Dewey Spurbeck

Oct. 19, 1952 — Aug. 5, 2023

Dewey Masaru Spurbeck, 70, lost his battle with cancer Aug. 5 and as a child of God has entered into the presence of our Beloved Savior.

He was born at the U.S. Army hospital in Yokohama, Japan, on Oct. 19, 1952, to Sid and Katsuko Spurbeck. His father was a Navy officer so after being reassigned back to the USA the family lived in Norfolk, Va., Corpus Christi, Texas and San Diego, Calif.

In 1957, his father retired from the Navy and was offered a position as a commercial airline pilot for Saudi Arabian Airlines. He accepted the position and the family moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where they lived in a compound next to the airport for the following six years. While living overseas the family visited such exotic places as Egypt, Kenya, Israel, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong along with several European destinations.

In 1964, the family moved back to Soap Lake where they owned farmland and Dewey graduated from Soap Lake High in 1970. While in high school, he participated on the track, football and wrestling teams. After graduation, he attended Big Bend CC for a year but told his mother that he wasn't going back for a second year because he didn't want to be a teacher. His love was for the outdoors and in 1973 he moved to Lakeport, Calif., with high school friend Ron Paull to try his hand as a commercial fisherman. Between 1973 and 1982, he spent time working in either California or the Soap Lake area and finally decided to move back from California permanently in 1982. After working enough construction jobs, he learned the skills to become proficient in carpentry and decided to own his own business and become self-employed.

Dewey settled down in Rim Rock Cove on Blue Lake where he built decks and additions for many of the homes at Rim Rock Cove. He was a master craftsman and was sought out by most of Rim Rock's residents when they had a construction project because they were confident in the quality of his exceptional workmanship. He was so well known that some of his Rim Rock friends referred to him as the "Mayor of Blue Lake."

He started working for the Almira/Coulee-Hartline school district in 2001 as a janitor and bus driver to help supplement his income. While driving the bus, he got to know many of the kids who rode his bus and was beloved not just by the kids who rode but by many other students and parents as well. You would often see him at different sporting events rooting passionately for ACH teams. He retired from the school district in 2018.

Dewey enjoyed camping, huckleberry picking, hunting, fishing and some travel but it was being around people that he really loved. Not willing to let cancer dictate how he lived, he went to Ilwaco to visit his friend John and went salmon fishing on John's boat a few weeks before he passed away. Then he went to Northern California to see his friend Ron and rode the Skunk Train, which is something he always wanted to do. After his California trip, he went to northern Idaho the following week to pick huckleberries with his friend Bob. He was part of a golf team that for many years participated in an annual golf tournament held at Vic Meyers Golf Course at Sun Lakes State Park.

He is survived by his brothers, Chuck, Chris (Kris), Joel and Matt (Jeanie), and sister Bonnie (Ken), as well as many nephews and nieces.

A special thanks to Vance and Kimberly Lelli, Chrys Leonard and Roger Hill who were good friends of Dewey's and helped provide exceptional care during the last few weeks of his life.

Arrangements are under the care of Nicoles Funeral Home, Ephrata, Wash. Please leave your thoughts and memories for the family at www.nicolesfuneralhome.com.