His life has come to an end, but his contributions to the city are displayed through a winding track.

Leonard John “Jack” Suchy, 67, a longtime Federal Way resident and a creative force behind the BPA Trail, died April 9 at St. Francis Hospital. A magnolia tree, planted May 3 by Suchy’s friends and family alongside the trail, now commemorates Suchy’s life and volunteer work on the trail.

A journey to remember

Dressed in raincoats and athletic shoes, Suchy’s friends and family walked the winding BPA Trail through shaded woods and grassy areas, where a crackling sound could be heard as the drizzling rain hit charged power lines overhead, until they neared an open area where the tree waited to be planted.

Along the way, Seattle resident Tonia Davidson, Suchy’s daughter, told the others how two decades ago, her dad pulled blackberry bushes and Scotch Broom from the landscape where the BPA Trail now exists.

“He would go out there and spend hours hacking blackberry bushes,” Davidson said.

He employed the help of a neighbor and organized volunteer groups to pull the invasive species, she said.

Davidson remembers when, in the 1980s, her dad frequently talked about his desire to see a trail in the open space that cuts across the southwest corner of the city. Suchy, a nature lover, wanted to preserve a place for residents to get outside and appreciate a natural part of Federal Way, Davidson said.

“He always really enjoyed the outdoors,” she said. “I really appreciate that about him.”

Settling in Twin Lakes:

Suchy was always a man full of ideas, she said. He and his then-wife, Judy Golden, moved to Twin Lakes with their two children, Brad and Tonia, in the 1960s. Suchy opened a built-in vacuum system business by the name of Vac-U-Matic and spent his spare time coaching children’s sports and volunteering with a local political group. He valued gardening, spending time outdoors and building things, Davidson said.

“My dad certainly never lacked in enthusiasm or creativity,” she said.

A dream becomes a reality:

The city, which incorporated in 1990, does not have documentation of the extent of Suchy’s efforts toward the BPA Trail, said Donna Hanson, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director. It is known that in 1993, Suchy served on one of the city’s first Parks and Recreation Commission boards. Discussions about the BPA Trail took place between the city council and commission during this time, Hanson said.

The dirt access road to the power lines was constructed by Bonneville Power Administration in 1968, Bonneville realty specialist Paul Woolson said. Between 1992 and 1999, Federal Way applied with the power company to construct the pedestrian and bicycle trail, Woolson said. The city paved the trail in four phases and now owns it, he said.

“From our take on it, this is a perfect use of Bonneville Power rights-of-way,” Woolson said. “It is a perfect marriage between Bonneville and the City of Federal Way.”

Today, the pathway travels 3.34 miles through the landscape that separates Celebration Park, 1100 S. 324th St., and Madrona Park, Southwest 356th Street and 15th Avenue Southwest.

“My dad was very proud of (the BPA Trail),” Davidson said.

In loving memory:

At Suchy’s memorial, his granddaughter, Alexandria Davidson, fondly remembered her grandpa’s love for red doors — like the one at the entrance of his college fraternity at the University of Oregon. Tonia Davidson remembered her father’s homemade bingo boards, which he would give his children to play with during long road trips. Neighbor Jim Carl reminisced on how Suchy used to surprise his friends with armloads of dahlias.

“He loved his flowers,” he said.

The BPA Trail adequately represents the relationship Davidson had with her father — full of ups and downs, she said. Two years ago, Suchy suffered a series of strokes. The strokes left him with little short-term memory. In April of this year, another stroke plagued him, and he fell into a coma for three days before passing away.

Planting a magnolia tree in his memory is a way to celebrate Suchy’s achievements and lovingly conclude the last chapter of his life, she said.

Contact Jacinda Howard: jhoward@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.