There were 632 babies born at Providence Centralia Hospital in 2024, each of them entering the world without the burden of past errors and with the full potential to change their community — and, indeed, the world — with the balance of the lives ahead of them.
Some will become beloved educators. Others will become leaders of industry and elected officials who chart the course for their neighbors and fellow residents. There will be those who will live relatively quiet lives but rise to an occasion that leaves them admired and revered as forces for good in their communities.
They will volunteer for good causes and work to support themselves and their families. They’ll suffer setbacks and tragedies and celebrate honors and accomplishments, many never leaving the community where they were brought into the world, often to the credit and betterment of their neighbors.
The pure souls and unlimited potential of infants renders their possibilities endless.
As we travel deeper into the new year, we’re filled with hope imagining the road ahead for these future students, leaders, workers, volunteers, thinkers and doers.
At the same time, our constant optimism for those who will take the reins of the community in the years and decades ahead is tempered by our reverence, appreciation and, at times, sorrow for those we have gone before them, those who have left indelible, significant and often intangible marks on life in our sweet corner of the earth.
Their success came with more than personal comfort and wealth — they used their time and abilities to serve as government leaders, coaches, philanthropists, nonprofit board members, developers and more in a way that improved and enriched the lives of not just those who resided here during their lifetimes, but for generations to come.
In that spirit, The Chronicle is honoring the legacies, memories and contributions of six Lewis County residents who departed this world in 2024.
They all represent the successful realization of the hopeful potential we all carry from the time we are born.
In their case, though, the race is done, the mission is finished and their long lists of personal accomplishments have come to end with a loud and authoritative period, one that marks the conclusion of their direct contributions but represents legacies that will live forever in the pages of The Chronicle’s archives and in the hearts of those who were so positively impact by them.
With that, The Chronicle celebrates its 2024 posthumous People of the Year.
The following was compiled through use of The Chronicle’s archives.
Daryl Lund
Daryl James Lund, 63, of Chehalis, died Dec. 7, 2024, at St. Joseph Medical Center after a bout with septic shock.
On the day of his death, a poetic reminder of his life coursed through the streets of his beloved hometown during a traditional event he held dear. “Merry Christmas from Daryl Lund,” read a banner on Lund’s vintage fire truck as it rolled down Market Boulevard, providing the affable longtime city councilor and community advocate with a presence in the parade even as he had already left the earth.
In the days and weeks that followed, Lund received a sendoff reserved for the most important, influential and appreciated among us, with a funeral procession through the city’s streets, two memorial services, a holiday event at Minuteman Press, which he owned, and a seemingly endless line of remembrances that continue to pour in from those he touched.
Lund graduated from W.F. West High School in 1979, later becoming a volunteer firefighter. He was elected to the Chehalis City Council in 2004 after an earlier stint on the council. He would serve on the council for 20 years.
“He loved Chehalis, Lewis County and all the history of the area,” his Chronicle obituary reads. “In his younger years, he enjoyed playing the piano and went on to sing with the Two Town Tuners Barbershop Chorus. Later in life, Daryl became a board member of the Centralia- Chehalis Chamber of Commerce and the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad, as he was passionate about his community and the railroads. Daryl owned railroad cars, as well as vintage firetrucks. He loved all things vintage and the history that went before him. He was active in the Grange and he helped found and lead the Peninsular Railway and Lumbermen’s Museum in Mason County. He also served on the Port of Chehalis Commission.”
He was also a businessman. He owned the Chehalis Theater as well as the cinema at the Yard Birds Shopping Center, along with real estate throughout the region. He also owned three bars and grills and the business he purchased in the year before his death, Minuteman Press.
But a mind for business is just part of his legacy, perhaps the least memorable considering his positive impacts in other roles.
“Maybe that’s what I’ll remember most about Daryl,” Chronicle columnist Brian Mittge wrote of Daryl’s gentle and often mischievous approach to life. “Underneath that smile was a buddy-in-waiting. He had some endless reserve of youthful enthusiasm, even playfulness, that many of us lose over the years.”
“Daryl was an open, friendly soul who loved and supported many people in his path, particularly young people getting started in their careers,” his family wrote in his obituary. “His influence on others and the community as a whole will be greatly missed.”
He was survived by his sister, Cheryl Lund-Haddock; uncle, Robert Lund; cousins, Greg Lund, Terri Reitz, Larry Donaldson, Marguee Dunn McCarthy and Julie Lund; nephew, Robert N. Scotton; and niece-in-law, Sandra Jean Towne.
Ron Brown
Perhaps the word “legend” is misused in this day and age.
However, it is properly applied when discussing the incredible life of Centralia High School coaching legend Ronald Harold Brown, who passed away peacefully in his Centralia home on July 5, 2024, at the age of 90.
To condense Brown’s life to a posthumous blurb highlighting his longevity and greatest tangible accomplishments is to omit enormous elements of his legacy.
Brown led the Centralia High School boys basketball team as coach from 1961 to 2017, serving multiple generations of Hub City student athletes, many he often led in the classroom as well. In addition to his prowess as a coach and builder of men, Brown taught history for 34 years, earning the love and admiration of his students.
Brown graduated from Forks High School in 1952 and went on to attend the University of Washington to play freshman and junior varsity basketball. He transferred to the College of Puget Sound (now the University of Puget Sound), playing basketball for two years and graduating in 1957 with a degree in education. After a brief stop in Castle Rock, Brown started his historic career in Centralia in 1959.
“In 1960, a lovely lady from England, Janet Read, came to Centralia as an exchange teacher,” his Chronicle obituary reads. “She was excited to move to the Pacific Northwest to explore and enjoy its natural beauty. Ron and Janet met and soon fell in love and were married in Burien on July 22, 1961. They chose to make Centralia their home and raise a family.”
While he’s remembered as a basketball coach, Brown also coached baseball, slow pitch softball, tennis and football.
His 56 years as a basketball coach included two state championships in 1979 and 1981.
Perhaps even more impressive, he never received a technical foul. The court at Centralia High School was named in his honor in 2008, with the gymnasium now known as “Ron’s House.”
“He’ll be remembered. The people in the community will always remember how classy he was, an asset to the community,” longtime assistant coach Larry Mollerstuen said after his death. “He was a Tiger through and through. He bleeds orange and black. There’s no place that has a person like him.”
He was survived by his wife of 63 years, Janet; his children, Alisa Peterson (Ron), of Bellevue, Washington, David Brown (Mareen), of Centralia, Tim Brown (Anna), of Olympia, Washington, and Julie Kaut (Randy) of Centralia. He was also survived by his nine grandchildren: Jake and Abby Peterson; William, Devon and Lily Brown; Ronney and Eleah Brown; and Carissa and Landon Kaut.
Jack State
“This is 6-8 Jack State.”
That’s how the celebrated and long-tenured W.F. West High School coach and educator Jack State would introduce himself when calling in tennis results to The Chronicle’s Sports Department over the years.
Many, many years.
State died on Jan. 6, 2024. He was 80 years old.
Raised in Spokane, State earned All-American honors as a player on the Eastern Washington men’s basketball team. After graduating, he began his teaching career at Lewis and Clark High School, then went back to school to earn his master’s degree before coming west.
State taught physical education at W.F. West from 1974 to 2000.
He took over the boys basketball team at W.F. West in 1974 and, the next year, he added a second job title to his role. The Bearcats needed a boys tennis coach; State knew how to keep score, and that was enough to earn him the position. After three seasons on the hardwood, he shifted solely to tennis.
Despite retiring in 2000, State was still coaching the W.F. West boys tennis team the autumn before his death, taking in matches from his customary spot outside the fence in a pop-up camping chair. It was his 50th season coaching the W.F. West boys’ tennis team, and he would have marked his 48th season coaching girls tennis the following spring.
In 2022, the Lewis County Tennis Association began holding the Jack State Tennis Tournament over the summer for current players, alumni and members of the community.
State was survived by his wife of five decades, Colleen, as well as his daughter, Kristin, and his son, Kyle. Jack and Colleen State married in 1975.
Today, the Jack State Foundation has been formed in honor of his legacy and to carry forward the things he held dear.
“Jack State was passionate about the power of sports in the lives of kids and spent much of his life, whether teaching or coaching, developing opportunities to play. With this in mind, and in his honor, the Jack State Foundation was created,” Kristin State Hutchinson stated in an email to The Chronicle earlier this year. “Jack believed in the transformative power of sports fostering teamwork, discipline and personal growth, and the (Jack State Foundation) is committed to breaking down financial barriers so that all student athletes can pursue their passions and reach their full potential both on and off the field, court or track.”
Learn more online at https://www.jackstatefoundation.org.
Bill Brumsickle
At the end of one’s life, many can look back and pinpoint an area where their mark was indeed left, whether in public service, education, philanthropy, involvement in nonprofits and charities or some other specific form of community involvement.
For Bill T. Brumsickle, who died Nov. 27, 2024, in Centralia at the age of 89, it was all of those things and more during a lifetime of positive contributions to the Lewis County community and beyond.
Brumsickle was born in White Salmon in 1935. He grew up in Camas and attended Centralia and Clark colleges and the Western Washington College of Education. He married Mary Ann Bailey in 1958. They had four sons, Bill, Dave, Steve and Dan. Brumsickle married Doris Wood in 2014 after Mary Ann’s death in 2007.
Brumsickle was a teacher, first at Montesano and then at Tumwater. He later worked as principal and assistant superintendent in the Centralia School District as he completed a 30-year career in public education.
His contributions went beyond educating young minds. He went on to represent Lewis County in the Washington state House of Representatives for four terms, serving as chairman of the House Education Committee.
“A renowned and respected community leader, Bill’s service included five years as planned giving coordinator for Centralia College Foundation where he successfully raised over $1 million and launched and supported Centralia High School Dollars For Scholars,” his family wrote in his obituary in The Chronicle. “Bill also served on the Educational Service District No. 113 board, Lewis County Flood Control Council, Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, Twin Cities Chamber of Commerce, Centralia Rotary, Stillwaters Foundation board and many more. One of Bill’s last volunteer activities was with the United Way of Lewis County, including the United Way Reading Buddies Program.”
In 1999, he was named Centralia College Distinguished Alumnus.
At Brumsickle’s memorial service, state Rep. Peter Abbarno read parts of a resolution into the record from when Brumsickle retired from the Legislature in 1997.
“Whereas Representative Bill Brumsickle cannot walk in the grocery store without meeting a former student, a teacher he hired as principal or a constituent that recognizes his erect frame, ever-present smile and silver mane. And whereas Representative Bill Brumsickle has decided that he would rather walk the sodden trails of the Olympics than the marble halls of Olympia. And whereas Representative Bill Brumsickle is an example for all of us in his ability to deal with complex and controversial issues with dignity and grace, in his dedication of public service and in his devotion to the children of the state of Washington.”
“He was a gentleman and a gentle man,” said Joanne Schwartz, who spoke about his community involvement at the memorial service. “He was kind, generous, thoughtful, honorable and caring. He cared about his family first and foremost. However, as you all know, he also cared deeply about this community and demonstrated that both in his educational career and his volunteerism, he set an example for all of us to follow. He epitomized the term servant leader.”
He was survived by his wife, Doris; brother, Gary; sons, Bill (Henny Regnier), Dave (Irene Shemaria), Steve (Winnie Brumsickle) and Dan (Catherine Conzatti); grandchildren, Aidan, Corrina, Tate, Wilsey, Isaac, Gracie and Bailey; and great-grandson, Hugo.
Frank Mason
There are those who shape their communities through often intangible means.
Then there are those who shape their communities in literal fashion.
That’s just one legacy for Frank Mason, an iconic figure in Chehalis who is remembered for his lifelong commitment to preserving the architectural heritage of his community.
Mason was born on March 11, 1941, in Los Angeles, California. He died Aug. 15, 2024, at the age of 83. He was survived by his wife of 62 years, Barbara Back Mason, and their children, Kristine Redford and Todd Mason, along with grandchildren Karin, Ingrid and Peter Redford and Brooke, Grant and Trent Mason.
Mason founded Mason Construction company in 1971 after previously working with his uncle, Fed Moore, as a contractor.
“Over the years, Frank built numerous custom homes, commercial buildings and renovated many rental units and historical structures in downtown Chehalis, including Marketplace Square which provided spaces for many small businesses to flourish in the downtown area,” his family wrote in his obituary published in The Chronicle. “Among his most notable projects was the restoration of the 1889 Hotel Washington, which had suffered significant fire damage. The building was slated for demolition, but Frank saw potential where others saw ruin. His meticulous restoration work earned him the Washington State Historic Preservation Award and turned the hotel into a cherished event and retail space, breathing new life into the heart of Chehalis.”
As detailed by Chronicle columnist Julie McDonald in a commentary after Mason’s death, he had also led the remodeling of the St. Helens Hotel and the Judge Seymour White House, built in 1904 at 120 NW Pacific Ave. across from the Lewis County Courthouse. Mason remodeled the second floor of the Boistfort Plaza at Boistfort and Market to create a mini-mall with more than a dozen shops, McDonald wrote.
“Six years later, he built a 5,200-square-foot brick-and-oak mansion for orthopedic surgeon Dr. Carl Birchard and his wife, Dee, a registered nurse, where they often hosted convalescing missionaries and families in need of shelter,” McDonald wrote. “Nearly two decades ago, the Lewis County Literacy Council received a Book Warehouse donation of 21,300 books but didn’t have enough room for all of them. David Hartz, owner of Book ‘N’ Brush on Market Boulevard, spoke with Mason, who owns the building and agreed to expand the bookstore into the former D&J Meat Market. The expansion doubled the size of Book ‘N’ Brush while also supporting the Literacy Council and Chehalis Friends of the Library. Mason also gave back to the community, serving on the local airport board, St. Helens Hospital Board, and, from 1999 to 2005, as a Port of Chehalis commissioner.”
In addition, Mason owned the Vintage Antique Motorcycle Museum in downtown Chehalis, where many looked on in awe of the historic makes and models on display.
His obituary captured his contributions beyond the brick and mortar: “Despite his many accomplishments, Frank remained humble and approachable, always ready with a story, a bit of practical wisdom or a warm smile. He was a down-home philosopher, a humorist and a true gentleman who never forgot his roots. His legacy lives on in the buildings he constructed, the motorcycles he restored, and the countless lives he touched through his work and community service. Frank Mason’s life was one well-lived, full of love, hard work, and dedication to family and community. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his spirit will continue to inspire and guide those he leaves behind.”
Lee Coumbs
He was a mayor. He was a prolific volunteer. He was an educator. And he was an innovator who always had fresh ideas to enrich the lives of those who called Centralia home.
Lee Coumbs died at 82 on Dec. 9, 2024, after a seven-month battle with cancer.
Coumbs was born Dec. 6, 1942, in the city of Opportunity between Spokane and the Idaho state line. He moved to Centralia to teach agriculture at Centralia High School in 1970 and called the city home ever since.
Coumbs married (Martha) Marty Allan, on June 8, 1963, and they remained married for 52 years, raising two daughters, Becky and LeAnn. Following Marty’s death, he married fellow former Centralia Mayor Bonnie Canaday on Aug. 28, 2016, in a public ceremony that brought 1,000 people to George Washington Park in Centralia.
“Lee was not one to sit still,” he family noted in his obituary. “Along with his career in teaching with the Centralia School District and Centralia College, he was also manager for the Southwest Washington Fair, manager of Downey’s Auto Center, and owner of Sausage House and Deli. He founded the Spring Youth Fair and Borst Park Christmas Lights. Lee became the first mayor when Centralia changed its form of government, and helped create Summerfest and the Riverside Fire Authority. He served on many boards and belonged to several organizations.”
Coumbs’ friend Chronicle columnist Brian Mittge remembered him this way: “While he could certainly be serious — he was a dedicated and thoughtful public servant, having served as Centralia mayor, as a leader of creating Riverside Fire Authority, and so many other civic ventures — he was quick to add a lighthearted turn whenever he could. He made working hard for your community a lot of fun. What a gift that spirit is. What a gift he was.”
Mittge implored others to follow Coumbs’ example of civic service.
“First and most important is to find your own way to serve and lead,” he wrote. “Not all of us have the sheer capacity and vision to build up our community in as many ways as Lee did, but all of us can find something we love and show up to help. You’ll be amazed at what happens when you do.”
Lee was survived by his wife, Bonnie; daughters, Becky (Rick) Gilham and LeAnn (Ron) Rupke; four granddaughters, Katie (Kyle) Saari, Lauren (Michael) Morikawa, Andrea (Brian) Smith and Julia Rupke; and six great-grandchildren. When he married Bonnie, he gained two more children; Linda (Rick) Lee and Paul Canaday; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Roy (Judy) Coumbs.
A public memorial service for Coumbs will be held in March.
