PORT ANGELES — A memorial ceremony at Captain Joseph House on Sunday honored the men and woman who have died in combat while serving their country.

The sounds of bagpipes filled the air at the start of the ceremony and piper Ricky McKenzie, a retired Coast Guardsman, performed in front of a crowd of about 50 people, including American Legion Riders and Marine Corps League members.

“Each Memorial Day represents what is at the heart and core of our foundation’s mission,” said Tom Cox, a Captain Joseph House Foundation volunteer. “When Betsy [Reed Schultz] recently asked me if I would say a few words on behalf of the foundation and talk about our mission, I was very honored as I know how important and very special this event is to her.”

Schultz of Port Angeles, whose only son, Army Capt. Joseph Schultz, was killed while serving in Afghanistan seven years ago, was unable to attend Sunday.

After her son’s death, Schultz formed a nonprofit foundation to convert her former Tudor Inn at 1108 S. Oak St. into a retreat for the families of fallen service members.

“Having lost her only child in service to our country, she knows firsthand the depth of grieving becomes a never-ending journey,” he said, adding that there are about 7,000 gold star families who have each lost a loved one who served their country.

“Each is a unique story into itself,” he said. “Each is a never to be forgotten loved one as a husband, a wife, a father, a mother, a daughter, son, brother or sister to thousands of our fellow Americans.”

He said once the respite is open, three Gold Star families will visit each week with expenses for travel, recreation and food paid for by the Captain Joseph House Foundation.

“The time spent together in respite will not just be a time for grieving, but a time to rejoice in their loved ones’ lives, a celebration that honors those lives, a time to regroup, create new memories, begin new traditions and build on old ones,” he said.

The half-hour service featured a four-piece choir from Port Angeles High School and ended with a rifle salute by the Marine Corps League Mt. Olympus Detachment’s Honor Guard.

Captain Joseph House Foundation President Kathy Charlton told those who attended that the respite for Gold Star families is nearly complete.

The project broke ground July 24, 2013, and after “five years of percipience, lots of sweat and maybe some tears,” the project should be completed by the end of the year, she said.

“Let me say definitively, that the house will be completed this year,” she said. “Thursday, we looked at our bank account, and the state had funded $218,250 from the Washington State Capital Fund.”

She said that money, combined with the foundation’s fundraising, will allow them to complete the house, the landscaping and furnishing.

The Captain Joseph House, named in honor of the late Green Beret, will provide an all-expense-paid week-long respite for the families of service members who died while on active duty during wartime in the military.

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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.