June 25, 1936 - January 15, 2016
Time and tide wait for no one, and so it was that our beloved Teddy made his final set on January 15, 2016. Born June 25, 1936 to Mildred Conklin Bylsma and John Bylsma at their home in Lynden, the family relocated to Blaine when he was 2, where he lived until his passing.
Ted attended school in Blaine through grade 10 when he quit to fish the family gillnetter while his father recovered from a short illness. Delivering his catch each morning, he was consistently high boat, often beating out many of the old timers and becoming a favorite of the fish buyers. They cheered him on and gave him the nick name “high liner,” thus setting him on the course of what was to be his lifelong profession.
Ted joined the Navy in 1954 and was stationed in San Diego aboard the USS Alamo with a tour in the Far East to include Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
After leaving the Navy in 1961, he lived in Seattle and worked at Nordby’s, making fishing nets prior to returning to Blaine and his one true passion, gillnetting. Ted fished Puget Sound and spent summers fishing Southeast Alaska while doing carpentry work in the winter. His first boat was the Teddy B followed by the Tammy B, and the Miss Tammy.
After retiring he built a garage and started woodworking. His specialty was toy trucks, boats and lighthouses. His replica of the Semiahmoo Harbor Lighthouse is truly a piece of art. Through the years he made many lifelong and cherished friends in Blaine, Alaska, and in the fishing community.
He is preceded in death by his wife Virginia (Ginger), daughter Tammy Alexander (Scott), sons Gregg, and Tyson (Desiree), sister Janet Jennerjohn (Dennis), and grandchildren Tristen, Dillon, Caden, Laken, Tyler, Jasmine, Christy, Gregory, and Seth.
Please join family and friends for an informal gathering and perhaps a fish tale or two, to remember Ted on February 13 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the American Legion 4580, Legion Drive in Blaine.
