Edgar “Ed” Hiersche, 76, passed away on December 10, 2025, in Renton, Washington. He was deeply loved by many people and leaves behind a legacy of kindness, laughter, and steady devotion to those he cared for.
Ed was born in Renton, and graduated from Renton High School in 1967. He later attended Green River Community College, where he completed the Forestry Technician program. He began his working life in forestry, first with the U.S. Forest Service and then with the Weyerhaeuser Company, working primarily out of the Snoqualmie branch as a timber cruiser.
As the timber industry changed in the late 1970s, Ed did what he would do throughout his life: he adapted. In 1978, he struck out on his own as a general contractor, navigating difficult economic years with determination and ingenuity. Over the next decade, his work took many forms. He partnered at times with his father, worked in the Alaskan oil fields, built a spec house in Kent, and operated Pacific Container Repair in South Seattle. Whatever the job, Ed met it head-on and made it work.
In 1980, Ed began seasonal contract work with Northland Services as a welder and container repairman. What started as contract work evolved into a more than 35-year career in the marine transportation industry. By the late 1980s, he joined Northland as an employee, steadily earning greater responsibility through his skill, reliability, and calm under pressure. In 2003, he became Senior Port Engineer for Northland Services, a role he held until his retirement in 2014.
After retiring, Ed once said that his real job had always been “never saying no.” He believed deeply in showing up, finding solutions, and doing his best to give people what they needed. “It can’t be done” simply wasn’t part of his vocabulary.
Ed’s greatest joy was his life with Sandy, his best friend and the love of his life, whom he married in 1992. Together they sailed on his sailboat, camped in eastern Washington, traveled widely, and cruised around the world, building a life full of adventure, partnership, and shared stories. He was rarely far from his faithful buddy, Jake, who was always by his side.
Ed was quick with a joke and loved to make people laugh. He had a natural way of taking care of people—quietly, reliably, without fanfare. His confidence was matched by warmth, his work ethic by generosity, and his humor by heart.
Ed is survived by his wife Sandy; his children Kim, Tammy, Stacy, Randy, Scott, and Erich; his grandson Marek; and his sister, Nancy. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A celebration of Ed’s life will be held at Lakeridge Lutheran Church on January 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Family and friends are warmly invited to gather, remember, and honor a man who showed up for others and lived life fully. Please RSVP here if you will be attending.
