, 1943, the third child of Raymond and Celia Andresen.
Vic’s love of travel started at a young age when he celebrated his 5th birthday traveling back from Bahrain where his father had built a refinery. The journey via BOAC flying boats, train, and Vulcania Oceanliner took twenty-one days from Bahrain to SanFrancisco. What a thrill for a 5 year old! The family settled in New York where Vic attended Purchase Grammar School and graduated from Rye High School in 1962. Vic was a Boy Scout during his formative years. He spent a summer at Philmont Scout Ranch. This experience reinforced his love of the outdoors.

Vic earned a business degree from University of Montana in 1967. He moved to California and worked for Wells Fargo Bank from 1967-73.

On Memorial Day, 1971, he met his future wife, Jean Schuler, on a Sierra Club hike. One year later on Memorial Day, Vic and Jean tied the knot amongst the Giant Sequoias of Calaveras Big Trees State Park. They enjoyed many years of hiking and traveling.
In 1980, his love of the outdoors led him to attend Fresno State University and earn an MS in Geology. He spent 13 years working for Mobil Oil as a petroleum geologist. His specialty was finding gas fields in Kansas. In 1994, Vic joined the US Forest Service as a hydrologist. His extensive knowledge of Southern California watersheds made him an expert in forest rehabilitation after wildfire damage. Vic retired from the Angeles National Forest in 2006. He enjoyed many hiking and camping trips with his fellow Forest Service friend and retiree, Richard Borden. Vic and his brother, Fred, traveled to Denmark to explore their ancestry. Later he volunteered for EarthWatch Expeditions in Iceland, Skagit Valley, and Costa Rica. He also volunteered at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. Vic delighted in starting plants, from cherry tomatoes to Giant Sequoias, from seed.

Vic and Jean moved to Bellingham in 2011. He continued his volunteer work with the Community Boating Center and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, where he was honored as Volunteer of the Year in 2013. He wrote three Salmon Science articles for the NSEA newsletter, Fish Tales. Vic has been an active member of Sunrise Rotary since moving to Bellingham.

He continues to serve for the greater good. His body was donated to Lake Washington Institute of Technology for their funeral service education. Vic is predeceased by his parents and his sister Anita Priessman(1965). He is survived by his wife Jean; brother, Fred (Carol); nephews Gary (Beth), Paul (Elizabeth) and Erik (Lorraine) Priessman; niece, Nancy Jones (Allen); and ten great nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Vic’s life will be held in the spring when the rhododendrons bloom.
Memorial gifts may be sent to
Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, PO Box 32594, Bellingham 98228;
Community Boating Center, 555 Harris Ave, Bellingham 98225; or
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N College Ave, Claremont, CA 91711