Obituaries

Barry Solem

Obituary

Barry was born on May 4, 1939, in Spokane, Washington, to Sam and Roberta Solem. He lived a life marked by faith, joy and purpose until he went home to be with the Lord on February 3, 2026, in Edmonds, WA.

He often recounted days of growing up in Spokane and how fortunate he and his sister Bobbie were to have such loving parents. Their home was filled with music and The Word of God. They grew up in the church where Barry occasionally played his clarinet and sang.  His dad was his hero. He graduated from North Central High School in 1958 and later moved west where he attended Seattle Pacific College.  He then got his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business. While he valued education, he valued the friends he made during those years even more. He genuinely loved people.

After grad school, Barry began his career at RCA on the East Coast. During that time, he lived with the Luce family, who became lifelong friends. After returning to Seattle, he joined Boeing, where he spent more than 30 years in a variety of roles, including Operations Research and Boeing Computer Services, before retiring at the age of 55.

During his early days at Boeing, Barry met Karen Anderson. Married in 1967, they had two girls, Stephanie and Jill, and over the years they enjoyed many family events, trips and traditions. Their annual week at Cannon Beach Christian Conference Center grew to include all six of their grandchildren and was a favorite event for the entire family.

Following retirement, he volunteered to help a friend, Richard Steegstra, who owned Ballard Technology, eventually signing on as an employee and part owner until he retired a second time in 2012.

Barry loved to work with his hands and had a deep appreciation for architecture. He took great pride in helping design and build two homes, finding joy in creating spaces that were both beautiful and lasting.

Perhaps Barry’s most rewarding years were after his work-life ended. He and Karen wintered in Palm Desert where they spent time with lifelong friends and he was part of Teleios, a men’s Bible Study. Other highlights were traveling to Israel and China.

Barry invested in numerous ministries that shared the love of Jesus. Passionate about Christian education and indigenous missionaries, he was involved in supporting AIM International (Assisting Indigenous Ministries), HEED Uganda, Schools for Africa and Big Table. Barry is now in the presence of the Lord he loved and joyfully served, filled with gratitude for the life God allowed him to live and for the many people who impacted his life.

Barry is survived by his devoted bride of 58 years, Karen Anderson Solem; his daughters, Stephanie Solem Evans (Erik) and Jill Solem Andrews (Mike); and six grandchildren—Sydney, Kate, and Drew Evans; Ava Sharpe; and Eli and Mae Dreon. He is also survived by his sister, Bobbie Solem Nicholson (Rod); brother-in-law Steve Anderson (Myrna); nieces Kristin Anderson and Michelle Nicholson Jensen; nephews Mark Anderson and Barry Nicholson; and a host of friends.

Memorial will be on March 17 at 4pm at Chapel of the Resurrection on Cedar Park School/Church campus, 16300 112th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011.