Ross Fredrick Lindstrom

Ross Fredrick Lindstrom, 73, of Astoria, died Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011, in Astoria, of cancer.

He was born June 23, 1938, in Astoria, to Helmer and Ethlyn Lindstrom, on his parents' ninth anniversary.

Raised in Astoria, he attended John Jacob Astor Elementary School, and graduated from Astoria High School in 1956. In 1960, he took a half year of classes at a night school for furthering adult education, which became Clatsop Community College.

On Dec. 10, 1960, he married Eda Lindstrom in a Baha'i ceremony at her parents' home in Perrysburg, Ohio. She survives, residing in Astoria.

Mr. Lindstrom lived in the Astoria and Clatsop County area all of his life. He fished with his father during his teen years, and got his own gillnet boat soon after graduating from high school. At the time, gillnet seasons totaled 185 days a year. He fished the Woody Island Drift with his father, brother and uncle, eventually becoming a member of the drift, and fishing the area with a diver net. He also fished many seasons in Alaska's Bristol Bay.

In the early 1960s, he became a snag diver and worked for fishing drifts to keep their area free from net-damaging debris. The hard-hat suit he wore one time is on display at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. He then wore scuba gear for diving, and was one of the divers employed during the construction of the Astoria Bridge. A pier pour failed, and the divers worked on underwater demolition so a new pier could be poured.

In the 1970s, he served for several years as the executive secretary for the Columbia River Fisherman's Union, traveling to the Oregon and Washington legislatures, public meetings and forums, trying to keep the gillnet fishery from being closed.

He attended the Geyserville (Calif.) Baha'i summer school with his mother for a few of his preteen years, and became a Baha'i in 1957. He and his wife traveled to conferences and were appointed to the area committee for Baha'i youths. In 1967, the couple moved to a home in the Youngs River area to help form the first Baha'i Spiritual Assembly of Clatsop County. In 1969, they took a Baha'i pilgrimage to Israel, stopping in London and Frankfurt, Germany, to visit Baha'i places of importance.

Family members said Mr. Lindstrom was an avid baseball fan, and attended many Mariners games with family members. He loved watching sports on TV, and had a knack for picking the losing team on almost every major professional ball playoff event, except this year, when he picked the winning World Series team.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Douglas Lindstrom of Astoria; a daughter, Jennifer Lindstrom of Astoria; two grandsons, Ian Lindstrom of Redmond, Wash., and Nathaniel Lindstrom of Montana; two great-grandchildren; and two sisters-in-law, Katherine Brow of Knappa and Roberta Burns of Hillsboro.

He was preceded in death by a son, Ross Lindstrom, in 1988; and a brother, Robert Lindstrom, in 1987.

A private family service was held. A public celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lower Columbia Hospice, 486 12th St., Astoria, OR 97103, or a charity of one's choice. To assist the family, the Ross Lindstrom Memorial Fund has been set up at the Astoria branch of U.S. Bank.

Caldwell's Luce-Layton Mortuary in Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. An online guest book can be signed at caldwellsmortuary.com