PORT ANGELES — Clint Leroy Darrow, a North Dakota native who grew up in Forks, never thought his fusion-tinged Port Angeles restaurant was the end-all and be-all of his many endeavors.
The owner of Van Goes Gourmet Pizza &Mexican eatery at 814 S. C St. was a camping enthusiast with an artistic bent who had more roads to travel, his two daughters said Saturday.
Clint Darrow was 53 when he was shot to death Thursday afternoon in the West Ninth Street home where he lived with his 27-year-old son, Shay Clinton Darrow.
Shay, booked the same day into the Clallam County jail for investigation of second-degree murder, is expected to be formally charged Jan. 27.
A service is planned for 1 p.m. Sunday at the Port Angeles Moose Lodge, 809 S. Pine St.
Clint Darrow’s daughters — Chase Darrow, 29, of Port Angeles and Chyna Darrow, 26, of Kirkland — recently spoke about their father, his relationship with his son and their brother.
Shortly after the shooting, which police say Shay said he committed, Chase told police her brother was schizophrenic “and that she had been trying to take his gun away from him for several weeks,” according to the probable-cause affidavit.
“We don’t want people to think he just had some hatred for my dad,” Chase said Saturday.
Clint Darrow’s children “were the most important things in the world” to him, Chyna added.
“We know my brother and him loved each other so much.”
After Clint Darrow, who was born in 1963, graduated from Forks High School, he worked on a Boeing assembly line in Everett for six years. He returned to Port Angeles in 1992 with his then-wife, Sharest, to run the Gull gas station for his parents.
He worked in a beer distribution warehouse before he and his wife, both passionate about cooking and art, opened Van Goes in 2002.
The company logo depicts Van Gogh’s iconic self-portrait and the artist holding a round-bladed pizza cutter.
Clint Darrow also decorated Van Goes with Van Gogh’s artwork.
“He just wanted to be his own boss, wanted to make his own schedule, liked waiting on people, wanted to make people happy,” Chase said.
Chase, Chyna and Shay grew up eating their father’s homemade burritos and enchiladas.
“He always said the toppings you put on burritos you could put on top of a pizza,” Chase said.
Rather than watch television, their father did woodworking, was always doodling and listened to rock artists such as Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sublime.
“He always had the music going while he was doing something in his garage,” Chase said.
Chyna said her father enjoyed camping “off the grid” to contemplate life.
“He just liked to sit back and watch the fire,” she said. “There was always something on his mind.”
Clint and his former wife, Sharest Darrow, also collected antiques together. His prized possession was a 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood.
Clint Darrow was a dreamer, too.
“He always talked about how he wanted to buy a motor home and travel,” Chase said.
“He was always talking about selling the house and downsizing to something smaller and just making things a little bit easier.”
He would buy Washington Lottery quick-pick scratch tickets at Grandview Grocery, where he’d bring leftover pizza for Grandview employees, said postal and store clerk Liisa Kiiski, 63, who met him after he first opened Van Goes.
She was shocked to learn of his death from a customer shortly after the shooting.
“He [the customer] was crying,” Kiiski recalled.
Chase and Chyna said they have not decided what will happen with Van Goes, which remains closed.
“We are going to sit down and talk about everything,” Chase said Tuesday.
“We are considering running it.”
In addition to his children, Clint Darrow is survived by two grandchildren, Maverick Tilley, 5, and Brazen Tilley, 3, and ex-wife, Sharest, all of Port Angeles; his parents, Ron Darrow and Iva Johanson of Forks; and his stepfather, Ron Johanson of Forks.
A fund memorial for Clint Darrow has been set up at Strait-View Credit Union to help pay for cremation and funeral expenses.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
Clint Darrow
