Oct. 19, 1954 – Oct. 17, 2012

Wayne Arnold Siefke, known by his friends as Buddy, died at his home in Rockport on Oct. 17, 2012, two days before his 58th birthday.

He was born in Libby, Mont., where he grew up before moving to Oregon during his high school years. He graduated high school in McMinnville, Ore., in 1972.

A carpenter by trade, Buddy also was a lifelong animal lover and a gifted horse trainer who ran his own stables in Bothell, Wash., during the 1990s with his partner Ralph Armitage, who died in 1995. He also worked showing horses at shows nationwide. He was a member of the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) during those years. He moved to Seattle after living in the Bay area, including San Francisco and Sacramento, in the 1980s. He finally settled in Rockport in 2004.

An avid outdoorsman all his life, Buddy was dedicated to his garden and landscaping at his home, as well as an energetic mountain climber and hiker during the past 10 years of his life. He was a great cook too, and a lover of popular music who could recall the lyrics to hundreds of songs off the top of his head. He was a funny and loving man who will be greatly missed by all those who knew him.

He is survived by his partner, Brian Hagerty; his sisters, Jeanette Cummings, Shirley Hirst, and Diane Siefke, all from Libby, Mont.; his brothers, Tim Siefke, Bruce Siefke, and Johnny Ray Siefke; and his stepmother, Trudy Siefke, also of Montana. Donations on Wayne’s behalf may be made to the Bailey Boushay House in Seattle.

Published in Concrete Herald, November 2012