On September 1, 2014, our greater community lost a beloved friend.
Martin Wiebe Selch died at Whatcom Hospice House three weeks after suffering a head injury while bicycling. In addition to counting him among our friends and colleagues, we at the Whidbey Institute considered Martin a mentor in the art of living sustainably. Martin worked closely with Institute staff and site committee members in 2012, in his role as Sustainable Connections’ Commercial Conservation Specialist. The energy audit and recommendations he provided helped launch our Green Initiative, and we’ll never forget the cameraderie and counsel we enjoyed while working alongside him. His legacy at Chinook can be seen in current projects such as last week’s replacement of our commercial refrigeration units with new EnergyStar appliances, and next week’s scheduled replacement of the Thomas Berry Hall oil boiler with a planet-friendly heat pump.
Martin’s obituary describes him thus: “He was the best dad, husband and son that anyone could hope for. He had an amazing, analytical mind and an insatiable curiosity to learn more about almost anything. He enjoyed working with his hands and had a gift for building and repairing things. He had a positive attitude and a great sense of humor. Martin loved being physically active which evolved into a passion for being above tree-line and living a little gentler on the earth. His footprint in his field of work was larger than he would acknowledge.” Here, at Chinook, his passion for treading lightly has left a deep impression.
We offer our condolences to the wife and sons he leaves behind.