FL Decker

Introduction

Hello,

This is a website for my father, FL Decker, who passed away June 27, 2020. Please feel free to contact me at jeffrey@fldecker.com if you have any artwork, photos, or stories to share.

Thank you,

Jeffrey

Obituary

Published in the Skagit Valley Herald

FL Decker standing next to his 1953 MGTD in a gravel parking lot — FL Decker with 1953 MGTD for Skagit Valley Herald obituary

Frederick L. (FL) Decker

November 18, 1943 - June 27, 2020

Frederick Lee (FL) Decker, 76, passed away on June 27th from Alzheimer's.

Rick was born on November 18, 1943 to Glen and Louise (Erickson) Decker in Seattle, WA.

An accomplished painter, sculptor, and stained glass maker, Rick spent most of his life in Skagit Valley, mainly in Blanchard, where he lived and maintained an art studio. His work has been collected throughout the Western US and Canada. Rick exhibited extensively including at Whatcom Museum, Corning Museum of Glass, Sierra Arts Foundation, and Seattle Art Museum.

When not creating art, summers were spent working in the Alaskan salmon canning industry where he retired as a foreman.

He is survived by wife Dena Decker, son Jeffrey Decker, several cousins, and friends.

At this time memorial services will be held privately for immediate family. Those wishing to honor his life can make a donation in his name to the Alzheimer's Association. Pictures, artwork, and additional information will be available later at FLDecker.com.

Words from his cousin Melinda Lamp

Rick was born into a fishing family, the men in the family either fished or worked in the canneries in Alaska. In his early years Rick traveled to Alaska in the summer months where his parents, Glen and Louise, worked. Winters the family stayed on Fir Island, Skagit County, with his Erickson grandparents. Trips were made by steamships north, airplanes back. When it was time for school the family settled in Seattle.

An Ingraham High School graduate, art was his calling and summers working in Alaska paid the bills. He attended art school in San Francisco, returned to the NW living first on Guemes Island and then settling in Blanchard. As F.L. Decker, Rick made an impression in the NW art community participating in art shows, museum presentations and supporting charity art auctions.

Rick's art changed over the decades, but his glasswork, especially windows using vintage glass, were his specialty. He had a true feeling for design, a solid approach to structure and found great satisfaction when a project was completed in the vision he had when he began. Rick had a fondness for the fish that he spent summers with and he has many art projects incorporating fish. Family and friends treasure his and Dena's annual holiday cards......decades of fish as the theme, every year different.

Artwork

FL Decker had created many pieces of artwork in different mediums such as painting, printmaking, and stained glass. Some are featured below. Hover your mouse over the image (or long press on mobile) to get more information.

Black and white print with 5 salmon heads looking at a moon

Black and white print with a salmon that has it's head out of the water looking at a moon

Black and white print with two salmon with just their heads out of the water looking at the moon

Black and white print with two salmon facing each other very close

Photograph of a stained glass window featuring two salmon in it

Photograph of a stained glass window with 5 salmon heads looking at a moon

Photos

FL Decker walking along the beach aged in his early 20's

FL Decker sitting on a large anchor with Dena Decker

FL Decker carrying me as a young child piggy back style

FL Decker sitting next to Dena Decker with me sitting on his lap as a young child

FL Decker wearing paper red goggles facing the camera while I'm holding his head

FL Decker wearing a hat with artwork behind him in a scanned Polaroid picture

FL Decker holding a tabby cat. The cat is wearing a hat with raindeer antlers.

FL Decker in an office with a phone to his ear, a cigarette in his hand, and an excited expression

FL Decker wearing a hat and reading a newspaper in a machine shop

FL Decker looking at an older Mini Cooper car parked in grass

FL Decker driving a vehicle with sunglasses on

FL Decker is about a take a sip of a bloody mary drink

FL Decker sitting in a camping chair next to his MGTD that is parked in the grass

FL Decker standing next to his MGTD in a parking lot

Videos

Clips from Peterson Point NEFCO 1964 video (courtesy of Ed and Dan Peterson)
View full video on YouTube here

At home 2013 (courtesy of Beth Decker)

Art Shows

I found an old resume that listed shows that my dad's artwork had been in. The resume was typed on an old Brother word processor sometime in late 00's.

Year	Location	City	Notes
1965, 1966	Northwest Arts and Crafts Gallery	Seattle, WA
1967, 1968, 1969	Attica Gallery	Seattle, WA	1969 solo
1968	Seattle Art Museum	Seattle, WA	Northwest Annual
1969	Western Washington State College	Bellingham, WA	6th Annual National Exhibition of Small Sculpture and Drawing (purchase and catalog)
1971, 1972	Second Story Gallery	Seattle, WA	Asparagus Moonlight Show
1972	Western Washington State College	Bellingham, WA	Solo
1974	Seattle Art Museum	Seattle, WA	Skagit Valley Artists Show (catalog and movie)
1976, 1978, 1984	Whatcom Museum	Bellingham, WA	Stained Glass Show ('76, '84 solo)
1979	Kiku Gallery	Seattle, WA	Solo
1986	Murray/Hagar Gallery	Kirkland, WA	Solo
1987	Rosette Gallery	Bellingham, WA
1987	Corning Museum of Glass	Corning, NY	SGAA International Stained Glass Show (catalog)
1988	Matter/Danz Gallery	Bellingham, WA	Solo
1988	Edison Eye Gallery	Edison, WA	Before Toksook
1989	CoCA Seattle	Seattle, WA	Counterfeit Masterpiece Show
1992	Valley Museum of Northwest Art	La Conner, WA	Skagit Valley Artists 1974-1992 (catalog)
1992	Northwest Center of the Arts	Stanwood, WA	Invitational
1995	City 2000 Gallery, Sierra Arts Foundation	Reno, NV	Three person glass show
1995	Vox Populi Gallery	Seattle, WA	Northwest Noir
1995	Our Savior's Lutheran Church	Bellingham, WA	Stained glass window commission, 20' x 20'
1996	Tustin Renaissance Gallery	Tustin, CA	Glass show
1996	St. Charles Church	Burlington, WA	Stained glass window commission, (6) 25" x 8'7"
2000	Whatcom Museum	Bellingham, WA	Art and All That Jazz, Invitational
2002	Edison Eye Gallery	Edison, WA	"Shadows and Reflections"
2003	Edison Eye Gallery	Edison, WA	"Hot Shots" (group show)
2004	Edison Eye Gallery	Edison, WA	Invitational
2006	Cafe Culture	La Conner, WA	"See Stories"
2006	Edison Eye Gallery	Edison, WA	"A Cup Full of Cheer"

Collections and commissions throughout the USA in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California as well as British Columbia, Canada and Mese, Italy