Islanders near and far,

We lost one of our own, Casey Baisch, in a tree climbing accident on 11/4/25. An arborist holds one of the top 5 most dangerous jobs in the country, and Casey performed it with style, grace, responsibility, and an incredible level of precision for close to 25 years.

For so many of us, Casey defined small-town community. We’ve all felt his casual generosity, whether he was removing a dangerous tree from your house in a windstorm; coaching your child’s sports team; volunteering with the Masonic Lodge, the Lions or just an arm-out-the-window wave driving through town. He touched us all with his kindness and can-do attitude.

I wanted to make sure there was an easy avenue for us to help support his wife and children during this time of heartbreak and upheaval. The San Juan Island School District relies on his wife, Erin, as the one school nurse supporting all the district’s students and families. Gabby is an eighth grader at Friday Harbor Middle School, training her new puppy Juno and looking forward to another summer session at Camp Firwood. Ben is highly involved in sports as a junior at Friday Harbor High School, working towards graduation next year. Kramer has been a fixture on staff at Roche Harbor Resort and is exploring a future in the trades. Family meant everything to Casey. We can’t take away their pain, but our donations can alleviate some worry.

There is also a fund available through the Friday Harbor branch of Banner Bank under his name, but this GoFundMe may be more convenient for some of us not presently on the island or in town very often. If you aren’t able to give financially at this time, please consider sharing this fundraiser with others.

Three things I learned from Casey as his adopted “Lil’ Sis”: Show up, give it ‘yer all, and don’t be afraid to care. Let’s show up for his family during this time of loss.

Thank you,

Julia White