Barry Brown, the only man to lead three separate Coupeville High School varsity boys basketball teams in scoring. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Our lives are separate, yet interwoven.
High school sports bring together a wide range of individuals, from athletes and coaches, to fans and parents, to refs, writers, and support staff.
Together, we form a group in which we touch the lives of those who join us.
We are one, but together, we are a nation, a Wolf Nation.
As time fades, some of us depart, while new ones join.
But while death erases the body, it shouldn’t dull the bonds that person shared.
As we head towards 2022, I want to take a moment to look back at some of those we lost this year.
It’s not a complete list, and not meant to be, and no disrespect is meant to anyone not here.
It’s a farewell, a celebration of diverse lives — of men and women who were, and always will be, part of this “nation” brought together by shared experiences.
Once a Wolf, always a Wolf.
Kathleen Anderson – Longtime school board member who cared deeply about each student she represented.
Gail Barron — Proud Wolf mom whose children were among the most-talented to ever suit up for Coupeville.
Jim Blouin — Vital part of a family deeply tied to Coupeville, and a frequent renter at Videoville back in my video store days.
Dr. Suzanne Bond — Coupeville Schools Superintendent whose leadership skills were impeccable. Led the district to new heights during her tenure.
Barbara Chernikoff — Grandmother to former Wolf volleyball sensation/eternal ray of sunshine Kylie Chernikoff.
Charles Clark — Everyone’s friend, a football coach who spread love near and far. The ideal traveling companion, his voice rumbling, full of wisdom (and some good-natured smack talk), as the miles passed.
Murph Cross — American Bad-Ass.
Dolores Engle — One of the kindest women you’ll ever know, a true Wolf mom, not just to her own flock, but to every kid.
Kay Foss — Longtime Coupeville teacher, and a Videoville regular with husband Dave.
Joey Glendenning — Proud Wolf mom who loved to watch daughter Lacy McCraw-Shirron repping the red and black.
Brandon Graham — A favorite of CHS teachers and fellow students, a young man who grew up to be a kind, caring father to his own children.
Sylvia Grasser — Matriarch to one of Coupeville’s most-successful sports families, she worked as a school bus driver so she could follow her grandkids games up close and personal.
Kristin Hurlburt — A lovely human being. Her spirit, her gentle humor, her embrace of life, even in trying times, lives on through her children, and her much-adored granddaughter.
Dorothy Keefe — A bright, shining light in the gym, always there to follow her kids and grandkids, always proud, always full of love for all.
Muriel Pickard — A woman who fought to preserve the beauty of Whidbey, one of the truest defenders this Island has ever had.
Daniel Renninger — Ultimate Wolf grandpa who was always there to support his granddaughters Avalon (far right) and Sage.
Sally Rhubottom — Matriarch of a family with deep roots in Wolf sports. Her son Jeff was a Coupeville basketball legend in the ’70s, and her great-granddaughter Samantha is a captain for the current CHS cheer squad.
Anne Weaver — Worked 38 years for the Coupeville School District, greeting each day with a smile.
David Wells (bottom, far left) — Coupeville born and bred, a hard-working dude with a good sense of humor.
Coupeville Sports 
Oh David, what a wonderful, sweet commemoration. Thank you for sharing this, your reporting and writing means so very much to our community.
Thank you for sharing this. Knew many of them well.
Wonderful..thank you
Beautiful tribute!
This is wonderful. Brings a tear to my eye as I knew many of them well. A few that I didn’t know had passed as well. Thank you for this and all of your devotion to our community.
Thank you for this wonderful write-up. I miss my small town of 25 yrs. A wonderful place to have raised our 5 children & so many kind souls I called friends.
Beautiful Souls shared in a beautiful memory for years to come! Thank you for putting this memorial together!
Thank you for this. Living of the island I didn’t know a few of these had past. My heart is heavy. Great tribute.
Wow – thank you for sharing this though tough to read. I only knew of these people a few but those I knew were people I truly cared about or admired.
Mrs. Foss: my English teacher and later a wonderful advocate/advisor to me when I was going through a tough time. She was a wonderful person with great integrity.
Mrs Weaver: I remember her fondly with a twinkle in her eye and a great sense of humor. I recall her sending me to Prairie Center for ‘Cheese Its’. She would say “there’s Cheese Nips and Cheese Its, make sure you get the Cheese Its”. I seriously cannot see Cheese Its or Nips without thinking about that day, still makes me smile well over 30 years later.
Kristen Hurlburt: she was kind of a sports icon to me. Her dad was our softball coach and I just wanted to be a tiny bit as good as she. We weren’t friends, I was a few years younger, but I was always a fan of her athletic ability.
RIP ladies – I’m sorry to hear you’re gone ❤️❤️
Well this is embarrassing: I didn’t realize Troy married a woman named Kristin whom I do not know. My apologies for the misidentification and wish the family peace for their loss.