Leo G. Bellarts Jr.

Leo G. Bellarts Jr. passed away on February 23, 2022, at his home in Gig Harbor, WA, at 89. Born in Oakland, CA, on May 6, 1932, Leo was the eldest son of Leo G. and Evelyn (Bolduc) Bellarts.

Leo spent most of his youth in Everett, WA, where he enjoyed fishing and hunting with his father and brother and achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. After graduating from Everett High School in 1950, Leo attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War era. Following his military service, he attended Seattle University and graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He later attended the University of Washington's Graduate School of Public Affairs as a National Institute of Public Affairs Fellow. During his fellowship, he met Mary Fenske Hanson. They were married in 1968 and spent the following twenty-three years of their life together settled in Redwood City, CA., before relocating to Gig Harbor, WA, in 1990.

Leo's thirty-year civil service career included engineering positions at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, McChord Air Force Base, and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in San Bruno, CA. Before he retired from civil service in 1982, he held the San Francisco Field Office Director position for the Office of the Federal Inspector overseeing the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System. He was a licensed Professional Engineer in WA and CA and was recognized in 1967 by the American Iron and Steel Institute as a recipient of their prestigious Design in Steel Award for Best Engineering in Low-Rise Construction. After his civil service retirement, he worked for GTE Sprint as an engineering consultant and the Tacoma School District in their Engineering and Construction Office.

Upon full retirement in 1997, Leo and Mary continued world travel and often visited their children and grandchildren in California and Australia. For all his travels, his favorite spot was the Arch Cape/Cannon Beach, OR. area, where he enjoyed many summer vacations with his family. In 2018, he and Mary celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Orcas Island.

Leo enjoyed spending time with his children and their spouses, and his grandchildren. Throughout his life, he enjoyed working with his hands. He crafted WWI biplane kites and model ships to scale for family and friends. His passion for genealogy and family history was evident in the stories he shared, and his love of beauty and nature was captured in the photos he took. He was a member of Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, the San Francisco Peninsula Camera Club, and the Elks Lodge. He also was a member of the Boy Scouts of America and volunteered at the Tacoma Rescue Mission.

Leo is survived by his wife, Mary Fenske Bellarts, and his children John (Anna-Louise) Bellarts, Johanna (Jay) Gillespie, Christina (Dennis) Treadaway, and David (Maria) Bellarts. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Daniel, Nils, Per, Hannah, and Christian, his brother David Bellarts, and his beloved dog and companion, Mickey Doodle. He was preceded in death by his son, Robert.

There will be a Celebration of Life service on Saturday, April 2, 2022, at 11 a.m., at the Haven of Rest, 8503 State Route 16 NW, Gig Harbor, WA, 98335.

Donations in Leo's memory can be made to Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care at 2901 Bridgeport Way West, Mailstop 62-02, University Place, WA, 98466.

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