Obituary, Daniel Wayne Sims, 67

Daniel Wayne Sims, 67, passed away in Lebanon, Ore. February 17, 2014.

Dan was born in Toledo, Ore. to Carl and Atha Belle Sims on December 7, 1946. At 13 months old his family moved to Juneau, Alaska. Dan spent most of his childhood either on a fishing boat, a buying scow or up Taku Inlet where his father operated a powerhouse for AJ Industries.

In 1965 Dan married Carol Rollins in Albany, Ore. After two years of traveling around the country they finally settled in Juneau. Dan worked for the City of Juneau through the winter and their first child, David, was born there February of 1967. When spring arrived Dan moved his family to Haines, to take a job at Schnable's Mill driving log truck and later operating a loader on the dock loading log ships.

In March of 1969, Dan's second son Jess was born. Later that year Dan bought the F/V Minnie W. a 65' cedar plank sailboat/ troller for $800. Even though he was drifting around broke down most of the time that first season, the course for the rest of his life was set. It was the first of many boats the family gillnetted, longlined, trolled and pot shrimped together.

In 1978, Dan moved his family to Entrance Island, a small island at the entrance of Hobart Bay. He wanted to give his two sons the kind of life he had growing up, hunting, fishing and trapping. The family left the island in 1987 and eventually bought a house in Petersburg.

In 1997, Dan achieved his goal of owning a 52" Little Hoquim SeaMaster when he purchased the F/V Pacific Star. He often said that the years spent on Entrance Island and fishing the Pacific Star were the best years of his life. In 2003 he purchased the F/V Matilda Bay for a tender which his son David packed troll fish out of Craig for E.C. Phillips for several years.

When illness forced Dan to quit fishing in 2006, he moved to Lebanon, Ore., bought a Harley and enjoyed his days riding in the sunshine. Though most people think of his talents in terms of fishing, there are those who know him by his ability to consistently win almost every poker hand he played.

If a man's character can be judged by the quality of his sons and friends, then Dan was an exceptional man. He was a simple man who lived a big life.

He is survived by his wife Carol of Lebanon; sons David Sims of Wrangell, Alaska and Jess Sims of Petersburg; sisters Carlene Jacobsen of Lebanon and Bonnie Alman of Scio, Ore.; grandsons Joe, Ben and Sam and great-grandson Brody.