Front Porch: Finding life advice and humor in the obituaries

Obituaries not only offer snapshots of our community, but they often include bits of wisdom, sound advice and flashes of humor.

Robert (Bob) Dunning, who died at 94, was known for his sharp wit, curiosity and endless supply of interesting facts.

He could tell you that ponderosa pines smell like vanilla and that cussing is scientifically proven to be therapeutic. Dunning didn’t believe in giving people 100%. His obituary summed up his philosophy thusly, “Give 60% most days, 80% on good days, and when you feel like giving 100%, it will feel like you’re giving 120%.”

I’m no mathematician, but that adds up for me.

Dan Zimmerman enjoyed a varied career. He was a photographer for Q6, a Washington State Patrol trooper and a lineman for Grant County Public Utility District.

But he also had a surprising claim to fame.

Zimmerman was one of the three “Whistling Midgets” from Davenport – a group whose unique talent earned them an appearance on “The Gong Show.”

Joyce Lee Nonnemacher’s talents didn’t garner a television appearance, but they made a difference in her community.

The Reardon resident never missed a chance to help at the Lincoln County Hospital Foundation’s annual luncheon. Her cookie jar was never empty, and her garden was always blooming. She was known for her kindness, humor, and her signature question to friends and neighbors: “Are you behaving yourself?”

As a farmer’s daughter, she waited to die until harvest and seeding were finished.

I would have loved to hang out with Marilyn Dollarhide because her mothering style mirrored mine.

The mother of seven could be a banty hen – quick to defend and protect her chicks, whom she loved fiercely. Her home was loud and filled with laughter, and there was always a place at the table for her children’s friends.

But as much as Marilyn loved the chaos of family life, she appreciated serenity when it arrived. She would say, “I love fall – my favorite colors are everywhere, harvest and fall work are done, the vegetable garden is put to sleep for the year, the kids are back to school, and my house is quiet during the day. A glorious season.”

I couldn’t agree more.

After writing for this newspaper for 20 years, it’s no surprise that the obituary section often includes folks I’ve interviewed.

When I saw Kathy Ludders’ notice, I thought her name seemed familiar. Then I read, “Kathy learned from her mother that everything is in walking distance, if you walk long enough,” and the pieces clicked together.

I interviewed Kathy and her husband, John, in 2021 for a story about their volunteer work with Dishman Hills Conservancy.

The couple met in 1966 on a blind date hiking in the Crystal Mountains of the Cascades. Over their 57 years of marriage, they hiked all over the world.

I enjoyed meeting Herb Genteman in 2024, when I wrote a story about his family-owned business, The Sports Creel – Spokane’s oldest ski store.

Genteman died in November. His obituary describes him as a “Hobie sailer, Heli-skier. Sand bagger, skins stealer. Cereal slurper, sidewalk sweeper. Entertainer, car detailer. A storyteller, so captivating, one never sees that punchline lurking just around the corner.”

If that’s not enough, he also had “a golf swing only Charles Barkley would envy, and a putter that opponents loved to hate.”

Larry Tobin died on Oct. 25.

We met when I wrote a story about him and his friends and their vintage Stearman biplanes. I had intended to keep my feet on the ground during the interview. However, Tobin insisted that I experience what it’s like to soar over Spokane in an open cockpit aircraft. It’s a thrill I’ve never forgotten, and I’m forever glad I listened to him.

Flight features prominently in Gary Cook’s obituary.

Cook had a passion for adventure, discovery and exploration.

His family wrote, “Gary leaves behind a series of partially-used frequent flier miles and a long-suffering family who consistently worried about his whereabouts until they received a phone call or postcard from remote corners around the world.”

They had this request: “In lieu of flowers, please book a flight somewhere you have never been, get outdoors, and toast the end of a long and very well-traveled road.”

Now, that’s good advice.

Cindy Hval can be reached at dchval@juno.com. Hval is the author of “War Bonds: Love Stories from the Greatest Generation” (Casemate Publishers, 2015) available at Auntie’s Bookstore and bookstores nationwide.