Roy Schiewe

Date of birth  - September 18, 1932

Date of death  - December 21, 2022

On December 21, 2022, Roy Schiewe passed away and left a big hole in many hearts. Congestive heart failure and other diseases took him while he was in his home with family by his side.

Roy was born and raised in rural Clackamas County, Oregon --no lights, electricity, or indoor plumbing, just a small house on a 40 acre farm. He attended school in a two-room schoolhouse where his mom was one of the teachers. They did not have a car, instead, they hitched a ride with family when they drove into town. After graduating high school [1950], he logged around the area, setting chokers and driving truck.

He fell in love with his future wife, Colleen (Tibbs). They were married for 41 years until cancer took her in 1997.

In 1960 they moved to Ketchikan, AK and he went into selling logging supplies to the southeast Alaska logging camps. Marine and logging supplies went hand in hand in that region of the world. He was promoted to manager of the Marine Supply portion of Tongass Trading Company and later, he became manager of the hardware store.

In the early seventies, he and Colleen moved to Newport and bought Andy Smith Marine Supply and his fuel dock where Abbey Street Pier now stands. A few years later, he relocated to the current location.

For 50 years, Schiewe Marine Supply was operating and supporting the commercial fishing industry under Roy’s watchful eye. He went to work six days a week until after his 90th birthday and loved it. The commercial fishing community was very important to him and his family.

Having lived in Oregon and Alaska, Roy loved to hunt. He supported youth league sports in the county. He followed his sons who have coached varsity and youth level sports in the area for decades. He had traveled to Asia, South America and Europe and appreciated the architecture and seeing the geography he had learned and read about.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Gus and Pearl, his brother, Jay, and his wife, Colleen. He is survived by his sons; Mark (Lourdes), Rod, and Jeff (Tami). He also left his grandchildren, Danielle (Kenny), Robert (Alisha), and McKenzi. His four great-grandchildren, Colleen, Gus, Oakley, and Harlow will miss him as well.

A celebration of life will happen in the fall of 2023. The family is working to pick a time that would interfere the least with commercial fishing seasons, that’s how Roy would have wanted it.