Erling I. Holand Born: February 18, 1920 Died: February 7, 2015 Erling was born to parents Henry and Augusta Holand on a homestead in Ambrose ND. His family moved to the Everett area early in his childhood. He was a child of the Depression and at the age of 15 he started yearly trips to Alaska on his own to work in canneries to help support himself and his family. His success at football at Everett HS provided him the opportunity to attend college when PLC’s coach Olson offered him a “scholarship”. Erling played guard on PLC’s great football teams of the early forties. A blind date in 1942 changed his life forever. Erling met Fern Irene Dahl and fell hopelessly in love. They eloped February 19, 1943, just before he was to start flight training for the Army AirCorp. During WWII Erling piloted a B-29 Superfortress on 35 combat bombing missions over Japan. He was awarded the Flying Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He finished his tour of duty just as the first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima from another B-29. Erling returned to Pacific Lutheran after the war, played one more year of football and graduated with a teaching degree. With his young family, son Dick born in October, 1944 and daughter Carolyn born in September, 1946, he started a 30 year career in the Shoreline School District. Erling taught elementary school for less than three years when he was tapped to begin administrative duties. He served as an elementary school principal until Shoreline High School was opened with Erling as its first VP. He then opened Shorecrest HS as its first principal and later served as Personnel Director for the Shoreline Schools. After Erling retired from his school career he and Fern traveled a bit and enjoyed their cabin on the water on Camano Island. They spent many winters in the Needles, CA area with frequent trips to Laughlin, NV. Erling and Fern travelled to Reno so often by car that he could recite the exact number of miles between any of the cities on their route. He started his second career when he went to work part-time for Longacres, the famed horse racing track in Tukwila. Erling worked as a teller at Longacres and then at Emerald Downs for 31 years. We joked that he had to take mandatory retirement this time at the age of 92. Erling and Fern were married 12 days short of 72 years. During those years of love and respect, they simply taught us by their example. They were always together and that’s the way they both wanted it to be. It seemed that almost everything he did was with Fern in mind. When Erling was asked the secret to his longevity, he replied, “ I married the right person.” Erling loved people and he loved life. He took nothing for granted, worked hard for everything he had, and thanked everyone for their generosity and care. He could fix anything with duct tape or rubberbands. He threw away nothing of “value”. He was funny and his love for all things Norwegian sometimes made him funnier. He always told us he loved us, but we already knew that. He always found the good in people and we loved him so. Erling leaves his wife Fern, son Dick and daughter-in-law Beth, daughter Carolyn, grandchildren Beth, Erik, Carolyn, and Carly. He has 9 great-grandchildren, Kady, Cameron, Chase, Lucy, Vincent, Roman, Hannah, Aden and Chance.