Aaron Haskins, Sr., a long-time pastor of The City Church in Kirkland, passed away suddenly of natural causes Oct. 25. He was 49.

The oldest child of Louis Edward and Lucille Haskins, Aaron was one of nine children and grew up in Tacoma, Wash., where he was known for his work ethic and hard driving lay-ups. He graduated from Mt. Tahoma High School and received a full academic and athletic scholarship to play basketball for the Washington State University Cougars.

After finishing his college career, he continued to work with WSU as the Admissions Counselor and Minority Recruiter until moving his family to the Seattle area in 1992 to pursue a career in banking at Bank of America. He always felt a calling to the fulltime ministry, and in 1994 joined the Promise Keepers Organization as the National Impact director.

His passion for ”bridge building” in the body of Christ opened the door for him to serve in a variety of capacities. For 15 years he served as networking pastor for The City Church and Alderwood Campus Pastor for The City Church in Mountlake Terrace, Wash. In addition, he served on the board for Sound The Alarm and on the executive team for Mayday for Marriage. He was also the executive director for the Coalition for Community Development and Renewal, a non-profit ministry that works to mobilize and equip pastors and church leaders to bring transformation to the core of greater Seattle. Aaron’s gifts as a leadership mentor and organization facilitator made him a popular speaker at men’s conferences, church and community events.

Haskins’ wife of 29 years and partner in ministry, Cheryl, said “Aaron loved people. Everything that he was about was about people. He was committed to the local church, he was committed to church leaders, he was committed to his family and his friends. Aaron was a man I respected above all others and loved very much. And I feel honored for the time I had with him. He is the love of my life.”

He is survived by his wife Cheryl Dixon Haskins, children Latasha, Aaron, Jr., Andrew and daughter-in-law Christina; grandchildren Isaiah, Kaylie, Kevin and Kloe; father Louis Edward Haskins, mother Lucille Haskins, mother-in-law Juanita Dixon; brothers Arthur, Anthony, Arlin, and Ed; sisters Arlene, Aleta, Angela, Athena; brother-in-law Claude Dixon; sisters-in-law Anita Dixon-Thomas, Crystal Dixon, and Barbara Dixon-Smith (Christian Smith).

He stood tall in spiritual and moral stature. Aaron was a best friend to many, a father to the fatherless, a mentor and humble servant.

Services were held Oct. 28 at the Chapel of the Resurrection in Bothell. A memorial service was held Oct. 29 at The City Church.