Obituary of Clifford L. Ristine

Clifford L. Ristine, Jr., 72, was born March 4, 1936, in Lewistown, Montana. He died September 9, 2008, in Olympia, Washington. “Sonny,” as much of his family knew him, attended both Shelton and Olympia High Schools. He served in the United States Air Force between 1954 and 1963. Though he worked for different employers at various times, at heart Cliff was a musician and an artist. In the ‘60s, he and his best friend Reuben Land started a band, “The Cliff Dwellers.” Over the years, other band members included Bob Hendricks, Lyall Smith, Dave Ray, and Gerry Gronseth. In the ‘70s, Cliff and Michelle McKillip teamed up to play music in local nightclubs. They were known as “Nice & Easy” (they never could determine who was “nice,” and who was “easy”). In later years, he grew a ponytail and gave it one more try, occasionally playing at The Spar in a band called “Wrinkles.” Cliff was also an artist. In addition to painting one of the murals in downtown Centralia, his artwork could be found at various times in the Olympia area. Some of our greatest treasures are the portraits he painted of different family members. Cliff is survived by his companion of 24 years, Sharon Estabrook, his mother, Gladys, sister Marvyl, daughters April and Suzanne, and sons, Brett and Chris. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews, Jackie, Jolene, Leisa, Jeff and Jay, and many grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Samuel, his father, Clifford Sr., a nephew, Jon Lee, and a great nephew, J. J. According to Cliff’s wishes, there will be no funeral or memorial service. His family and friends will be gathering in the near future to remember and celebrate Cliff’s life. To leave a condolence for the family, click on View Guestbook below: