A2 • Friday, February 26, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
Seaside doctor remembered for ‘spirit of service’
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
A longtime Seaside doc-
tor was found dead after he
was reported missing last
Monday while snowboard-
ing in Washington state.
Dr. Ben Cockcroft, 62,
who practiced medicine at
Providence Seaside Hospi-
tal for nearly 30 years, was
located by a King County
search and rescue team on
Wednesday at Stevens Pass.
“He has cared for mul-
tiple generations — grand-
parents to babies — and is
well-known and loved by
all,” the hospital said in a
statement. “He also loved
his patients and commu-
nity, saying in a profi le arti-
cle, ‘In a sense, I feel I have
thousands of friends here.’
And indeed he does.
“He also had a spirit of
service, both in North Coast
communities and also in
taking time to share his
medical expertise and bring
much-needed supplies to
Oaxaca, Mexico.
“Dr. Cockcroft was a
Providence Seaside Hospital
Dr. Ben Cockcroft
loving father and husband.
He and his wife, Lindy,
have been at the heart of
so much in the community.
Many people here have
watched their three chil-
dren — April, Travis and
Lucas — grow up, play-
ing and learning in school,
sports and activities. He
and his family loved travel-
ing, winter sports and being
outdoors. Dr. Cockcroft
also had a passion for surf-
ing contests and loved play-
ing and spending time with
dogs.
“The Cockcroft family
expresses deep gratitude to
Detective Ed Christian and
the team at King County
search and rescue for their
heroic efforts, as well as
the team of volunteers
from surrounding coun-
ties. They endured severe
weather during the search
and always took time to lis-
ten to the family.”
Cockcroft is the past
president of the Clatsop
County Medical Society
and a former chief of staff
at Providence Seaside.
He attended the Univer-
sity of California, Santa
Cruz before earning his
medical degree from the
University of California,
Irvine. He completed an
internship in Fresno, Cali-
fornia, and a family practice
residency at San Pedro Pen-
insula Hospital before mov-
ing to Seaside.
Dr. Dominique Greco,
the medical director for pri-
mary care at Providence
North Coast Clinic, said,
“There are no words to
express our deep sorrow.
Only that he is loved and
will be terribly missed.”
Colleagues, patients and
friends have shared mem-
ories and tributes online
at Forever Missed, includ-
ing Dr. Sharyl Magnuson
Boyle, who joined the clinic
in 2019.
“Practicing with Ben, I
got to know his style, and
grew to really respect his
way of practice,” Mag-
nuson Boyle said. “When
he decided to go half
time, I took on several of
his patients. With these
patients, my respect for Ben
grew. He practiced at a level
one rarely sees outside of an
academic setting.
“Diagnosing and man-
aging complicated and rare
conditions seemed to be no
problem for Ben, just taken
in stride. He was a gem. I
don’t think that the prac-
tice really realized the qual-
ity of physician they had in
Dr. Cockcroft because he
was a pretty humble guy.
Sharing patients with Ben,
I do know his quality, and
I regret not having had the
opportunity to let him know
how much I respected his
talents and abilities.
“We always think there
have deep affection for him
and I’m so sorry for him
and his family.”
Dennis Smith, the owner
of Seaside Surf Shop, said
Cockcroft was a friend and
his doctor for 25 years.
“You can’t be a surfer
in this community and not
know the Cockcrofts,” he
said. “It’s going to be hard
for a lot of people.
“He lived right there,”
Smith said, referring to
Sunset Boulevard in the
Cove, known as the hub of
Seaside’s surf scene. “He
was at the epicenter every
day. He saw the comings
and goings and everybody
knew him.”
He said Cockcroft helped
clear rocks and sand out of
a little trail that goes down
to the beach after big win-
ter storms to make it more
accessible for older surfers
and others who had diffi -
culty getting over the rocks.
Smith said it is a big job
every year.
“It goes back to his deep
love for the beach and this
little pocket of the commu-
nity,” he said.
will be time to thank a col-
league, to recognize him, to
let him know how he is val-
ued — and then there is no
more time. I hope his family
will know from me that he
was an exceptional physi-
cian. He had rare skills and
insights. His patients will
really miss him. I will miss
him.”
Janis Cerelli, a longtime
patient of Cockcroft’s, said
she affectionately called
him “Dr. Bambino” since
meeting him more than 20
years ago.
“My grandmother was in
the hospital at Seaside and
he walked in and he said
‘Hi’ to my grandmother
and went to the bed next
door and drew the curtain,”
Cerelli said. “And I said in
Italian to my grandmother,
‘Who is that?’ And she said
in Italian, ‘He’s a doctor.’
“ ... I said, in Italian, ‘But
nana, he has a face like a
baby.’ So then he opened up
the curtain and delightedly
said, ‘Hi, I’m Dr. Bambino.’
“I mean, he’s just a
sweetheart, and he was just
a great guy,” Cerelli said. “I
OBITUARIES
Rev. David Munro Barnet
‘Pat’ Mina McEwan
Seaside
Aug. 30, 1941 — Feb. 17, 2021
Gearhart
July 8, 1927 — Nov. 29, 2020
Rev. David Munro Bar-
net was born on Aug. 30,
1941, in Moline, Illinois.
David attended schools
in Eldridge and Davenport,
Iowa, and graduated from
Augustana College in Rock
Island, Illinois, in 1964. He
married Linda Diane Flachs
in Davenport on April 18,
1964. He attended semi-
nary at Lutheran School of
Theology Chicago, and was
ordained in 1968.
David served as par-
ish pastor in Dresser and
Sand Lake, Wisconsin; as
a retirement home chap-
lain and administrator with
the Good Samaritan Society
from 1970 to 1977; and held
other administrative roles in
Ottawa, Illinois, Thousand
Oaks, California, Denver,
Colorado, and Salem and
Keizer.
He returned to parish
ministry in 1989 at Zion
Lutheran Church in Red-
mond. In 1999, he accepted
a call at Our Saviour’s
Rev. David Barnet
Lutheran Church in Seaside.
He retired in 2004. After
retirement, he served as
interim pastor in Chinook,
Washington.
He is survived by his
wife, Linda; son, Dan-
iel Barnet; daughter, Laura
Kaim (Frank Kaim); four
grandchildren, Trevin Bar-
net, Melanie Yelliott (Justin
Yelliott), Nick Kaim (Bre-
anne Kaim) and Anna Kaim;
four great-grandchildren;
siblings, Thomas Barnet,
Barbara Box, Anton Barnet,
Becky DeMartelaere and
Michael Barnet; and many
nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death
by his sisters, Alice Ludwig,
Mary Fletcher and Karen
Tarchinski.
A memorial service
will be held on Saturday at
11 a.m. at Our Saviour’s
Lutheran Church in Seaside.
Due to COVID-19 restric-
tions, space is limited, and
the family requests that you
follow the service via live
feed.
A livestream link can
be found at the top of the
church’s
homepage
at
oslc-seaside.org.
Anyone
who wishes to attend in
person must reserve a seat
by calling the church at
503-738-6791.
Memorials may be made
to the Food for Kids Pro-
gram, in care of Our Sav-
iour’s Lutheran Church, 320
First Ave., Seaside, OR.,
97138.
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
SEASIDE POLICE DEPT.
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
Feb. 9
11:33 p.m., Beach Drive and
Ocean Vista: A disturbance is
reported.
Feb. 10
1:56 a.m., 2100 block S. Frank-
lin: A disturbance is reported.
3:22 p.m., Wahanna and Lea
Way: A person is arrested on a
warrant.
6:33 p.m., 1000 block S. Holla-
day: A subject is arrested on a
warrant
Feb. 11
5:08 p.m., U.S. Highway 101
by A Mighty Thai: A person is
arrested on a warrant.
9:16 p.m., 1300 block N. Mar-
ion Avenue, Gearhart: Police
assist another agency at the
scene of a disturbance.
11:17 p.m., Pine Cove and N.
Roosevelt: A person is arrested
on a warrant.
Feb. 12
12:14 a.m., 900 block N.
Holladay: Subjects accused
of causing a disturbance are
advised of the complaint and
warned of disorderly conduct.
1:29 p.m., Eleventh Avenue:
A woman reported lurking
around a home in the area
is warned to stay away or be
trespassed.
Feb. 13
3:35 p.m., 1000 block S. Down-
ing: A disturbance is reported.
Feb. 14
1:03 a.m., Wahanna and Lea
Way: A person is arrested on a
warrant.
1:13 p.m., 1400 block S.
Roosvelt: A woman calls to
report her son who’s been tres-
passed is back on the property
again. On police arrival, he
agrees to move along.
2:13 p.m., N. Wahanna Road:
An elderly woman is reported
missing from the care facility
where she lives. Staff located
her and returned her safely
without incident.
6:57 p.m., 1200 block S.
Wahanna: A disturbance is
reported.
Feb. 15
7:39 a.m., 1000 block S. Down-
ing: Harassment is reported.
5:33 p.m., 1400 block N. Wa-
hanna: Offi cers assist another
agency at the scene of an
assault.
11:32 p.m., 2100 block S.
Franklin: Police speak to
two people engaged in a
disturbance. They say their
argument was verbal only and
agree to calm down and stay
away from each other for the
rest of the night.
Feb. 16
12:05 a.m., 800 block N.
Wahanna: A person is arrest-
ed and charged with driving
while under the infl uence of
intoxicants.
1:07 p.m., Avenue S and
beach: Tents are reported on
the beach.
1:36 p.m., Chamber restrooms:
A transient reported sitting by
the restrooms drinking beer is
told to pour the beer out.
4:36 p.m., Police headquarters:
A person came in to register as
a sex off ender.
Feb. 17
3:39 a.m., Carousel Mall:
Suspicious circumstances are
reported.
12:10 p.m., Ocean Way/South
Downing: Multiple carts are
reported inside the public
restrooms; public works will
remove them if they aren’t
gone by day’s end.
3:35 p.m., 300 block Avenue A:
Caller reports woman behav-
ing erratically. Police speak to
her after watching her pick up
rocks and garbage.
3:45 p.m., Avenue A: Emer-
gency medical response;
police assist another agency
on scene.
4:57 p.m., 900 block N. Roos-
evelt: An assault is reported.
“Pat” Mina McEwan,
during a slow period
many years ago at a horse
show in Vancouver, Brit-
ish Columbia, handed her
young son a bill from her
pocket and told him to
go have fun. He took off,
looking at the rides that
cost $1 each. Then he took
a look at the bill in his
hand, and was shocked. It
was a $20.
Pat McEwan, who
passed away peacefully
on Nov. 29, 2020, at the
age of 93, lived life by a
set of no-nonsense rules.
But as her family would
keep learning, just like
that day at the horse show,
she gave generously. For a
lifetime.
She was born in The
Dalles on July 8, 1927,
to Raymond and Susan
(Prindle) Dukek. She
graduated as valedic-
torian of Condon High
School in 1945 and went
on to become a beauti-
cian at Meier & Frank in
Portland.
It was after moving to
the coast that Pat met her
husband, Robert McE-
wan, at the Wave Crest
lunch counter in Cannon
Beach. The two married in
Pat was an accom-
plished seamstress who
sewed wedding and prom
dresses, even upholster-
ing car seats. She was a
skilled baker and heavily
involved in her church.
She was a fan of Coca-
Cola, Glenn Miller, wrist
watches and hair curlers.
She was painstakingly
organized. She was known
to speak her mind. But
most of all, she was a ded-
icated mother and grand-
mother who spent many
weekends on the road at
horse shows.
Pat was preceded in
death by her brother,
Raymond. She is sur-
vived by her husband,
Robert; their two chil-
dren, Mike McEwan and
Mary Jean Wilson; seven
grandchildren; and eight
great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at
a later date.
In lieu of fl owers, the
family has requested that
remembrances be made in
the form of contributions
to the Alzheimer’s Foun-
dation of America or to
Camp Kiwanilong Sum-
mer Youth Program, P.O.
Box 128, Warrenton, OR.,
97146.
‘Pat’ Mina McEwan
Carson City, Nevada, on
Oct. 17, 1950, and chose
to settle down in the town
of Gearhart. They founded
Bob McEwan Construc-
tion in May 1956, eventu-
ally selling it to their son,
Mike, and his wife.
Feb. 18
8:04 a.m., 10th Avenue: A
woman wearing a red checked
bathrobe is reported leaving a
parking lot with a red bike. The
calling party said the woman
was yelling and pointing her
fi nger at something. Police are
unable to locate.
COMING IN MAY
11:42 a.m., 1800 block Pacifi c
Way: Police assist another
agency with a disturbance.
5:28 p.m., 800 block S.
Holladay: Police respond to
a disturbance; caller says she
argued with her ex but it was
verbal only. A report was made
for another agency.
6:45 p.m., 1000 block N. Prom:
A woman reported riding her
bicycle through private prop-
erties is unable to be located.
M
A
G
A
Z
I
N
E
From Manzanita to Willapa Bay, the beautiful scenery, engaging stories and fascinating
history that tells why visiting Our Coast is special. This year’s edition celebrates ten years
of feature-packed magazines with a special keepsake pull-out poster of Our Coast covers.
SEASIDE FIRE & RESCUE
PUBLIC SAFETY
LOG
Feb. 5
6:14 p.m., N. Downing: Emer-
gency medical response.
6:28 p.m., 2100 block S.
Franklin: Emergency medical
response. Another agency is
assisted.
10:00 p.m., 1100 block
Avenue F: Emergency medical
response.
Feb. 6
3:43 a.m., First Avenue: Fire
alarm.
9:30 a.m., 600 block Village
Terrace: Emergency medical
response.
Feb. 7
2:18 a.m., 2300 block Beach
Drive: Emergency medical
response.
1:29 p.m., 1800 block S.
Roosevelt: Emergency medical
response.
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