In Loving Memory
Hurley Ring
Hurley Gilbert Ring passed away of natural causes on April 2, 2020 at the age of 94. He died peacefully at his home at Normandy Park Senior Living. Well-loved and resilient, he lived a long and happy life!
Hurley was born September 2, 1925 to Fredrick Ivar Ring and Ebba Marguerite Victoria Carlson Ring. He was born and raised a block from Lake Washington in the Lakewood District of Seattle, near Seward Park. The family home was built by his father and uncle in 1923. After growing up there with his four brothers (Rich, Walt, Jerry and Floyd), Hurley went on to graduate from Franklin High School in 1944.
As a young man in the early 1940s, he ran a newspaper stand on the historic Kalakala ferry, and later worked as a meat cutter in Seattle’s Post Office Meat Market. In 1947, his lifelong passion for golf resulted in a business partnership with George Puetz. They leased the front 9 holes of Earlington Golf Course, bringing them back from wartime neglect. Hurley kept up the fairways and greens, and George, as golf pro, ran the clubhouse. Unfortunately, the business had to be sold when Hurley was drafted into the U.S. Army.
Discharged with a medical disability a few months later, he returned home to open a White Center beverage and party goods store that he named The Party House. He sold beer, wine, home brew supplies, mixer, ice and party items to customers of the state liquor store nearby. He always kept his beer prices below those at the nearby Albertsons – and personally kept a sharp eye for good deals throughout his life!
Introduced by a mutual friend, Hurley met Lois Darline Humberson at a hockey game. They married in April,1951 and lived for a short time in the back of The Party House. In 1958 they bought a house in West Seattle, where they raised their four sons.
Hurley had a lifelong love of sports and fishing, which he passed on to his boys, coaching them in every sport they played. A member of his high school tennis team, he went on to excel at golf, bowling, racket ball and darts, winning many trophies. Hurley and Darline enjoyed salmon fishing at Sekiu on the Olympic Peninsula, and family trips there became the highlight of many summers. Other highlights were car trips to California and Wyoming. In 1985, he and Darline traveled to Europe with her mother.
In 1988, his eldest son Russ died after a battle with type 1 diabetes, and Hurley sold the store to care for Darline until her death in 1990. He was remarkable, however, for his resilience and ability to reinvent himself. He learned to cook, bake bread and knit, making hats and slippers for family members. He continued to enjoy competitive sports as a spectator as well as a participant, and especially enjoyed watching baseball and football. Always aware of numbers, he loved playing cribbage. Hurley stayed active and enjoyed meeting new people, ballroom dancing and travel, never losing his social nature. He spent many months in Alaska each summer salmon fishing on the Kenai River with his brothers Jerry and Floyd.
He sold the family home to his son Doug in 2000 and bought a house in North Burien, living there for many years. In September 2015, he moved to Normandy Park Senior Living, where he participated in activities, played the harmonica at events, and made many friends.
Hurley was preceded in death by his wife Darline and eldest son Russ (Juli). He is survived by sons Doug (Corinne), Greg (Kim), and Mike (Cindy), and granddaughters Stephanie, Jasmin, Rachel and Kiana.
The family is very grateful for the skilled and loving care provided by the caregivers and medical professionals of Normandy Park Senior Living, Kaiser Permanente HMO, Kaiser Permanente Home Health, and more recently, Kaiser Permanente Hospice and Fedelta Home Care. A celebration of Hurley’s life will be held at a later date. Remembrances may be made to Kaiser Permanente Home Health and Hospice.