The 25th anniversary celebration of the move from a city commission form of government to a council form in Centralia was held Tuesday at City Hall. Two individuals who were both commissioners and councilors, Pete Corwin and Bill Moeller, were present. Front row, from left, are Corwin, Harlan Thompson, Edna Fund, Joyce Barnes, Norma Graves, Carol Lee Rickard, Bonnie Canaday and Carl Hemenway. Second row, from left, are Lee Coumbs, Dan Keahey, Tim Browning, Ted Shannon, Moeller, Leon Bowman and Bill Mason.
Pete Corwin, who served as a Centralia city commissioner, council member and mayor — among many other public service roles — passed away Sunday at the age of 81.
Pete Corwin, who served as a Centralia city commissioner, council member and mayor — among many other public service roles — passed away Sunday at the age of 81.
Pete Corwin, who served for two years as mayor of Centralia, and was one of the last living members of the city’s commission form of government, died Sunday at 81 years old.
“He served our community very well,” said current Centralia Mayor Lee Coumbs, who got to know Corwin both in public service and attending First Presbyterian Church. “He was the type of councilor you would hope to be. He listened to all sides and made good decisions.”
Corwin served on the city commission from 1984 to 1986, before Centralia switched to a council form of government. He was elected to the council in 1994, where he served until 1997 — holding the title of mayor his last two years. Former Mayor Bill Moeller said in an email that he and Corwin had been the last surviving members of Centralia’s pre-council government, though they did not serve at the same time.
Corwin was also an early board member of the Lewis County Public Facilities District, and counted the construction of the Northwest Sports Hub among his most important accomplishments.
Corwin leaves behind his wife Janet, six children, 24 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren — with “more coming,” noted Jeremy Corwin, his son.
“He always talked about service and caring for others,” Jeremy Corwin said. “He was always busy looking at things he could do for the community.”
Corwin grew up with a troubled home life, moving frequently — living in Alaska, Seattle and Idaho — and attending 30 different schools throughout his childhood. He would run away from home to go to the library, where he found comfort in books. When his family moved to an area with no library, he was jailed after he was caught stealing from a bookstore.
“Life was so rough, that when he was in jail they said, ‘OK, we’re going to send you back to your dad,’” Jeremy Corwin said. “He begged them to stay in jail.”
Despite the tough upbringing, Corwin “made a decision to live a different life,” his son said. He served for four years in the U.S. Army, then used the G.I. Bill to get an education at the University of Idaho. He moved to Centralia in 1961, where he taught music at the junior high school, before moving into insurance sales for the rest of his career.
In addition to city government and the PFD, Corwin was a member of the city’s Parks Board, the Planning Commission, the Centralia College Foundation board, the Jaycees, the Lions Club and Young Life. He sang in a barbershop quartet and coached his sons’ Little League teams. The Corwins hosted more than 50 foreign exchange students over the years.
“I have memories of him singing with the girls,” Jeremy Corwin said. “He would help coach baseball and always attend all of our sporting events or recitals.”
He also retained that lifelong love of reading, something he instilled in all of his children.
Ron Averill, a current PFD board member and former county commissioner, recalled appointing Corwin to the PFD board.
“He was fiscally responsible,” he said. “He generally raised questions and tried to help get consensus. He kept the peace.”
Corwin’s stint as mayor included welcoming President Bill Clinton to Centralia during the 1996 campaign, a rare presidential visit to Lewis County. Corwin, ever a fiscal conservative, was part of the city’s unsuccessful efforts to bill the Clinton administration for the security Centralia provided during the visit.
Coumbs said he admired Corwin’s approach to local government.
“He was very honest and straightforward with you,” he said. “If he liked what you were doing, he supported it, and if he didn’t like it he told you. I always appreciated that about Pete.”
Former Centralia Mayor Jessie Brunswig also weighed in, commenting on a Facebook post from Renee Corwin-Rey announcing her father’s passing.
“He was a great mentor when I was mayor,” she wrote. “He was an amazing father and husband, plus he had a heart of gold for any student that happened to be staying in his home. He was a proud man and rightfully so of all his children and grandchildren.”
Many others commented with memories as well, from softball teammates to exchange students to former customers. While his legacy will be remembered locally as one of public service, he was perhaps most proud of his family.
“One of the words that keeps popping out is “legacy,” because he has such a big family that’s continuing to try to serve the community,” Jeremy Corwin said.
Corwin’s three daughters and three sons run seven small businesses between them, Jeremy Corwin said, including four in Centralia. That success was fostered by Corwin’s “supportive” approach to parenting and life, he added.
When Corwin was admitted to the hospital during his final days, the nurse who was taking care of him began crying. As a young lady, she had been a lifeguard, walking to the pool in the early morning hours to begin work. Corwin noticed her as he drove to the pool and began giving her a ride every day, making her commute more bearable. That story is illustrative of how he treated the people around him.
Though his health had been failing, “he was a fighter,” Jeremy Corwin said.
“He held on until all the kids could come around and say their goodbyes this weekend, and then he passed,” he said.
Corwin’s service will be Jan. 26 at the Harrison Square Church in Centralia. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Centralia College Foundation.
