The Expo Hall at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds will feature the name of Lee Coumbs in time for this year’s Spring Youth Fair in May.
Coumbs, the former mayor of Centralia, a longtime community advocate and the founder of the Spring Youth Fair, died from cancer on Dec. 9, 2024, at the age of 82.
The Board of Lewis County Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday to dedicate the Expo Hall at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in memory of Coumbs, calling for a plaque to be installed at the Expo Hall “to commemorate Coumbs’ lasting impact and to remind future generations of his devotion to serving the people of Lewis County.”
Lewis County Facilities Administrator Alex Murray confirmed that signage bearing Coumbs’ name will be up at the Expo Hall by May 2.
“We’re really excited for the next part of this, which is the signage that will go over the Exhibition Hall in remembrance of Lee, that we will be unveiling the first night of Spring Youth Fair, which is Friday, May 2,” Murray said during the county commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday.
This year’s Spring Youth Fair, the first since Coumbs’ death, will run May 2 to May 4 at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.
“Lee Coumbs, fondly known as ‘Father Fair,’ was a beloved champion of the Spring Youth Fair. His dedication, leadership and passion for fostering opportunities for youth left an indelible mark on our community,” Spring Youth Fair organizers state on the event’s website. “Lee’s legacy will continue to inspire and shape the fair, ensuring its mission of education and enrichment lives on.”
Present at Tuesday’s county commission meeting were Coumbs’ wife, Bonnie Canaday Coumbs, and his daughter, Becky Gilham.
“The fair played a big part in our lives, and I remember going in the Expo Hall when I was just really little, with the home and garden shows held there and the Spring Youth Fair being in there mostly,” Gilham said Tuesday. “The fair had a big impact on our lives, and I hope that this would show the community … just a little portion of his life, as well.”
The resolution notes that Coumbs’ contributions to the community included his leadership as the first mayor of Centralia following the change to a council form of government as well as long-standing involvement in local organizations, boards and committees.
The resolution highlights Coumbs’ role as the founder of the Spring Youth Fair, supporter of Summerfest and the creator of the annual Fort Borst Park Christmas lights display. He also served as a fire commissioner during the merger of Lewis County Fire District 12 and the Centralia Fire Department into the Riverside Fire Authority.
Outside of his service, and often intertwined with it, was Coumbs’ job as manager of Downey’s Auto Center and owner and operator of the Sausage House and Deli, the resolution states.
“First of all, I want to thank the commissioners for this resolution. (It’s) well deserved,” Canaday Coumbs said Tuesday, adding that Coumbs, who was born in Opportunity, Washington, lived up to his birthplace’s namesake.
“He was a man who took opportunities … The opportunities that he had in his lifetime, but (also) the opportunities that he gave to others to be able to accomplish the things that he accomplished with everybody,” Canaday Coumbs said. “He was well loved. He served well.”
Information on the unveiling ceremony for the new signage at the Expo Center will be released at a later time.
A public celebration of life for Coumbs is scheduled for 11 a.m. on March 8 at Centralia College’s TransAlta Commons.
“Everybody is welcome,” Canaday Coumbs said Tuesday.
