Obituary of Timothy David Caruthers

Timothy David Caruthers, 72, of Auburn, Washington, died on January 13, 2019, at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, after a very brief but determined battle with lymphoma. He was born on September 21, 1946, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to Marion Forrest “Buck” Caruthers and Sylvia Ellen Magnuson. He often said he was on the “leading edge of the baby boomers.” His father was a WWII pilot, and Tim was born a year after his father returned from the war. A brother, Charles, and a sister, Michelle (Gwen), were born in following years. As the child of an Air Force Colonel, Tim spent his young life moving around the world and living in places like Nebraska, Massachusetts, Germany, Virginia, Vietnam, Florida, and Texas. Tim and his brother Chuck showed an early affinity for flying, both earning their pilot licenses while still in high school. Tim recounted that his father “thought it would be a good activity to keep us occupied in a positive endeavor and off the streets.” This positive endeavor did indeed keep Tim occupied and in the air for most of his life. After graduating from Richfield High School in Waco, TX, Tim attended the New Mexico Military Institute for a year and then began his studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Life as an Air Force cadet was demanding and there was little downtime, but Tim had fond memories of bonding with the other cadets and participating in numerous sporting activities, including wrestling, tennis, skiing, swimming, and boxing. In 1969 he graduated from the Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree and was immediately accepted into pilot training. The U.S. was still engaged in the Vietnam War, and Tim was eager to do his part, so he requested to be trained on a plane that was certain to see combat duty. He flew Forward Air Control flights over Laos in the O-2. Tim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service. He was a natural pilot, and his first post-war assignment was as an Instructor Pilot at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, where he taught pilots to fly T-37s. It was there he met Kyle Seliger, who was intrigued by this cocky pilot with a crooked grin, lean build, and enigmatic sense of humor. In classic Pride and Prejudice fashion, the two didn’t initially hit it off and, once they did start dating, they had an atypical romance. But there was an undeniable chemistry, and Tim couldn’t resist this dark-haired beauty who loved to laugh, play pranks, and refused to put up with any of his flack. The pair were married on May 15, 1974, in the Provo Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and embarked on 45 years of marriage together. Unlike other girls, Kyle was not impressed by Tim’s zippy, blaze-colored sports car and insisted he trade it in for something that could accommodate a car seat. They were soon joined by a daughter, Ainsley, followed two years later by a son, McKay. Because juggling two toddlers and a demanding career wasn’t enough, this ambitious young pilot decided to pursue an MBA on the weekends and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 1978. In 1979, Tim received a new assignment in Dover, Delaware, where he flew massive C-5 cargo planes and served as Director of Special Assignment Airlift Missions. While in Dover, three additional children, Brandon, Hillary, and Sterling rounded out the family. The family lived in Dover for seven years when Tim was assigned to the 5th Air Force Headquarters at Yokota Air Base. Only two months after the birth of their youngest child, they packed up and embarked on a new adventure living in Japan. After spending three years there, Tim received an assignment to serve as Operations Center Senior Controller at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. In 1991, after serving in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years, Tim retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He served with honor and was decorated for his distinguished service. Among other honors, he was awarded the Air Medal (one silver and 2 bonze oak leaf clusters) and the Meritorious Service Medal (two bronze oak leaf clusters). The family relocated to Auburn, Washington, and Tim began a second career flying for Alaska Airlines. After 15 years of flying Boeing 737s, 727s, and MD-83s, Tim retired as a captain in 2006. Over the course of his two careers, he clocked in almost 13,000 flight hours across six different planes. Tim became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while in pilot training at Reese Air Force Base. He served faithfully wherever he was needed. He served as a scoutmaster twice, and all three of his sons earned their Eagle Scout Award. He was a counselor in three bishoprics, and later the first bishop of the Dolloff Lake Ward. He served on the High Council, and he and Kyle served two Church Service Missions. The first as Employment Specialists and the second as Church Service Missionary Coordinators for Western Washington. Tim had a beautiful singing voice and loved to sing in his church choir. When he was young, his mother, who loved to host parties, often had him stay up late to entertain her guests with his singing. He was a member of the Air Force Academy Cadet Chorale. He traveled and performed all over the country, including an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. While not a showy person, if given a stage, he could be a ham. Every Halloween his family fondly looked forward to his dramatic recitation of “Bony, Bony, Bony, Bones (The Skeleton Parade).” He was a gifted speechwriter and public speaker with a reassuring and gentle voice. Tim tried to be thoughtful to all he met. His brother-in-law shared a line from a poem that typified Tim’s interactions with everyone: “If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me.” Tim tried every day to be a little more like the Savior and to approach each situation the way He would. Tim’s everyday habits are what made him a wonderful man. He prayed and studied the scriptures daily. He took good care of his health, even giving up his beloved ice cream and other sweets for the sake of a healthier lifestyle. He donated blood regularly for years. He looked for the good in everyone. He found ways, large and small, to serve his neighbors and in the community. He was not extravagant and spent very little time in pursuit of his own hobbies but devoted his time to God, family, and country. His lifetime of seemingly routine daily actions produced a great man. A man of great integrity, a man of great patience, a man of great compassion, and a man of great devotion to the Lord. Tim was also devoted to his sweetheart Kyle and their five children. In retrospect, between TDYs and long layovers, Tim was often away during his children’s growing up years, but his children never felt like he was an absent father. He loved being a dad, and in a myriad of ways, helped create such a joyful home. He sang his children lullabies, built them igloos in winter, threw them in leaf piles in fall, made them special (and sometimes disgusting) breakfasts on test days, played games like Sleeping Dragon with them, and taught them many things through small everyday instruction and through his example. He loved being a grandfather. He adored his 12 grandchildren. He gave them endless piggyback rides, played hide and seek, and his favorite game - Lumpy, Bumpy Chair. Though hard to watch his struggle during his final illness, it was also a privilege for his wife, children, and siblings to be with him and offer back some small portion of the care and comfort he always provided to them. Despite the pain, fear, and discomfort of all kinds he endured in his final weeks, his character shone through. He remained patient, kind, grateful, and courteous, and maintained his sense of humor. Those who love him are bereft without him but take comfort in knowing that he lived in such a way that they will see him again. They take comfort in knowing that he died as he lived: gracious, strong, considerate, joking, and the world’s most grateful recipient of a foot rub. And there is comfort in knowing his legacy lives on through lives forever changed by his influence and example. Tim is survived by his wife, Kyle S. Caruthers, and their five children: Ainsley A. Caruthers of Midlothian, VA; McKay C. Caruthers of Auburn, WA; Brandon F. Caruthers of Yokohama, Japan; Hillary A. Caruthers of Appleton, WI; and Sterling D. Caruthers of Lynwood, WA; their twelve grandchildren: Aitana, Tyler, Moira, Hannah, Sage, Khalil, Wesley, Elayna, Emerson, Meg, Harlan, and Eleanor; brother, Charles G. Caruthers of Meridian, ID; and sister Gwen Michelle Gardner of Waxhaw, NC. Funeral services were held on Saturday, January 19th at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 28616 48th Ave. S., Auburn, WA 98001. Interment at Tahoma National Cemetery on Monday, January 21, 2019. Had his family been brave enough, Tim’s headstone would lovingly read, “Here lie my bony, bony, bony bones, with nothing in between.” However, he was a man to match the mountains, so instead, his epitaph is far more appropriate and certainly deserved: “A man among men. Loved by all who knew him.”