SEQUIM — More than 100 people trekked to the Dungeness River Audubon Center Railroad Bridge Park Sunday afternoon to honor Tim Quinn, who died in December — but it probably would have been against the artist’s wishes.
“Tim would have never fully approved of something like this — he probably would be mad at all of us for attending,” said Jim Borte, a friend of Quinn’s who was the emcee for the memorial service.
“And he definitely wouldn’t have attended — but we know he is here with us in spirit now.
“This is how we can honor you, Tim, and thank you for all you have done for all of us.”
Quinn was found dead in his apartment on Dec. 19. Foul play was not suspected.
Quinn moved to Sequim in the mid-1980s and established himself as a multitalented artist in several media.
Quinn, who did political cartoons for the Sequim Gazette, also was proficient at chain saw carvings, stained glass, painting and drawing.
At times, eyes glistened as people listened to stories of how Quinn had touched lives.
At other times, laughter erupted as they remembered the man who was known for his sly comebacks and humor.
Laughter began with a picture during a slide show of Quinn’s life.
The picture showed a sign that declared “Un-Natural Erosion Prohibited” on Clallam County beaches.
After Quinn began carving sculptures in the sides of cliffs it was outlawed as eroding the sand cliff sides.
“He was proud of that,” Borte said.
“He was proud of his run-in with the government.”
Many friends of Quinn’s spoke up, and among them was fellow North Olympic Peninsula artist Jackson Smart.
“I understand the death part of it, but the part I have difficulty with is not being able to share things with Tim,” Smart said.
“I am very saddened by his loss.
“Maybe we’ll hook up with him somewhere else in the end.”
A longtime friend, Marilyn Honchen, spoke of her pen-pal friendship with Quinn, which began when she was 11.
Quinn had lived with her family starting when she was 8 years old and he continued to mentor and write to her later.
“He was like the big brother I never had,” she said.
“He believed in me and believed that I merited a miracle.”
She said as an adult she once posed for a photo for a project he was working on.
“He made me see through art that I was a beautiful woman,” she said.
In Quinn’s honor, a fund was set up in his name at the Sequim Education Foundation, said friend Virginia O’Neil.
“The funds will be granted to a teacher to use,” she said.
“In this way it will help more than three times as many children.”
The amount and frequency that money will be given will depend on how much money is raised, she said.
To donate, send money designated for the Tim Quinn Fund to the Sequim Education Foundation, P.O. Box 3065, Sequim, WA 98382.
Friend Dave LeRoux said Quinn wasn’t afraid to get a rise out of people when drawing the political cartoons.
“There was one that I can remember very clearly him saying that it gave (Sequim Gazette owner) Brown Maloney pause,” LeRoux said.
“But that was Tim — he was always pushing things.”
At the time of his death, Quinn was working on the “Olympic Visions” mural in downtown Port Angeles.
He had been working from photographs of the mural — which began to peel after a sealant was improperly applied by volunteers when it was originally painted.
Doc Reiss, president of the Nor’Wester Rotary, said the club is now interviewing several artists to see who could replicate the work and finish the mural.
“Art is a very individualistic thing and in order for it to be cohesive and look like Tim, it is important to find someone who could duplicate his work,” said Reiss.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.