John Wilbur ‘Wil’ Kwak

Sept. 8, 1928 – May 18, 2026

John Wilbur “Wil” Kwak, 97, passed away on May 18, 2026, in Yakima, Washington. Wil was born at home in Outlook, Washington, on Sept. 8, 1928, to Dutch immigrants Cornelius Kwak and Leentje Schilperoort Kwak. He was born into a large extended family with lots of cousins to play and grow with. After high school, Wil joined the U.S. Marine Corps with his good friend and cousin Carl Schilperoort. During his stint at Camp Pendleton, he learned some hard lessons, such as “Don’t attempt to fly home from leave during a storm.” Arriving late to camp, Wil was sent to the brig. All was not bad at camp. It turned out he had a talent as a rifleman, achieving the Expert Level, the highest honor, while also earning his drill sergeant seven cases of beer (which he didn’t share). He missed setting a new Marine record by only two points.