Clifford Morris Sabiston

Clifford Morris Sabiston, age 94, passed away peacefully Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Bellingham, Washington. Clifford was born in Selkirk, Manitoba on February 13, 1932 to parents George and Nora (Cromerty) Sabiston, where he grew up and lived there until he was 33.

He married Elise Rogg in June 1956, had three children, and then moved to the United States in 1965. Clifford and Elise made Bellingham home with their young family. Clifford was an ironworker by trade. Proud member of The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, AFL-CIO (IW) Local 86. Members of this union have worked on nearly every major construction project you can think of - the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sears Tower, the St. Louis Arch, the Oil Sands Plant Expansion in Alberta, the World Trade Center and Freedom Tower. Originally part of Local 728 in Manitoba, Cliff then transferred to Local 505 in Bellingham which then combined into Local 86 in Seattle. Cliff helped build the original Intalco plant in Ferndale and then later the Arco plant and BP, as well as numerous other buildings, bridges and projects around the sound. He retired in 1994 and just received his 70 year lifetime member pin from the union!

In Canada, as well as in Washington, Clifford hunted and fished off the land and used every last bit to provide for his family. He taught his son Woody to hunt and fish and they had many adventures together, including one last trip in his 80’s to Eastern Washington. He also hunted for every bargain and deal he could find. If you know Clifford, you know! If you needed something and he knew about it, he would call all over trying to get you “the deal”.

As a hobby Clifford took up woodworking and built his kitchen cabinets from a pile of wood, two china hutches and bathroom vanity. He was quite good at it and accomplished many smaller projects along the way. A couple of his favorite projects were rocking horses and small table and chair sets for his great grandchildren. He kept one of the rocking horses in his room until his passing for all to see.

After his wife’s passing he moved to Highgate Senior Living in the fall of 2024. There he told many stories of his life from the prairies to the Pacific Ocean. He made many new friends and enjoyed his time there. A huge thank you to all the Highgate staff and Whatcom Hospice, as they made his last month’s there easier for him and for his family. A special thanks to Krissy, a volunteer from Hospice, that befriended him over two years ago. They formed a special bond and he spoke of her and her travels frequently. She took the time to check in on him often, and he would light up when speaking of her and her travels. Your time was precious to him especially in his final days. Thank you so very much from his family for your time and friendship.

Clifford was preceded in death by his wife Elise in 2023. At the time of her passing they had been married 67 years. He is survived by his children, daughter Kim (Jerome) Longeau & family of Regina, Saskatchewan; son Woody (Nancy) Sabiston & family of Bellingham; daughter Margo Sabiston & family of Lake Country, BC. He also has many family members in Canada, too numerous to list.

At Cliffords request no services will be held.