Anthony Francis McLaughlin

Anthony “Tony” Francis McLaughlin was born July 24, 1945 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Tony is the fourth of six children of William “Bill” Mclaughlin and Marion Stengel Mclaughlin. Tony’s love of the outdoors was planted in his childhood years of adventure on the shores of Lake Erie, waterskiing by summer and ice skating by winter.

Following high school, Tony enlisted in the United States Army, in which he received training as an auto mechanic at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, and subsequent Arctic training at Ft. Greely in Alaska. He served 3 years active duty in Alaska during the Vietnam war and 3 years inactive, discharging at Ft. Lewis, Washington.

After the army, Tony was employed as a mechanic at the Douglas gas station. He would often frequent the “Artic Circle” diner for lunch where he met the love of his life, Barbara Cooley. They were married in 1971 and made a home together in Puyallup. They welcomed their first daughter, Amy, in 1974 and their second daughter, Kelly Elizabeth “Liz”, two years later in 1976.

Tony attended technical school to become a welder and worked in that field through the early years of family life. As welding work became more sporadic and jobs were outsourced overseas, Tony sought out a more stable position and joined the staff at All Saints Parish where he was Director of Facilities and Maintenance from 1985 through his retirement.

Tony loved animals and nature and often spent quality time with his family at the Carbon River at Mt. Raineer. He would take his family camping along the Washington coast and loved beachcombing and bonfires at Ocean Shores. Tony also loved muscle cars, diehard Mopar all the way. Whether he was building a car, looking for parts at swap meets with friends, or just admiring classic cars, he could strike up a conversation with anyone about this passion and did not hesitate to lend a helping hand.

The world changed for Tony in 2011 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. He underwent surgery but the cancer had become bloodborne and he later fought recurrences in different places in his body. He retired in 2013, focusing on family and friends and the ongoing fight with cancer.

Tony did not let cancer have the final word. His team at Swedish, under the leadership of Dr. Song Zhau, tirelessly continued to fight his cancer with cutting edge treatments each time a new area of cancer was discovered. With the help of friends, Tony continued to enjoy Saturday night Cruise Puyallup, swap meets and other auto events. When given a prognosis of 5 years of survival, Tony ran that race for extra laps and made it 15.

We will honor Tony’s life by embracing the values, passions, and traditions that he held dear. We can find solace in the knowledge that his kindness, love, and spirit will be felt eternally. May his soul be at peace and may we carry his love in our hearts forever.

Tony is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughter Amy McLaughlin Atkinson, grandchildren Ethan, Ryan, Ava and Molly Atkinson, his sisters Julie McLaughlin of Erie PA and Melanie Forquer of Canton, Ohio, numerous nieces and nephews, and beloved family and friends.

A celebration of life will be held at Powers Funeral Home on Friday June 5th at 11:30. Online condolences can be shared on the Power’s Funeral Home website at www.powersfuneralhome.com.