Bud Stevens - Online Memorial Website

A cousin of Rob's, Connie Conway, sent us the obituary of Bud. We are very sad to hear of his passing. He was always the perfect host for our frequent visits to Cannon

Dear Jeanette, Sally, Mike and Samantha,

Our hearts go out to you during this most difficult time.  You are in our thoughts and in our prayers.  We have been very fortunate to have known your family for nearly 25 years and dearly share in your loss.  Bud will be greatly missed. This warm, welcoming man behind the counter at Ecola Inn will forever be etched in our minds.  He was a man of high values and integrity, full of wisdom and many fun stories.  A “man’s man,” almost larger than life, yet soft as a teddy bear inside.  Year after year he greeted us with handshakes and hugs after the long journey from Spokane.  We always knew we were “home” again because he and your family have always made it that way.  Please take care and God Bless.

A simple poem sharing some thoughts about Bud.   

Written by Mike and Ann:

 

HIS HOME

A walk on the beach

proud “Papa” was there~

Man’s best friend in tow

they were truly a pair~

 

Stoic and humble as he

strolled through the sand~

Admiring God’s creation

where the sea meets the land~

 

A place he called home

and rightly so proud~

His Heaven on Earth

no better place found~

 

His spirit now rests

with the sea and the waves~

When we feel sad and alone

his love gives us faith~

 

Mike and Ann Kolbeck

Spokane

Hi Sally, Mike, & Mrs. Stevens (Jeanette),

We are all so blessed to have had Bud in our lives. I remember him from the time I was little and used to play with you (Sally) and eat at your restaurant where my mom worked. I remember your dad's cobler and him feeding me all kinds of foods that for me were delicacies--hamburgers, french fries--heaven for a little kid. He was always jolly and called me "kiddo". What a wonderful gift to be treated so kindly by an adult. My thoughts go out to you all!!! Much Love, Jessica (a.k.a Kiddo).

I send many virtual hugs with my deepest condolences.  I have many fond memories of visiting the family, and Uncle Bud has always had a special place in my heart.  I will miss his laughter, kindness, hugs and smiles. 

You are blessed to have shared your daily lives together. 

My prayers are with you.  Let me know if there is anything I can do.

Love,
Beth

Dear Jeanette, Sally and Mike:

Words can't express the sorrow we feel at the loss of your husband, father, grandfather, and our dear friend.   We knew Bud had some health problems these last few years, but somehow we thought we was invincible to these issues and would ride out the storm and regain all that he had lost.  He always seemed bigger than life to us and perhaps that is why it is so hard for us to accept this loss.

Bud made coming to the Ecola Inn a special treat - we looked forward to shaking his hand and hearing the latest narrative on what was happening in your area.  He always had a keen grasp of the political and social issues that were before him and we appreciated his sharing his opinion on these issues with us.  He was warm, kind, friendly, loving and a real gentleman, and has left us all a legacy tha we will not soon forget.

May the Lord bless and sustain you in your time of need and sorrow.

Tom and Sharon Ockey

 

 

Dear Jeanette, Sally and Mike,

Gus & I will miss Bud's warm, friendly smile!  We both got to talk to Bud last July when we were there. For that we are thankful.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.  We will see you in July.

May God hold you in the palm of His hand as you grieve.

Gus and Nancy

We are so very sorry to here of Bud's passing.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Love:  Tom, Jodee, Kallee, and Kaleb

Westport, Wa.

We have only been coming for the past 10 years or so but in that time we grew to know and love Bud. Seeing his smiling face at the end of the ride from home as we arrived at you Inn was a real delight. In the years that followed we have introduced our children and grandchildren to the Ecola Inn. The weeks we spend there are the most enjoyable of the year. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you go through this difficult time of adjusting. God bless you all. Randy and Sue McCormack Edmonds, WA

Bud was there when my dad walked with my sister and I hand in hand, as we held our buckets. I have grown, married, shared walks on that beach with my husband beginning with our honeymoon so many years ago. I remember the first time walking that beach with my own children and hopefully the memories will grow with them. I will continue to walk on the beach with the memory of Bud's smile. My prayers are with you Jeanette, Mike, and Sally. God's comfort be upon you, Janelle

    In May of 1982, when I was finishing my first year of teaching at Seattle University, I drove to Cannon Beach in search of a room that could accommodate my wife and me, my two children, and my Grandmother. Grammie had taken me to Cannon Beach for the only vacation of my youth, and I wanted to share with my kids the experience of Cannon Beach. Besides that I owed Mary Anne a real vacation after she put me through many years of graduate school.

    Bud said that he had a vacancy in room 13 (only Bud would have insisted that the thirteenth room be numbered, in spite of triskaidekaphobia, room 13). And the vacancy was during the prime week of August that I wanted!!

    When we arrived that first year, Bud had already seen to it that a crib (for Amelia) was in the room---even though he always made it known that "A room for four means a room for four." And so the tradition began.

    A few years later my Grandmother and her sister, a Dominican nun, moved next door to room 12; when my Grandmother died, my Mom and Mac, my step-dad, moved into the room. Then my sister Edwina moved next door to them, and a few years later my sister-in-law and family moved into room 8. When my Mom and Mac died, my sister Maryl took over for them, and last year her daughter Megan joined us as well. This year, so the rumor goes, my oldest sister Paula will join us. It's become a family affair.

     My two children, Nicholas and Amelia, grew up at the Ecola Inn, and we have stair-step pictures to prove it. To be honest they probably knew Bud better than they knew their Grandfathers. And now to extend the story to a fifth generation, we got to introduce my newborn granddaughter Ellery to Bud last August. So that May day in 1982 has led to Bud meeting and looking after five generations of my family.

    All of you in the Stevens family--Bud, Jeanette, Sally, and Mike--have become members of the extended Madsen family, and so Bud's passing touches us as it does you. There are memories forever fixed in the minds of my sisters, my children, my nephews and nieces, in-laws and friends. There's Bud at the front desk greeting us when we arrived,  or listening to our explanations of some broken crockery or an inexplicable "towel shortage," or fixing a stove burner that just wasn't delivering the heat. To the amazement of this professor, who is always amazed at people with any mechanical talents, Bud could solve all problems quickly, graciously, and--to my mind--miraculously. Even the sliding screen door out to the deck!!

    Our thoughts, prayers, and good wishes go out to you, Jeanette, and to you, Sally and Mike. I hope that this long, long message will convey to you our sorrow at your loss but also the joy that Bud brought to our lives. We will rejoin you in August for the 28th year running; perhaps then we can tell more stories together.