Emmitt Jay Tatum

It is with great sorrow that we announce that Emmitt Jay Tatum passed away on April 21, 2026.

Emmitt was born Jan. 17, 2001, in Moses Lake where he was raised. He is survived by his mother Amber Tracy and father Brandon Tatum, brother Zeb, sister Bethany, wife Zoe and grandparents Doug and Betty Tatum and Lewis and Kathy Mason, along with a large extended family.

When welcoming Emmitt into the world, we knew he was going to be an amazing young man. With his calm, steady, kind, humble and fun demeanor that he carried with him, Emmitt had a gift of not having to say a word; his honest, smiling eyes told us everything we needed to know. He was truly an old soul, a friend to all and a natural-born athlete. In his younger years, if he wasn’t goofing off with his little sister, he was outside either throwing, catching, hitting or shooting hoops. Emmitt enjoyed spending time with family, his pets and friends, being outdoors, or playing cards and cribbage. Traveling and learning as he went, he was always up to try something new. He acknowledged loyalty and appreciated the genuine relationships that were made throughout his life. He respected all competition, accepted constructive criticism and was up for any challenge. This defined his character and made him an even greater young man.

Throughout Emmitt’s whole life he continued to proudly represent who he was and also at a young age found he had an extraordinary ability to play baseball. The boy always loved hard and could play ball even harder. He began playing select baseball with the Columbia Basin River Sharks in 2012 for two seasons, then joined the River Dogs for the following three seasons. During that time he made unforgettable memories with his family, his teammates and all of our baseball family. Emmitt was able to experience so much at a young age and genuinely appreciated all lessons learned and the bonds he made. He then went on to play varsity baseball for the Moses Lake Chiefs and earned himself the title as a Baseball State Champion his senior year in 2019. He then hung up his glove, feeling satisfied in accomplishing exactly what he started out to do. He always knew he was a champion and worked hard to prove it.

Emmitt then went on to attend Big Bend Community College and enrolled in the electrical program, until the whole country paused when COVID-19 hit. Shortly after in July of 2021, Emmitt was diagnosed with the devastating news that he had terminal brain cancer. At the young age of 20, Emmitt then started a new battle, one he wasn’t sure he could win. He then joined a team of elite neurologists and surgeons at the University of Washington (TheGreenTeam) and later at Seattle Children’s Hospital. After his diagnosis he underwent a craniotomy, chemo therapy and proton therapy. Emmitt had an amazing recovery, and went on living his life to the fullest and continuing to do the things he loved. Shortly after returning home in 2022 he started work at Polhamus Heating and Air. He enjoyed working and took pride in everything he did as a young adult. In or around that same time, a sweet girl named Zoe came into his life. From then on they fell in love and began building a life together; they married in 2025. But if there was any other place he’d like to be besides at home snuggling up with Zoe and their dogs, watching ball or just chillin’ with family and good friends, Emmitt would have wanted to be on the golf course with his grandfather Doug.

Sadly, this last year Emmitt’s cancer began growing again, much more rapidly, and was nonresponsive to any of the treatments there were. He fought his fight and played the course all the way through, with strength and honor. Emmitt passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and loved ones. He was a loving son, brother, grandson, husband, nephew, cousin, uncle and friend. A limb has fallen off our family tree, but we, as Emmitt’s family and friends, will honor him and carry a piece of him for the rest of our lives. He will be forever cherished and dearly missed.

The Celebration of Life for Emmitt Jay Tatum will be held at Pillar Rock, Saturday, May 23, at 2 p.m. in Moses Lake. Please join us to share the love and memories we have with him.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in his name to be given to the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation, 1022 S. Pioneer Way, Suite A, Moses Lake, WA 98837.