Ernie Dahl, 76, life long resident of Skagit County, passed away September 27, 2008 following a brief battle with liver cancer. Born February 27, 1932 in Bellingham, Washington to Oscar and Marie (Denis) Dahl. He was educated in the Edison area, and graduated with the class of 1950 from Burlington-Edison High School. Always a hard worker, Ernie started out milking cows, doing body and fender work for Carlson Pontiac and Gearhart Ford, and for a time worked on the railroad. In 1955 he began his long time career with Shell Oil Company at the Anacortes Refinery. He retired in 1990 as an operations supervisor. In his early years he worked part time jobs shoeing horses, and helping Lloyd Loop train race horses, to pay for his many hunting and fishing trips to Alaska, Canada, Wyoming and Montana. After retirement, Ernie began a very active second career dedicated to community service through volunteering. The list is long, the duties he assumed were many, and the time he willingly spent resulted in a multitude of successful projects and awards. Ernie served as President of the Board of the Worldwide International Student Exchange Foundation that he started with his son David. For three years, he and Tony Breckenridge supported Skagit County Search and Rescue by running their annual fund raiser. He was a member of and acted as Treasurer of the Edison Sportsmen for many years. He was a member of the Skagit County Republican Party and was an elected Precinct Committee Officer for Allen, helping on many county and state campaigns. He served as a volunteer fireman for Allen and Burlington Fire Departments for 32 years. He was a member of Burlington Eagles. Ernie served on the board of Boys and Girls Club of Skagit County and worked on many of their fund raisers. He was an active member of the Burlington-Edison Education and Alumni Foundation Board, working hard to establish the ?Pathway to The Future?, and ?The Pillars in the Community?. Ernie was a 46 year member of the Mount Vernon Elks Club, chairman of the Board of Trustees, and chairman of the Investment Committee. Recently he was awarded the Elk?s North District?s Citizen of the Year that recognized his many achievements in volunteering and community service. Ernie loved working in the community and his absence will be felt by the many organizations he participated in and worked for. He was united in marriage to Janet Hart Chase in 1987. They shared a wonderful, spontaneous life together and had great fun. They went on some wonderful trips including those to visit grandchildren in Tennessee and Florida and recently fulfilled Ernie?s dream of attending the Kentucky Derby. He is preceded in death by his parents, his three sisters Dorothy Oswold, Ione (Howard) Taylor and Juanita Dahl, one brother Vernon ?Bud? (Charlotte) Dahl, and his aunt Katherine Brandstrom, who was raised with the Dahl family. Ernie is survived by his loving wife Janet, two sons Dan (Lorri) Dahl of Seattle, David (Pam) Dahl of Tennessee, a step son Doug Chase (Danielle) of Florida; his oldest brother Norman (Pat) Dahl, his youngest brother Loren (Joan) Dahl, his sister Geneva Sasnett, all of Bow, a sister-in-law Bonnie (Bob) Warnecke of Mount Vernon and bother-in-law Tom Oswold of Burlington; his six grandchildren, Richard, John ?Jake?, Lauren and Katlin Dahl, and Kiley and Hunter Chase. He also is survived by long time friend, (the daughter he never had), Vicki Wade (Bill) Bird of Moscow, ID., her three children, Andrew, Kaitlyn, and Allison Findlay; numerous nieces and nephews. His family was important to him and he loved them all. Ernie loved life and lived it to the fullest. He always had a smile on his face, and a joke to tell. Ernie loved the times as a young man when he and his friend Les took their vacations from Shell and literally headed for the hills to the Pasayton Wilderness in Washington with their horses. He loved his horses and mules. Ernie was a wonderful singer and entertained many at the Elks during Friday night Karaoke. He was a great cook and was famous for his chili, clam chowder, clam fritters and his great Thanksgiving turkey dressing. Everyone remembers his biscuits and gravy on opening day of fishing and the pig roasts at Wayne Wilson?s. He loved digging clams, his Wednesday Night Poker Group and his many layers of friends. He will be missed but never forgotten, you can never replace someone like Ernie Dahl. ONCE LOVED, NEVER FORGOTTEN. Memorials can be made to the Tall Elks (Children?s Therapy Program) c/o Mount Vernon Elks 2120 Market St. Mount Vernon, Wa. 98273; Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County P O Box 947 Mount Vernon, Wa. 98273 or Burlington-Edison Education & Alumni Foundation P O Box 350 Burlington, WA. 98233 Viewing will be held Thursday, October 2, 2008, 9:00 am until 5:00 pm at Hawthorne Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be held Friday, October 3, 2008, 1:00 pm at St. Charles Catholic Church, with Fr. Paul Magnano officiating. A Committal will follow at Bow Cemetery and a Reception at the Allen Fire Department.