Divers working in Lake Union Saturday recovered the body of Phil Irwin, an active member of the Queen Anne community who had been missing since June 1st.
Family members told media outlets that Irwin, 61, apparently took his own life by jumping off the Aurora Bridge. The divers were from the Center for Wooden Boat on Lake Union and were working on a regular dive for ship wreckage near the bridge when they found Irwin’s remains.
Irwin, who was active with the Queen Anne Community Council and had been a leader in the push to extend the hours of operation at the Queen Anne Community Center, was last seen at 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, June 1st, when he walked away from his upper Queen Anne home. He left his home on foot, without his wallet or cellphone.
Irwin was a retired Boeing employee who had lived in the Queen Anne community for 35 years. He had been a respected and very active member of the Queen Anne Community and a vocal supporter of many causes involving the Queen Anne Community Center.
Irwin had worked with other Queen Anne leaders earlier this year to try and raise the money needed to pay for expanding the community center’s hours after Seattle officials reduced the center’s hours to save money.
Queen Anne Community Council President Ellen Monrad said she had known Irwin for about 20 years and had worked with him on many issues involving the Queen Anne neighborhood. She said Irwin had worked with the Queen Anne Community Center Advisory Board and was active in Queen Anne Little League when his two sons played on local teams.
She had asked him to run for a seat on the community council, but Irwin preferred to work behind the scenes.
“While not an official member of the council, Phil was very active at our meetings and always willing to lend a hand on an issue,” Monrad said. “He always offered excellent advice and was ready to give a positive word to those working on issues in the community. He will be greatly missed.”
Irwin’s son, Wes, had placed flyers around Queen Anne during the past week seeking information on his father’s whereabouts.
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