OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — A man found dead Sunday on an Olympic National Park trail was identified Monday by his wife and his employer as Ken Sugg, 44, of Port Angeles.
Sugg is survived by his wife, Terri Dotson-Sugg, and their three children, Quinlan, Brenna and Hannah Sugg.
“He loved hiking. He was so happy we could live here. He loved to hike these mountains,” Dotson-Sugg said Monday.
Park rangers recovered Sugg’s body, which was found by hikers on the trail between Hurricane Ridge and Lake Angeles, on Sunday evening.
Rangers determined it was most likely he died of natural causes, said Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman.
Multiple hikers called 9-1-1 to report finding the body of an adult man by the side of the Lake Angeles-Klahhane Ridge Trail beginning at about 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
Three park rangers hiked to the site to begin an investigation into the death and to bring Sugg out of the park, Maynes said.
They located Sugg at about 5:50 p.m., she said.
Maynes said Sugg was flown out of the area by helicopter at around 6:30 p.m. and was released to a funeral home.
Sugg had a heart attack three years ago but continued to hike, ride his mountain bike and his dirt bike, and go crabbing whenever possible, Dotson-Sugg said.
She said she believes he died from a second heart attack.
Dotson-Sugg said her husband was an athlete and completed the Ride the Hurricane bicycle tour to Hurricane Ridge a day after hiking in the mountains.
Sugg was an Army veteran of the first Gulf War and was stationed in Saudi Arabia, she said.
His son, Quinlan, also joined the Army, she said, and is attempting to return home as fast as possible.
A memorial service will be held at Queen of Angels Church, 209 W. 11th St., sometime next week.
No time or day has been scheduled yet, Dotson-Sugg said.
Sugg had worked at the Nippon paper mill for 11 years.
“[Sugg] was friends with everybody he ever met. He loved to be outside,” said Steve Johnson, mill manager at Nippon Paper Industries USA in Port Angeles, where Sugg worked as the maintenance supervisor.
Sugg was hiking Sunday, doing what he loved to do, Johnson said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
