Coupeville Sports

Their stories are still being told.

While we lost a number of people this year who had a positive impact on Coupeville, those men and women live on through their families and their contributions to the prairie they called home.

As the calendar slides towards 2026, take a moment to remember our neighbors.

The list below is not complete by any measure, but it’s a start.

 

Marilyn Bailey:

A descendent of early Whidbey pioneers on both sides of her family, and a prairie native.

She worked for the USDA for many years, managing agricultural programs, while also being a lifetime member of the Island County Historical Society.

With deep roots in Coupeville, her family included six children, nineteen grandchildren, thirty-two great grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren.

 

Charlie Cook:

A member of the Coupeville High School Class of 1976, he was a standout three-sport athlete who went to state with the Wolf basketball squad.

After graduation, he became a business owner and custom home builder on Whidbey Island, then later became a Quality Control Inspector in Seattle.

Part of one of Coupeville’s most successful sports families, along with brothers Richard and Raymond Cook.

 

Norinne Ellsworth:

A 1981 CHS grad who worked for Service Alternatives for many years until getting her LMP license at Ashmead College of Massage.

Always had a big smile and a kind word for me when she came into Videoville during my movie maniac days.

 

Bruce Grimm:

“Dad was the best man around!”

Stephanie Streitler’s father, a 1971 grad of Coupeville High School, blessed many a local gym with his outgoing personality.

Whether he was cheering for brother-in-law Jeff Rhubottom during his days as a hoops legend or supporting granddaughter Samanatha Streitler during her own days repping the red and black, he was a rock-solid part of Wolf Nation.

 

Sandra Kuykendall:

An eternal ray of sunshine.

Her children were athletes at CHS — before my days as a writer — but I knew Sandra best from the video store days, when she and husband Chuck would amble on in to see what they should rent.

I’m pretty sure she thought most of my recommendations were best left untouched — “You have … interesting … tastes, David,” she would say with a smile.

Sandra was infinitely kind, one of the best Videoville customers ever, a woman of great grace and humor.

Some customers you tolerated, others you adored.

We all adored Sandra.

 

Judy Marti:

The matriarch of one of Cow Town’s largest, and most successful, sports families, and another well-liked Videoville customer.

In their remembrance, her family wrote:

Her ability to relate and connect impacted everyone she met, from the student struggling in math, to the stranger sitting next to her on the bus.

She was spiritual and an avid reader, from mysteries to the Bible; her favorite picture was Jesus laughing; she herself enjoyed humor and was often described as the funniest person in the room.

A talented wit who showed compassion for all.

It’s hard to measure the breadth of impact she had on us all, but it would look similar to the deepest view of the universe ever captured by the James Webb telescope.

I agree.

 

Roy Mattox:

A 1961 grad of Coupeville High School, he played three seasons of varsity basketball for the Wolves.

Playing at a time when scoring totals were generally lower than it is in the modern game, Mattox still racked up 191 points.

Six decades after his playing days ended, he remains in the top 150 career scorers for a CHS hoops program launched in 1917.

 

Donald Mohs:

They classed up the joint.

During my Videoville days, Mr. Mohs, and his beloved wife Kelley, who passed in 2011, were among the most sophisticated customers I had.

World travelers, art lovers, well-read and well-spoken, the kind of customers who appreciated that our art house and foreign film collection was the best on Whidbey.

Even when the film I was rambling on about was a weird Japanese exploitation flick, or a four-hour Bollywood film which combined Madonna-style musical numbers with Braveheart-style battle scenes.

“Maybe next time, David,” Mr. Mohs would say, with a slight twinkle in his eye.

Wasn’t going to happen, but he let me think so, a class act in all of his dealings.

 

Martha Rose:

The former Executive Director of Island Transit was the proud mother to a collection of brilliant daughters who include two of Coupeville’s best and brightest former soccer stars — Emily (May) Rose and Taichen Rose.

In their past and current successes, you can see the lessons learned from a life of love.

Strong women who were guided on that path by a woman who helped them reach for the stars and was overjoyed to see them achieve their dreams.

 

David Streubel:

A proud papa.

Whether cutting meat like a craftsman, cracking jokes while visiting Videoville, or cheering on his children in their many sporting pursuits, he was a larger-than-life presence.

But, most of all, he was the biggest fan of his family you will ever find.

Dave was built like a linebacker, but he could go all soft ‘n gooey for his lil’ granddaughters with the best of them.

A man among men, and truly a “good dude” in every way.

 

Joe Tessaro:

A six-foot-five tower of power, this 1988 Coupeville grad was a big man who left a big impact.

During his days as a Wolf athlete, he competed in the state championships in both basketball and track and field.

Tessaro held the CHS record in the discus — 143 feet, eight inches — from 1988-2011, bringing home a 6th place medal from state as a senior.

On the hardwood, he was a starter for the 1987-88 boys’ hoops squad which went to state, pouring in 260 points during the campaign.

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