Obituaries

Death Notices

Patricia Gail Coombs

Patricia Gail Coombs, 84, died May 9, 2017 at home in Hoodsport,WA 
Survived  by Alan and Bruce Coombs.
P.O. Box 667, Hoodsport, Wa 98458

Patti Jeanne Dawson
Patti Jeanne Dawson (Helphrey) was born on January 5th, 1950 in Newark, Ohio to Richard and Alice Helphrey. She was a 1968 graduate of Heath High School. She passed peacefully with her husband and son at her side May 14th, 2020.
She is survived by Alice Helphrey (mother), Mike Dawson (husband), Jeremy and Andrea Shields (son and daughter-in-law), Dan and Beth Dawson (stepson and daughter-in-law), Dana and Michelle Brown (son-in-law and stepdaughter), 10 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
Patti was preceded in death by her father Richard and her sister Gloria.
Patti was not one to ever let the grass grow under her feet, she was an avid golfer, and president of her women’s golf league. She and Mike were always on the go, living life to the fullest. She is gone too soon, but she truly lived while she was with us. She was compassionate, and the most loyal friend anyone could ever ask for.

Jill Johnson

Teacher, Trainer, Consultant, Actress, Storyteller
Jill Johnson of Langley, Washington passed away peacefully on May 21st surrounded by her family, at home on the island she loved. She was 79. 
Jill was an educator all her life. She was born in Wayzata, Minnesota on April 3, 1941. She attended Northrup Collegiate School (now the Blake School) graduating in 1959. She went on to Northwestern University graduating in 1963 and then moved west to become a teacher in Napa, California. In 1965, Jill volunteered with US Army Special Services and spent a year in Korea. She returned to California and then in 1967 volunteered again with Special Services in Vietnam. She was in country during the Tet Offensive in 1968. Jill returned from Vietnam in 1968 and married Lane Wolcott Johnson of Salem, Oregon on September 4, 1968. 
Jill and Lane were married over 30 years. Together they joined the US Peace Corps serving in the Philippines from 1970 to 1972. The two spent five years in the Philippines and their two children were born there in 1971 and 1974. They returned to the United States in 1976 settling in Wisconsin. In 1980, the family moved to Shelton, Washington where Jill taught ESL to Southeast Asian refugees and Lane started private practice as a family physician. Jill also worked as a Community Health Educator for Planned Parenthood. In 1989, the family (minus Philip) moved to Cameroon, West Africa where Lane was a Peace Corps Medical Officer and Jill worked for the United Nations Development Fund and CARE Cameroon. Jill also served as a Training Coordinator for a group of Volunteers evacuated during a coup in neighboring Chad. This led her to serve as a Peace Corps Training Director in Morocco, the Central African Republic, and the Solomon Islands. Jill and Lane returned from Africa in 1992, moving to Tennessee and then Clinton (Whidbey Island), Washington in 1993. 
It was during her time in Tennessee that Jill was introduced to storytelling at the National Storytelling Festival. This spawned a twenty year career as a storyteller with performances, workshops, and recordings all over the US and the world. Two of Jill’s one-woman shows, Little, But Oh My! the story of Berte Olson and Rebecca premiered at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) in Langley, and received national storytelling awards. She also appeared in many WICA productions as an actress including Barnstorming and Little Women in 2006, Rabbit Hole in 2009, The Full Monty in 2013, and Our Town in 2014. Jill felt that storytelling was what she was born to do, and she was still actively performing just months before her death. 
Jill is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Philip Alan Johnson II and Stacy Johnson of Salem, OR, her daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth Ceil Short (formerly Pia Elizabeth Johnson) and Luke Short of San Diego, CA, her grand-daughter, Erika Elizabeth Johnson, her two brothers, George Glass Hoke of Bolinas, CA, and Jared Peabody Hoke of Marine, MN, and her former husband Lane. Jill was full of passion and energy and threw herself into everything she did. She cared deeply about the world around her and the people in it. She contributed to many charities over the years, both financially and with her time and talents. 
“I have lived a rich and full life, she said, “I made many mistakes… but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!” 
There will be a celebration of life for Jill in Langley at a future date, once it is safe to do so. Details for the event will be posted to Jill’s Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Jill’s name to one of her favorite organizations: Save the Children, Planned Parenthood, Sound Water Stewards, WICA, Whidbey Children’s Theatre, and PBS.

Lawrence “Larry” C. Hendrickson

On Saturday, May 9th Lawrence “Larry” C. Hendrickson passed away. 
He was born May 24, 1933 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Larry attended North Idaho Junior College, served in the US Army and graduated from the University of Idaho, class of ‘58. 
He retired after 35 years, as an electrical engineer for Seattle City Light. 
He enjoyed golf, baseball and many sports. He umpired many years for high school and American Legion baseball. Larry was also an avid reader, puzzle solver, bridge player and appreciated music having sung many years with the Seattle Symphony Chorale. 
Retirement years were happily spent with the Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club community in Union, WA and visits to Kauai with great lifelong friends. 
He is survived by his wife Billie, daughter Tami, son Scott, niece and nephew Susan and Larry Thomas and grand niece Andrea. 
At his request no service will be held. Any remembrances can go to Food Lifeline. Keep the good memories and stay well. 
Many thanks to the extraordinary care from the nurses at Puget Sound Care Center, Olympia, WA.


Steven Wayne Ewald 

In Our Hearts Forever June 24th, 1966 - April 13th, 2020  
Steven passed away at the age of 53 at home surrounded by family both in person and in our hearts.  Steven loved to be on the water, commercial fishing, he was a hard worker and a great provider for his family. 
Steven was preceded in death by his mother Ethel Pauline Gregory, father Carl John Ewald Jr., brother Richard Dale Hartman, sister Renee Arlene Field, sister Tammy Ray Gunderson, and his grandson Ethan Brooks. 
He is survived by his sons, Christopher Brooks, John Ewald, Danny Ewald, and Troy Ewald, his daughters Carrie Marshall and Lindsay Hartman, his grandchildren Abigail, Caleb, Liam, Hunter, Matthew, Kaden, Melaney, and Allison, his Sisters Lori Grindle, Teresa Bivens, Darla Gunderson, Laurie Brown, and Terry Cousins, his brothers Olaf Gunderson, and Ronald Gunderson, and his life partner Christy Marshall.

Michael Lesley Mills, 36, a resident of Shelton, died May 18, 2020, at home. 


Stella M. Thrall, 93, a resident of Shelton, died May 20, 2020, at Capital Medical Center in Olympia. Arrangements are by McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory.