David Wayne Sicks 1937 - 2006  

David Wayne Sicks, 69, died of a heart attack March 24, 2006. He is survived by his wife Florence, a son, four daughters, a brother, eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

A life long teacher, he shared his love and knowledge of the mountains for decades through ski instruction as well as Mountain Rescue and Mountaineering. Dave started his college career at Olympic College and went on to earn both his bachelors and masters degrees in mathematics from Western Washington State College (now WWU) in Bellingham. He first taught at the old West High School for five years, then returned to Olympic College where he taught mathematics for 35 years, the last several as a professor.

While teaching at old West High, he helped to organize an outdoor program and became interested in mountaineering. That led to his role assisting with the development of the Olympic College Basic Mountaineering class. During the 1960’s, he was an instructor for that class and became a volunteer with Olympic Mountain Rescue. He went on to serve as chairman of Olympic Mountain Rescue for over ten years and also served as chairman of the state Mountain Rescue Association for a year.

During this time he became interested in skiing as well and joined the Chuck Maiden Ski School as an instructor. He passed his Associate Certification (Level II) in 1969 and his Full Certification (Level III) in 1971. He and his wife Flo started Sunshine Ski School at Snoqualmie Summit in 1976 and later worked for the Summit and Ski Masters Ski Schools. Their relationship with Ski Masters continued on into the 1990’s.

After retiring from Olympic College in 2000, he and Flo moved to Tonasket where he became an active member of that community through Kiwanis, the Community United Church of Christ and as a volunteer on a hospital advisory board. He taught fly tying to Okanogan youth as a member of the Okanogan Fly Fishing Club.

Lenore Lyle, Owner and Director of Ski Masters Ski School during the years Dave and Flo taught, remembered Dave this way at his memorial:

“I know my feelings reflect those of scores of others who worked with him or were his students, and of course his myriad of friends. As a long time co-worker and friend, Patty Hamilton said on hearing of Dave’s passing: “Oh, he was always my favorite Clinic Instructor!”. Why? Because he was organized, he could communicate his knowledge of technique and student handling in a usable manner by those he was teaching. To my delight, he personified and helped develop the professionalism I hoped to have instilled in our staff. And they all had fun with Dave in the process. When I called another long time friend in the Ski School, Mary Crabtree about Dave’s sudden death, there was a long silence and then she said, “He was such a good man.” She said it all.”

“Dave Sicks will always live in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to have worked and played with him. He was one of a kind. We were all better for having known him.”