George Kubota

At the age of 91 after a life well lived George Tadaaki Kubota peacefully passed away in the early hours of March 14, 2022 in Bellingham, WA from Alzheimer’s disease. George was born August 3, 1930 in Metaline Falls, WA, the 2nd youngest of 7 children born to George (Sr.) and Nobuko Kubota. A lifelong resident of Metaline Falls, George had many happy childhood memories of adventures that living in a small town offered including riding his bike with friends and his brother Herb to Sullivan Lake, hiking in the mountains near the town, damming Sullivan Creek to make a swimming hole, sledding and ice skating in the winter and besting his sister Irene in games of marbles. George was also a Boy Scout and participated in school sports. A natural athlete, he played basketball, soft ball and was the quarterback on the Metaline Falls Bearcats football team. He graduated from high school in 1948, then went on to the University of Washington where he played and lettered in volleyball. In his adult years George enjoyed playing golf at the local Pend Oreille Golf Club where he was the longtime treasurer and caretaker of the 5th hole sand green. He also played in the local badminton club for many years into his 70’s. After graduating from the University of Washington with a BS in Microbiology George was drafted into the U.S Army. Though he had hoped to join the Medic Corp he ultimately was placed in the Signal Corp. He was then stationed in Germany and enjoyed traveling to different European countries when on leave. Near the end of his enlistment George traveled to Paris, France where he met Mademoiselle Marcelle Goutte on a blind date under the Eiffel Tower. They married December 27, 1955, in Paris. Shortly after they moved to Metaline Falls where George joined his parents and older brother Herb in the family hardware business, the Metaline Falls Trading Company, open for business for over 80 years. In the years that followed George and Marcelle raised their 4 children in the same town giving their children idyllic childhoods growing up with extended family, opportunities to be involved in many different school activities as well as going wood cutting to fuel the wood stove, picking huckleberries in the mountains and tromping through the snow looking for just the right Christmas tree and doing many of the same activities that their father enjoyed as a child. George maintained close relationships with his children which included many visits and travels together, and cherished visits with his grandchildren. He was a caring, humble man who handled both the challenges of life and Alzheimer’s with characteristic grace. He was a great example to his family and those who knew him, keeping his sense of humor and self until he passed. George was a longtime leader of his community; in his 20’s as a Boy Scout leader, he also served as a volunteer fireman in the Metaline Falls Fire Department for over 30 years. He was a town council member for many years before becoming Mayor of Metaline Falls for over 2 decades. While in office he oversaw improvements to the town’s infrastructure that included well paved streets, a new sewer system, renovating the city park and the building of a new town hall (that honors him by bearing his name). He also helped establish the Ione Medical clinic. George was a great resource and innovative problem solver for anyone who came into the hardware store with problems or questions, and sometimes even if they didn’t. George was preceded in death by baby brother James, sisters Ruby Kubota and Lillian Winfield, his mother Nobuko (Sakurazawa) Kubota, father George T. Kubota, Sr., brothers Francis Kubota and Herbert Kubota, and grandson Dominic Pietro. George is survived by his wife of 66 years Marcelle Kubota, their 4 children James (Linda) Kubota of Cedarburg WI, Christine Kubota (Michael Pietro) of Bellingham WA, Marc Kubota (Sheri White) of Issaquah WA, Michele Kubota of Seattle WA, sister Irene Neves of New York, sister Jean Cassill of Bellingham, 5 grandchildren, nieces and nephews. George was very much a part of Metaline Falls, and the town very much a part of him. He will return home and be put to rest among family and friends in the Metaline cemetery following a memorial service to be scheduled at a later date. Donations in memory of George Kubota may be made to the town of Metaline Falls for park improvements at Metaline Falls Municipal Building, 203 E 5th Ave, Metaline Falls, WA 99153, or to the Cutter Theatre, PO Box 133 Metaline Falls, WA 99153.

George Kubota

August 3, 1930 - March 14, 2022