John Wilbur ‘Wil’ Kwak

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.

After the service duty, Wil returned home to the family farm on the Yakama Nation Reservation, near Harrah. There he reconnected with schoolmate Mary Katherine Olson, who was working at the Wapato superintendent’s office. You can guess the rest. They were married in Wapato, on Dec. 10, 1948, sharing 60-plus years together, until Mary’s passing in 2009.

In 1954, Dad and Mom made a very difficult decision, buying farmland in the Columbia Basin between Royal City and Othello. They found an Army duplex in Portland, Oregon, disassembled it and moved it to the farm. Dad spent the winter traveling from Harrah to the Slope to work on converting the duplex into a single-family home. They left Yakima Valley and moved to the Royal Slope in 1956. Dad often said he felt he broke his father’s heart by leaving and not staying to farm with him.

The years on the Royal Slope were rich in hard work, chronic equipment repairs and working a second job welding, to ensure we had food to get through the winter. Let’s not forget the endless spring winds. Crops blew out, roads were closed, irrigation ditches filled with the blowing soil. The entertainment was watching the wind blowing and listening to the coyote’s howl. The folks had the first phone on the Slope between Vantage and O’Sullivan Dam.

Dad never met a committee or board he didn’t like. Far too many to list. Some highlights were serving on the Royal School Board and the Royal City Community Days Committee. He competed for many years in the siphon tube setting contest, where he won so many times that he was banned. Dad enjoyed throwing a Community Day barbecue at the farm, where he and mom barbecued quartered chickens on repurposed 55-gallon drums converted to barbecues. He was honored to serve on the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service State Board, where he and Mom made lifelong friends with the Roozen, Walli, and Deife families. He was named the Othello Conservation Farmer of the year in 1976.

Dad and Mom both ensured we were kept busy working on the farm, like weeding sugar beets at 4 in the morning. It wasn’t all work. There were plenty of good and fun times as well. Winters were spent creating an ice skating rink at the O’Sullivan Wasteway or on a local pond. Local families joined us in skating, roasting hot dogs and drinking hot chocolate. If we weren’t skating, Dad would have us sledding down a big hill on an old car hood.

Dad’s farm was diversified with potatoes, onions, seed crops, peas, beans, cattle and hogs, along with a corn growing and drying operation. He also contracted with other farmers to dry their corn. After 50 years of farming, Dad retired and he and Mom moved back to the Yakima Valley, buying the house next door to their daughter in Terrace Heights.

Retirement brought new hobbies. Dad got into woodworking, building chairs, tables, stands, planters and hanging yard art and creating cute birdhouses of various styles. His biggest challenge was to remember to measure the item before building to be sure it would fit through the doorway. He puttered in his yard and joined WSU Master Gardeners for several years.

In 2011, an old schoolmate, Colleen Korach, called him up and they met for coffee to chat. That was the start of nine years of sharing time together, until Colleen passed in 2020.

Dad began to slow quite a bit and in 2023 moved to Orchard Park/Solista Adult Living, before moving again to Apple Creek Family Home, where he passed peacefully in his sleep.

Dad loved his dogs, of which there were many. He loved history and travel, though he didn’t do as much traveling as he had hoped to do. His most memorable trip was to Egypt with his daughter in 2007. Dad’s passing leaves an enormous hole in our hearts and in our lives.

Wil is preceded in death by his wife Mary; his parents; and his three siblings Pete Kwak, Corrie Holmes and Harry Kwak Sr. He is survived by his children JD Kwak of Terrace Heights, Debra Kroon (Ray Yates) of Terrace Heights and Case Kwak (KC) of East Wenatchee; eight grandchildren Chris Kwak (Rebecca) of Lewiston, Idaho; Nathan Kwak of Arizona; Clayton Kwak (Tiffany) of Arizona; James Kwak of Indiana; Leen Kroon (Jamila), Koos Kroon of Yakima, Travis Kwak (Hazel) of Richland and Carly Kwak Bauch of Richland; four great-grandkids Kent and Scott Kwak, Jackson Kwak and Eleanor Bauch. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and extended cousins both in the States and in the Netherlands.

The family sends a heartfelt thanks to the staff at Apple Creek Family Home, who took loving care of Dad in his last months.

A Celebration of a very long Life will be held on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Shaw & Sons Funeral Home, 201 N. 2nd St., Yakima, Washington. A light lunch reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting any of our local pet rescues. Memorial contributions may be sent in care of Shaw & Sons Funeral Home, 201 N. Second St., Yakima, WA 98901, who is caring for the family. Memories and condolences may be shared at shawandsons.com.

    John Wilbur “Wil” Kwak passed away on May 18, 2026, in Yakima, Washington.