George J. Grimm, 92, of Arlington passed away of natural causes on March 19, 2011 at the family farm which had been homesteaded by his great grandfather Thomas Jensen in 1878.   

He was born on July 9, 1918 in Arlington, Washington to William G. and Dora Grimm, both Stillaguamish Valley pioneers.  He grew up in the area now known as Island Crossing.  He graduated in 1936 from Arlington High School.  After high school, he was employed in Snohomish as a driver for Darigold dairy products on a route to Stevens Pass.  In 1937, he pursued a passion for flying and attended Curtiss-Wright Technical School, an aircraft mechanic’s school at Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California.  He worked for Boeing Airplane Company with a journeyman mechanic rating at the old Plant #1 on the Duwamish River until he and many others heeded the call to serve this country during World War II.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1948 and was commissioned as a Naval Aviator assigned to Naval Air Transport Service Squadrons VR-2 and VRJ-1.  The mission of these squadrons was to rapidly transport vital cargo, specialist personnel and supplies to fleet and ground forces in the Pacific War Zone using Consolidated PB2Y Coronado flying boats.  On August 29, 1945, he was assigned as first pilot on the flight transporting Fleet Admiral C.W. Nimitz to the Japanese Surrender Ceremony in Tokyo Bay which took place a few days later aboard the battleship U.S.S. Missouri.  He flew many Congressional junkets and military dignitaries during his Navy years.

In 1948, George returned to the family dairy farm and operated it until 1978 shipping millions of gallons of Darigold milk over the years. He was actively involved in soil conservation, wetland protection, farmland preservation and other environmental concerns affecting local farmers. The Grimm’s were Snohomish County Dairy Family of the Year in 1968. 

He was a member of the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Association, the Puget Sound Chapter of the Model T Ford Club of America, the PB2Y Flying Boat Squadrons Association, Museum of Flight, Nile Shrine Center Temple Guard, the American Legion and Peace Lutheran Church.

 He is survived by his son Bruce (Anne) of Longview, WA; sisters, Martha Young of Stanwood, WA., Dorothy Carroll of Mt. Vernon, WA., Betty Keller of Redmond, WA; three grandchildren, two great grand children and numerous nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his first wife Arlyne (Haugen) Grimm in 1988, second wife Violet (Tate) Grimm in 2006, and his son Robert Grimm in 2007 as well as brothers William T. and John A. Grimm. 

Services will be held at Peace Lutheran Church in Silvana at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 with Pastor Jeff Driscoll presiding.  There will be a private family burial at Zion Lutheran Cemetery at The Little White Church on the Hill in Silvana.

Memorials may be sent to the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum, 20722 67th Ave NE Arlington WA 98223 or The Little White Church on the Hill, c/o Peace Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 100, Silvana WA 98287.

Arrangements under the direction of Gilbertson Funeral Home, Stanwood