Dick Satterberg: A career in law, a world traveler

Richard "Dick" Satterberg could have practiced law at any downtown Seattle firm. But he chose a small-town practice in White Center, where for 35 years he handled whatever came through the door.

"My dad liked the idea of going to work and having people walk in off the street with their troubles," said his son, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. "He had enough skills to take on whatever the case was — real estate, divorce."

Mr. Satterberg, of Shorewood, died May 11 of pancreatic cancer. He was 76.

He grew up in Wenatchee and married his high-school debate partner, Carol Lund, who died in 2004.

"When they argued at home, my mom always won," his son said.

The couple loved boating and travel in equal measure and filled their 50 years together with wonderful adventures that included both.

One year, using a combination of boats and planes, they traveled around the world, starting in Europe and going through India and Africa.

Mr. Satterberg graduated from the University of Washington Law School in 1955 and went into the Air Force, serving in Korea and then as a reserve officer in the Air Force JAG Corp., attaining the rank of colonel.

In 1959, he joined a small law firm in White Center and as the partners left or retired, took over the firm, which today exists as Satterberg, Healy & Eeckhoudt.

"He had a philosophy: If you can counsel people in a way that avoided litigation, it was to their advantage," said Gary Utigard, a retired King County District Court judge.

Utigard and Satterberg were fraternity brothers at the UW and remained friends throughout their careers.

"We were social friends and had an understanding that we didn't talk shop on a social level," Utigard said.

When Mr. Satterberg turned 65, his wife announced: "You're done working; we're gonna travel," Dan Satterberg recalled.

His parents spent six or eight weeks every summer cruising the waters of British Columbia and Alaska in their power boat. "Dad was the captain, and Mom was everything else on the boat."

Utigard, who shares a similar passion for boating, said he would meet up with them.

He remembered one year when the Satterbergs took a trip to Germany, "and guess what they did? They went boating — on a canal. Some people simply have it in their blood.

"I think the saddest day was when, because of his illness, he had to give up the boat."

The Satterbergs perfected the art of the inexpensive vacation. Dan Satterberg said his parents loved Europe — particularly Spain, France and Italy — and would often arrive without reservations, pick up the cheapest car available and just take off.

"Sometime around when the sun went down, they would find themselves in a little village and start knocking on doors," he said. "Sometimes they might find a small hotel or a bed-and-breakfast that agreed to put them up for the night. They were not much for the four-star hotels."

Mr. Satterberg was diagnosed with cancer not long before King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng died last year, and was in declining health when he witnessed his son sworn in as King County prosecutor.

"I know it took a lot of energy for him to be there," Dan Satterberg said. "I was proud of him, and I think he was proud of me."

In addition to his son, Mr. Satterberg is survived by children Karen Satterberg, of Shorewood, and Shelly Belisle, of Burien; and his sister, Zoe Wolfberg, of Anacortes.

A celebration of his life is planned at the John Knox Presbyterian Church in Normandy Park on May 31.

Lornet Turnbull: 206-464-2420 or lturnbull@seattletimes.com