Sandhill Crane Festival to go on without familiar face

OTHELLO — The activities and speakers are set for the 20th Othello Sandhill Crane Festival the weekend of March 24-26, but missing will be the familiar face of a man who helped on every Festival to date.

Wilbert Coats, a committee and/or board member for the past 20 years, died on Jan. 13 of cancer. He was still attending board meetings until about five months ago.

“He was going to as many meetings as he could,” his wife, Fay Coats said. “He was very involved in the planning and the weekend of the festival.”

You could not have kept Will away from the Festival, Fay said. He was a fan of wildlife, and he enjoyed the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge.

“He was very important,” said Christ Braunwart, who’s been volunteering alongside her husband Kurt for 15 years. “He was one of the founding people.”

“He wasn’t just an asset to the festival; he was an asset to the community,” Kurt said.

If you bought an item at the festival’s novelty table at some time, you probably dealt with Will. After the registration table, the novelty table was next in line.

“The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival appreciates all the years of dedication that Will gave, and he will be missed by all,” festival director Marie Lotz said. “It goes to show, if you have the heart, you can make a difference. May your dedication and service follow to the next generation Will.”

Will was a Dakotan, born on March 1, 1936, in Bismarck, N.D. He graduated from of Bismarck Junior College and Minot State University with a degree in speech pathology.

Will and Fay were married in 1961. They moved to Othello that same year. Will took a job as a speech therapist, providing services in Othello and surrounding towns.

Will and Fay settled in Othello, thinking they would stay a while. However, Othello living proved to be very much to their liking, and they were soon active in community life.

Will was honored as one of the top three teachers in Washington state in 1981. He was active in the Washington Education Association, as well as the National Education Association, continually advocating for programs and systems to promote learning among his students.

Retirement from teaching didn’t mean retirement from work. Will went on to work in medical records at the Columbia Basin Health Association and was a travel agent at Creative Travel in Othello.

Throughout his life, Will was active in the community. He was instrumental in the foundation of Othello’s Migrant Day Care Center. He was a Boy Scout leader and served on the board of the Othello Community Museum. He volunteered at the Police Department and Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and was an active member of Pilgrim Lutheran Church.

Fay also was and is a dedicated Sandhill Crane Festival volunteer. She will be out there the 24th-26th handling children’s activities.