Arthur "Art" Eugene Coulombe

Arthur “Art” Eugene Coulombe passed away peacefully in the comfort of his home on October 30, 2023, at the age of 91, and is now home with his Lord.

Art was born in Los Angeles, CA on September 6, 1932, to Jean Louis Coulombe and Cecile Blanche Audet. The youngest of 3 boys, he attended high school until he enlisted in the US Marine Corps on July 11, 1950. He received multiple medals for his service in the Korean War and earned the rank of sergeant before being honorably discharged four years later.

In 1954, Art married Elaine Hudson, and together, they raised five lovely children. While earning his BS in Engineering at the University of Long Beach, Art worked at Rockwell International as a Senior Test Engineer on the Saturn V rockets - which powered the Apollo 11 spacecraft to its successful landing of the first human on the moon. In 1969, the family moved to Lakeview, OR, where Art worked as a Civil Engineer for the US Forest Service. The family would later relocate to Roseburg, OR, where Art worked as a Program Director for the US Job Corps. In 1977, the family moved to Schweinfurt, then Kaiserslautern, Germany, where Art worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers as a Facility Engineer and the Base Facility Engineer, respectively. After serving five years in Germany, his desire to be closer to family brought them back to the States, where he worked as a Civil engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, WA, until he retired in 1998. During this time, he also worked with FEMA, providing aid after natural disasters. On June 11, 1989, Art married Marilyn Newby, and the two lived in Walla Walla until his passing.

Art was an avid learner and had a variety of interests and hobbies. He volunteered as a firefighter for 16 years, participated in prison ministry for 13 years, and was a volunteer deputy sheriff. He enjoyed coaching his kids, woodworking, ham radio operating, fishing, hunting, running (completing nine marathons), earning his private pilot license, and spending time with his family.

Art is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Marilyn A. Newby-Coulombe; daughters - Denise Johansen (Coulombe) and Dawn Zeugin (Coulombe); sons - David Coulombe, Duane Coulombe and Dale Coulombe; stepchildren - Gail Robinson and James Newby II; and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Henry and Al; half-sister, Jeanie Fields; stepson, Richard Newby; and grandsons, Kristopher Coulombe and Jacob Coulombe.

Thank you to Dr. Haugen and his staff, Walla Walla Community Hospice, and his caregivers from Walla Walla Valley Home Care for their care in his final days.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Monday, November 20, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Amazing Grace Church of the Nazarene, 717 E Alder St, Walla Walla, with viewing from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m, reception to follow in the fellowship hall. A viewing will also be held on Sunday, November 19, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Herring Groseclose Funeral Home. Graveside service will be held at the Roseburg National Cemetery Annex in Roseburg, OR, on Monday, November 27, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Zone 1 Christian Account for providing bibles to inmates or the Walla Walla County Fire District 4 Auxiliary for Fire Equipment through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder St., Walla Walla, WA 99362. In addition, friends and family are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.herringgroseclose.com.