In the first conversation Grant Fishbook had with Andy Vitaljic more than a decade ago, Andy surprised the Christ the King Community Church pastor by saying he wanted his tombstone to read, “Andy fed the hungry.”
The third-generation Croatian fisherman, who built a commercial seafood empire in Whatcom County and died at the age of 91 in September 2024, got his wish. Andy may be best remembered for his tireless efforts to help people in need, and his mausoleum inscription reflects that.
Fishbook said Andy was one of the most generous humans he’d ever met — a compliment that extends to his widow, Erin.
“The Vitaljics have their names attached to all kinds of humanitarian organizations around the county,” he said. “Andy was the brain and heart and passion and Erin was the organizer who made sure the ideas actually became real.”
Now, Erin is looking for a successor to the empire Andy spent five decades building.
A lifetime influenced by the sea
Andy took his first fishing job as a teenager, working as a deckhand on his uncle’s fishing boat. After his father Joe died in a tragic boating accident in the late 1950s, Andy decided to get off the water and went on to found a series of seafood companies in Whatcom County, including American Canadian Fisheries.
Erin knew Andy for almost her entire life — her parents’ house in Bellingham was next door to his, and Erin’s sister would tease her about their handsome, approachable neighbor. Around 2006, he approached Erin with a business proposition.
“He had to pay to dispose of salmon carcasses after the fish was processed for human consumption, and he wanted me to start a business to grind and freeze the byproducts for the pet food industry,” she said. That’s how her company, Fat-Cat Fish, came to be.
The business partners married in 2009 and continued to work in tandem. Fat-Cat Fish now processes 25 million pounds of byproduct into premium pet food annually.
Andy’s largest business, American Canadian Fisheries, is contractually obligated through the Washington, California and Oregon Departments of Fish & Wildlife to process and donate 20% of its salmon to those states’ food banks.
But that obligation alone didn’t sate Andy’s desire to feed the hungry in his own community. At first, Andy donated fish through Christ the King (CTK) Community Church’s food pantry. He then set aside acreage next to Hannegan and Hemmi Road for the CTK Farm, which grows produce for local food banks and has expanded to include multiple large greenhouses and hundreds of volunteers. Andy’s sister, JoAnn Nelson, helped manage the farm until her death in 2019.
In 2024, CTK donated 121,000 pounds of produce to the Whatcom County Food Bank Network.
“His dream became a reality, and I was so honored to be a part of it,” Fishbook said.
Similar to their business ventures, in philanthropy Andy focused on humans and Erin focused on animals. She especially loves big cats and wildlife, and has supported the cat sanctuary in Shelton and Whatcom Humane Society’s wildlife rehab center. Her pre-selected epitaph reads, “Cat Conservation.”
“Charity is what Andy and I both are all about,” she said. “We both have been extremely blessed in our businesses and we wanted to give back.”
Erin heard from Moles Farewell Tributes that Andy’s services on Oct. 15, 2024, was one of the most well-attended in the funeral home’s history. People in the seafood industry regularly told her Andy was a towering figure in the business.
“Everywhere we went, someone would say they used to work for Andy,” she said. “He was very recognized in the fishing community.”
In a post commemorating Andy in 2024, the Port of Bellingham described him as a “true legend and icon of Whatcom County’s working waterfront.”
“Through hard work, dedication and integrity, this third-generation fisherman rose from humble beginnings as a deckhand at 14 years old to President of American Canadian Fisheries, revolutionizing the seafood processing industry along the way,” the Port wrote.
Because no family members wish to carry on Andy’s sprawling commercial seafood empire, Erin is looking for the right person or group to take it over. The interconnected companies include American Canadian Fisheries, the transportation and logistics business Hannegan Express, and the real estate holding company Hannegan Properties, as well as Fat-Cat Fish.
“Andy and I talked about a succession plan for years and he just didn’t think anybody would be able to do it the way he’s been doing it for 50-plus years,” she said. “I don’t want his business to end and he put me in charge of figuring out what to do with it, so that’s what I’m working on now.”
One business that may not be carried on is Hannegan Seafoods, the retail fish shop on Hannegan Road. The store, which first opened its doors in 1985, was always a money-losing venture, Erin said. But Andy loved being behind the counter, connecting with regulars and selling (or sometimes just giving away) fresh and prepared fish. Without him at the helm, there was no reason to keep Hannegan Seafoods open — it closed at the end of December 2024.
Erin said Andy’s work ethic and excitement were present in everything he did.
“His thrill was always the next idea, the next deal,” Erin said. “His mind was always working. On the day he passed away, he was on the phone doing business all morning.”
Fishbook echoed the sentiment.
“Andy was pretty incredible,” he said. “I miss him every day. He was always on the phone with another idea — it was a never-ending series of phone conversations about trying to make the world better for people.”
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
