Drew Thomes, a much beloved jewelry designer and sculptor, passed away Jan. 11, 2017 from cancer. He died a satisfied man knowing he had sent so much beauty out into the world. He was 69.

Drew grew up in Sand Creek, a small town in southern Michigan. He moved to the Pacific Northwest after picking Puget Sound out on a weather map. The choice was a good one, as he loved the climate here over Michigan’s humid summers and frigid winters.

A memorial is planned for June 30 — his birthday — at the rooftop garden above his store, Gilbert Thomes Jewelry, on Winslow Way.