A procession of local fire department vehicles and other emergency responders rolled through the streets of Centralia on Monday morning in honor of Terry Alan Whipple.
Whipple, 83, died March 23 at his home in Chehalis. He was born July 15, 1938, in Centralia.
“Terry was raised in Centralia and graduated from Centralia High School,” according to his obituary. “After high school, he joined and served in the U.S. Navy. Once home from the Navy, he joined the Centralia Fire Department as a fireman and earned the rank of captain. He retired after 28 years of service.”
Whipple married Linda Darling on Dec. 3, 1960.
“Together they had three children,” according to his obituary. “Terry and his wife Linda enjoyed RVing with the Good Sam’s Club and vacationing in Hawaii. Terry was an avid fisherman and enjoyed many fishing trips in Sekiu, Washington. He was a well-known league bowler at Fairway Bowling Alley in Centralia. It was always a pleasure to get together with his buddies at Tower Tavern and have a few beers. His family and friends knew him as a backyard mechanic where he enjoyed working on anything mechanical. He loved his John Deere tractors. Watching NASCAR and watching his grandson Jeff race sprint cars were wonderful pastimes for Terry.”
A graveside service was held Monday at Mountain View Cemetery.
