Norman Kuntz

Norm R. Kuntz, our beloved Skipa, passed away on Tuesday evening, Sept 14 surrounded by family due to complications of Inclusion Body Myocitis (IBM), a degenerative muscular disease. He was born on June 16, 1944 to Ray Kuntz and Ruth Lenore (Gothke) Kuntz in Wenatchee. He grew up roaming the hills and orchards on south Methow street. He graduated from Wenatchee High School class of 1962. When a freshman in college at Central Washington University, his mother decided to invest in orchard property on Lake Chelan and asked him to join her. He spent the next 36 years as an apple orchardist developing and expanding the business. Norm and Linda (Brown) were married on May 31, 1964 at Central Christian Church in Wenatchee. They raised their family in Chelan; Kent was born in 1968 and the twins Kolette and Kristin in 1970, and they enjoyed all of their school and community activities. Norm was active in the Lake Chelan Jaycees, was a member of the Board of Directors at Blue Chelan Coop, and served as a board member of the WA Growers Clearing House. He was also a member of the St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Chelan for over 50 years. His greatest passion was snow skiing and especially teaching people to ski. He was a PNSIA certified ski instructor at Mission Ridge from 1966 and also taught at Echo Valley in Chelan and at Stevens Pass. Norm bought the Lakeland Ski shop from Cork Ott in 1974 after working together for several years, and he also ran the rental ski shop at Loup Loup Ski area for several years. He also loved waterskiing, bird hunting and fishing. Norm had many adventures with fishing in Alaska, hunting in Montana and annual visits to Stehekin. His favorite travels with Linda were to New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Hawaii, and Sweden. In 2000, he and Linda decided to move from Chelan to be closer to their mothers who needed more care. They sold the orchard and their house on the Lake and moved to the Columbia River near Orondo. Norm could check in on his mother in Waterville at the time and did so often. He started a new profession as a Crop Insurance Adjuster where he could keep his winters open for skiing and enjoyed that until 2015 when he had to slow down because of his progressing IBM disease. Over the last 7 years, while living in East Wenatchee, he enjoyed taking his Springer Spaniel dog, Maggie, to one of the many parks along the Columbia in his wheelchair and especially liked the Loop Trail near Pybus Market where he and Maggie met many people and dog friends on the trail. He loved playing poker and getting together with family and ski friends. Survivors include his wife Linda, brother John (Sherry) Kuntz of Chelan; sister Anita (Gary) McDonald of Arizona; son Kent (Debbie) Kuntz of Issaquah, daughter Kolette (Rob) O'Keefe of Thousand Oaks, CA; daughter Kristin (Erik) Dodge of Yakima, WA. Grandchildren: Vail and Jack Kuntz, Tyler Dodge, Emily and Kyle O'Keefe as well as his special nieces and nephews and their children. He was proceeded in death by his parents Lenore and Ray Kuntz, his beloved sister Louise and brother-in-law Gary Mertes. A celebration of Norm's life will be held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Chelan on October 9 at 2:00 PM. Masks are required and with limited space in the church, please have a negative Covid test if you are not vaccinated. Arrangements are assisted by Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee.

Norman Kuntz

June 16, 1944 - September 14, 2021