Volunteer work comes naturally to Arlington man

ARLINGTON — Duane Weston grew up at the tail end of the Great Depression during a time when his mother often lent a hand to neighbors.

So it was natural, when Weston and his family moved to Arlington in the mid-1960s, that he got involved in volunteer work.

“I got used to my mother he

lping other people at different times. It was the way we were raised,” Weston said. “I’ve met a great many people over the years. It’s been fun.”

For his years of service to the food bank, Scouting, the local search and rescue team and conservation organizations, Weston has been named this year’s Stillaguamish Senior Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

A breakfast in his honor, which doubles as a fundraiser for the senior center, is set for 7:30 a.m. Sept. 14, at the center, 18308 Smokey Point Blvd. Those who plan to attend are asked to call 360-653-4551.

“I am not a person who does things for recognition, so the award came as a surprise,” Weston said. “There are many others who have done more, so it is an honor to receive it.”

Weston grew up in the Spokane area and earned a degree in forestry from the University of Washington. To pay for college, Weston worked summers for the U.S. Forest Service and Weyerhaeuser.

Weston married Anna Marie Hall in 1963 after completing his service in the Marine Corps. Weston then accepted a job as a forester at the Pilchuck Tree Farm northeast of Arlington.

“I spent a lot of time by myself out in the woods, so being around people is something I enjoy,” Weston said.

He and Anna Marie Weston have two married sons and three grandchildren.

Weston retired as the chief forester of the Pilchuck Tree Farm in 2001. He still has a part-time position there dealing with the recreational users of the tree farm.

Over the past 48 years, Weston has volunteered and held leadership positions with the Arlington Volunteer Search and Rescue, Arlington United Church, the Boy Scouts of America in Stanwood and Arlington, the Arlington Community Food Bank, the Trail Coalition, the Washington Forest Protection Association, the Snohomish Conservation District, the Stillaguamish Water Shed Council and the forestland committee for Snohomish County’s growth management plan.

He was named Forester of the Year in 1973 by the regional Society of American Foresters and Washington Tree Farmer of the Year in 1992 by the American Tree Farm group. He received the Zalesky Lifetime Achievement Award in Forestry from the Cascade Land Conservancy in 2007.