There’s a photo of Lee Coumbs I rediscovered while writing these farewell tribute columns that shows how his spirit warmed our community even during dark, cold times. 

In one way, it’s a moment like countless others: he’s making hamburgers. (That man sure loved to grill.)

It’s the location that’s surprising. He’s in the middle of devastation, cooking nonchalantly in the monochrome muddy mess that covered the upper Chehalis Valley 17 years ago this month after the flood of 2007. 

I spoke this week with Brandon Best, who was his co-grillmeister that day, about that experience. The idea was cooked up by his mom, Marcy Best, and Lee. Both of them knew Curtis dairyman Pete Dykstra, whose entire herd had been killed by the merciless floodwaters. 

“When they heard that Pete pretty much lost everything, we loaded up some grills, some burgers and some chili and got it all hot and cooked ’em for ’em,” Brandon recalls. 

Lee was giving to others despite his own loss — his grilling equipment at the fair had also been deluged, so they used Brandon’s grill. The flood zone was such a mucky mess that the Health Department required them to keep their grilling equipment on the trailer while they cooked. 

Imagine losing everything you love — and then someone comes up to make you a warm burger. Whether or not you know that things will be OK someday, you know for sure that somebody cares about you. 

Lee did that in countless ways. The work continued up until shortly before he died this month at age 82. In August Lee and his wife, Bonnie, gave and served pulled pork sandwiches to Lewis County Drug Court at their annual picnic, giving the simple, hearty gift of comfort food to help people celebrate turning their lives around. 

“Lee was always ready to help,” Brandon told me. “Especially if he could figure out a way to cook food. I think that was his love language, through food.”

Speaking of love, Brandon and his future wife, Deena, got together through the effort of Lee and his then first wife, Marty, who conspired to put the two of them together during volunteer and work projects. 

“They made us do inventory together,” Deena said. “It’s like they made us go on a date.”

That was two decades ago. The Bests now have two sons and a great family. 

It’s one of countless ways that our community is better for the life of Lee Coumbs.

I was blessed to see Lee a few days before he died. As his friends and family gathered around him, I thought about how this man had devoted his life to working hard for his community and helping bring new ideas to life, whether it be the Spring Youth Fair or the Borst Christmas lights. As his body neared the end, he still had a vision for our community. 

At one point, spurred on by Edna Fund, with whom he had served on the Centralia City Council, Lee began poking the air to emphasize each point. 

As usual, he added a joke: “Let me get my finger going here.”

Talking about the Southwest Washington Fair — which he led for many years — Lee suggested shortening the fair from six days to four and leaning more on local bands for concerts, rather than more expensive national acts. He also astutely commented on the number of dairy cows and horses at the fair, as well as the full exhibition hall with its many proud displays of local people’s coin and rock collections. He praised “these ladies in the Home Ec. Department” for their support of people showing off their recipes, clothing and more.  

“What the Fair needs now more than anything is participation,” he said.

Fortunately, Lee showed us the way to do that. 

I was one of them. I was in school when he invited me to volunteer at our church’s booth at the Southwest Washington Fair, the Presbyterian Snack Shack. It was a joy. 

My kids were the same age when they also got scooped up (literally) in a Lee Coumbs venture a few years back. He recruited us to serve ice cream (he had charmed his way into dozens of free tubs) at Centralia’s Fourth of July celebration in 2021. Oh, how our hands ached! But Lee was working right alongside us. It was hard to complain when this nearly 80-year-old was steady as a rock. 

We also had a hoot working with him, Bonnie and their merry band at the Borst Lights over recent Decembers, collecting entry donations as families enjoyed the drive-through light display. 

Former state Sen. Gary Odegaard had the same experience, from flipping pancakes at Summerfest to buttering bread for the STP spaghetti feed. 

“Lee had a way of getting his friends and others involved in activities he was in,” Gary said. “That was Lee. You didn't want to stand too close to him or you would be involved in something. He was a great community activist and loved his city.”

As we say goodbye to a faithful friend of Lewis County, there is an idea for a way to help his memory live on.

His wife, Bonnie, tells me that Lee had long hoped to have a fountain put into Borst Pond. It would have lights that could be turned on, with different colors for Christmas, the Fourth of July, or whatever occasion presented itself. Another benefit would be more circulation in the stagnant pond would help improve water quality.

They city tells me they are going to look into the logistics of the idea over the coming months with the goal of creating something practical in his memory. I’ll let you know how those plans progress.

It would be sweet indeed to find a way to honor Lee Coumbs, a man whose hard work and vision served our community over a beautiful lifetime, and whose legacy will bless us for generations to come. 

Brian Mittge can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com.