Warren Horsley, 69, of Port Angeles, WA, died on April 24, 2022, in Seattle after an extended illness. The beloved husband, father, and brother was surrounded by family members.

Warren was born to Elizabeth Jane and Joseph Horsley on October 9, 1952, in Rolla, MO, and was raised mostly in St. Louis and Wichita, KS. He fell in love with the Olympic Peninsula at age 12 during a family visit, and swore he would move here some day - a promise that he and his wife of 41 years, Julie, finally fulfilled in 2004.

An exceptionally gifted guitarist, Warren honed his skills as a youngster, learning solos by ear from recordings of B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Andrés Segovia, Eric Clapton, and many others. He also took private lessons with Joseph Cozad in Kansas City (classical) and Jerry Hahn in Wichita (jazz, R&B).

At Wichita East High School, he ran on the track team, and at Wichita State University he was a Music Theory major. In 2007, at the age of 55, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Education at the City University of Seattle, garnering the school's Presidential Medal of Honor for Meritorious Scholastic Achievement.

Warren's eclectic career included jobs at Boeing-Wichita, and at Thoroughbred Ford in Kansas City. He also played in rock, R&B, and Blues bands in Kansas City, Memphis, and Los Angeles.

He was a para-educator at Port Angeles' Roosevelt Elementary School until his retirement in 2019. Beloved by students, parents, and colleagues alike, he showed special skills for teaching both highly capable students and those with special needs.

His musical skills were often in demand to assist in school talent shows. He also shared his talents in a wide variety of musical activities at First Baptist Port Angeles, where he also sang tenor in the church choir.

Warren was deeply devoted to his wife and two children, Nathan and Sierra. He had a generous heart: He and Julie would often share their holiday meals with homebound neighbors or with friends who had no family nearby.

He loved music: from Beethoven to the Beatles, from Rameau to Rush, from Grieg to the Grateful Dead. He could play and sing hundreds of well-known tunes, and he was a gifted songwriter who also performed his own music. He was widely read, consuming everything from multivolume biographies of J.S. Bach to Moby Dick and The Brothers Karamazov, from world histories to The Chronicles of Narnia. He loved mountain climbing, painting, and his dog, Einstein.

Warren is survived by his wife, Julie (Shepler) Horsley, of Port Angeles; a son, Nathan Horsley (Jessica), of Kansas City, MO; two grandsons, Benjamin Horsley and Nicholas Horsley, both of Kansas City, MO; a daughter, Sierra Horsley, of Bellingham, WA; a sister, Mary Lou Horsley, of Houston, TX; and brothers David Horsley (Michele Fortunato) of Amarillo, TX, and Paul Horsley (Melquiades Flores) of Kansas City, MO. He was preceded in death by his parents.

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, Pastor Tim Hughes will lead a celebration of Warren's life at First Baptist Church Port Angeles, 105 W. 6th St. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to a special fund of the Roosevelt Elementary School PTO, designated for needy families of Roosevelt students. Checks sent to Roosevelt Elementary School (106 Monroe Rd., Port Angeles, WA 98362) should include, on the memo line, "In Honor of Warren Horsley."

Drennan & Ford Funeral Home in Port Angeles is entrusted with his arrangements. Please sign the online guestbook for his family at www.drennanford.com .