Garland Chan, 43, Senior Pastor Of Seattle Chinese Baptist Church

A funeral service is scheduled today for Garland Chan, senior pastor of Seattle Chinese Baptist Church, known to friends and family as a tireless and orderly doer who believed that life's lessons were best taught with a sense of humor.

Chan died of a heart attack March 30, one day before his 44th birthday. The service will be at 1 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Seattle, 1111 Harvard Ave.

Chan's office at the church on Beacon Avenue South reflects his light-hearted nature and sense of order.

Everything is in its place: Theology books are meticulously arranged in the book shelves in order of size; letters he intended to answer have been placed in descending order along the left side of his desk.

Tributes to Snoopy, the carefree Peanuts character, are everywhere.

A poster on his office wall has Snoopy saying, ``I need a hug.'' A fuzzy white Snoopy doll graces a corner of his desk.

Garrett Chan, 11, drew countless depictions of Snoopy for his dad, who proudly displayed them on walls and file cabinets at his office. Garrett and sister, Ginger, 9, would shower their father with Snoopy trinkets on special occasions.

``It was something special they had together,'' says Gloria Chan, Chan's wife and the children's mother.

Chan is also survived by his stepmother, May Chan of Alameda, Calif.; and two brothers, Galvin Chan of San Jose, Calif., and Gregory Chan of Fremont, Calif.

Chan's fascination with Snoopy began as a seminary student, said Gloria Chan. One of his professors used Snoopy to illustrate spiritual concepts and human nature.

``Garland believed it was easier for people to accept something if it was humorous than if you had someone hammering down on you,'' she said, adding that Chan carried that philosophy over into his ministry.

Chan was born in Oakland, Calif. He received a bachelor's degree in Christian education in 1967 from Calvary Bible College in Kansas City. He received a master's degree in theology in 1971 from the Dallas Theological Seminary. He was ordained at Grace Bible Church in Dallas in 1970.

``He was a very self-disciplined and very organized man,'' said Daniel Wong, an associate pastor at Seattle Chinese Baptist Church, which has a congregation of about 600.

``He could deliver a sermon without stumbling,'' Wong said.

``Everything he did, he did to the highest quality,'' recalls Paul Fong, chairman of the church's board of trustees and Chan's best friend.

The two buddies helped each other with odd jobs around their homes. Chan helped Fong build a deck at his North Seattle home in 1986; Fong helped Chan put a new roof on his Renton home.

``He was a perfectionist but a considerate perfectionist,'' said Fong, 44. Chan believed in doing a job well, he said, but strived to be considerate in his criticism of others.

Remembrances in Chan's name may be made to Seattle Chinese Baptist Church, 5801 Beacon Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98108.