Celebration of Life Program

Opening Remarks (Kirby Amacker)

Welcome and thank you so much for taking time on this beautiful Saturday to join us as we celebrate the life of an amazing person who impacted us all in such a profound, positive way. 

We kicked off Obie’s weekend with the first annual Obie Open yesterday and it was such a special day filled with love, laughter and community.  Exactly the type of day that Obie would love and we’re going to carry that into today.  There were many people who made yesterday a success and we thanked them yesterday, but I’d like to give a special thank you to Rich Gentz who had the idea for this tournament and did the heaviest lifting.  Thank you Rich.

Obie was not a typical person, and this service will not be typical.  While I wear black most of the time, today I am wearing the dress that I wore when we were married.  You may have also noticed that there is a typo on the front of the program.  I’m sure he appreciates the effort to make him younger, but he was born in 1952.  A year ago, that typo would have driven me crazy.  Now I know that is really doesn’t matter.

I realize that often when people pass away, there is an air of mystery around what happened.  Given how sudden his illness and passing was, I’m sure many of you have questions.  So I figured it would be helpful to answer the “what happened?” questions that I get asked the most.  [note for the blog: at this point in the program, I shared the timeline for Obie’s illness and passing. I won’t recount it here but will add another blog post within the next few weeks with that information.]

During his illness, Obie took great care in organizing what he called his honorary pallbearers, even listing them in twos.  Obie was cremated and has a niche at Sunset Memorial Gardens next to his parents and brothers.  We’ll also be spreading his ashes in the places that he loved the most.  I want to recognize these people who were so important to him:

• Denny Duncan and Roy Keck

• Steve Neill and Rich Gentz

• Kelvin Soldat and Len Parris

• Bob Jacobs and Tyler Denslow

• Dan Cartmell and Jerry Corrado

As Obie would say, “let’s get this show on the road!”  We are going to hear from a few folks who will share how Obie impacted their lives.  We’re going to share a video that reflects his life.  We’re going to hear the talented Linsey Tucker play for us.  And most importantly, we’re going to have time to connect.  There will be tears, but hopefully there is also laughter. 

As I look around this room and see the bright colors, I know that Obie is here with us in spirit and the last thing he would want is for this to be a somber affair.  

Prayer (Pat Harty)

Obie’s Impact (Tyson Lawrence) Tyson send the note to me after Obie’s passing and I felt it really captured what made Obie so special. I asked Tyson if he would read it at the memorial and he graciously did.

I wanted to take a moment to send my deepest condolences to you and your family. I was heartbroken to hear about Obie’s sudden passing when Denny Duncan called me last week. It’s been hard to process, and I wanted to give you all some time to grieve before reaching out. I can only imagine the incredible outpouring of love and support, given how much Obie meant to so many.

Growing up, I idolized my father and his friends, always wanting to be “one of the guys.” The SHIT tournament was legendary in my world—I knew that every third Friday in May, my dad would be off playing in that special event with his buddies. When he passed in June of 1996, just weeks after SHIT and my high school graduation, I thought I had lost not just my father, but also the chance to ever be part of that bond. It was a tough time, but some of his closest friends stepped in to provide comfort.

Obie, though, went beyond that—he gave me something I’m not sure I ever properly expressed my gratitude for. When I received that first invitation to SHIT the following year, I was honored beyond words. Finally, I had the chance to be with my dad’s friends, to feel a part of something that had meant so much to him. It was different, of course—toned down from the old days—but it still mattered. I needed that moment, and I think they did too. It was then that I realized my role in keeping my father’s legacy alive through these traditions. But more than that, I realized how much they cared about me, how much I still belonged. It changed my life.

That day, after the golf had ended and the stories and laughter filled the clubhouse, I felt the true meaning of brotherhood. Obie welcomed me into it with open arms. That experience helped me through my grief and taught me the strength to move forward. Then, when Obie and the guys gifted me the proceeds from the tournament to help with my college expenses, I was floored. That money paid for my books during my second year at CBC, but the impact went far beyond that. It gave me the drive to never let them down, to work hard, and to ensure that every time I checked in, I had something positive to share. They had unknowingly stepped in to fill the role of the man I had always wanted to make proud—my dad.

Even after I moved to California to start my career and family, I never forgot SHIT. Every third Friday of May, no matter where I was or what I was working on, I knew the guys were out there at Indian Canyon, carrying on the tradition. And no matter how many years passed, the invitation always came—because that’s the kind of man Obie was. The invites were always great and left me laughing but I especially loved this paragraph in the last one he sent  “The Committee has been the instigator of or party to many shenanigans and inappropriate events during the early years of this fantastic event. However, societal norms have changed and we encourage you to think twice before you act. As we approach the 50th anniversary of S.H.I.T. we do not want a stupid occurrence to preclude holding it at Indian Canyon in May 2025. Before you act, stop and ask yourself if your mother, mother-in-law, wife, or the Head Pro would approve before following through”. This was great advice and something I have used to calibrate my thinking as I have aged. 😊

Obie also taught me something else: that you can be a strong, respected man while still leading with kindness and empathy. He embodied a type of masculinity that I deeply admire—the kind that isn’t loud or aggressive but is built on integrity, respect, and a quiet strength that no one would mistake for weakness. That’s the kind of man I strive to be every day, not just for myself, but for my daughters, so they know what a "real man" looks like. 

I’ll miss his check-ins, his encouragement, his sense of humor and his unwavering support. It’s hard to imagine him not being there, but I am forever grateful to have called him a friend. I truly believe I wouldn’t be the man I am today—the business leader, the husband, the father—without his kindness, loyalty, and friendship at a time when I needed it most.

I will miss him deeply, but I will always carry his influence with me.

Obie’s Impact (Kelvin Soldat)

Today we are here to celebrate the life of a great, great man. And I have the honor to speak about Obie as one of his many friends. And, it is impossible to talk about Obie without talking about friendship. It was so important to Obie. He had an innate ability to make friends. And he had a lot of them, just look around. Good solid friends, best friends. The term best friend implies a singular person but I know that quite a few of you here would consider Obie your best friend and I know he felt that same way about you.

There are a lot of us that have known Obie for many years, some since grade school. And of course those are special relationships. But Obie could make a close friend just after meeting them for a short period of time and have a big impact on them. You just heard a beautiful example of that. Yes, Obie worked at making friends and keeping friends, but his secret was simply this. He truly loved and cared about people, and they picked up on that. This resulted in meaningful and enduring friendships. Obie was a guy you just wanted to be around. No matter the occasion, his bigger than life presence lifted your spirits and made it fun. He loved reliving old stories, most of which resulted in making fun of himself as well as his friends. He always brought the party to the party. But as your friend he would always be there for you, in good times and bad.

Obie had lost some of his close friends, some quite tragically. And he mourned their loss deeply like any close friend would. But he would use that loss as a reminder that life can be short and you should live life to its fullest every day. And boy did he do that in so many ways. Obie loved the outdoors and enjoyed mountains, lakes, oceans and especially the Columbia River. He grew up on the Columbia River starting in Junior High and enjoying it in his last days. We had so many gatherings up on the beaches of the Columbia growing up with many good times and great stories, but for those are for another place and time. He enjoyed taking a boat out on Lake Chelan or the Columbia and just drift with a friend or two, taking in the scenery while drinking an ice-cold beer. He loved Elk Camp and looked forward to that every year as much as anything else. His favorite part was riding in a pickup truck early morning with his hunting partner, eating “delicious” Vienna sausages while scouting for those elusive elk. Or as simple as sitting around a campfire with friends telling stories and tossing the empty beer cans into a makeshift garbage can some 20 feet away. Obie became a pretty good shot. I guess practice makes perfect.

Everyone knows that Obie’s favorite beer was Natural Light. And he would look for the best deals to buy it. Obie is the only guy I know who regularly bought his beer at Rite Aid. You could get it there for $12.99 a case, sometimes less. I remember one day he called me up and said, “Dawg, they have Natural Light at only $9.99 a case, Can you believe it, $9.99 a case! I responded, “there is a reason for that Obie” But I would pick him up a case and that would last him a good solid week, in the winter.

Obie loved to golf too. He played often at Horn Rapids with his many friends at least several times a week. I’m not sure what he enjoyed more, the golf or the bar time afterwards. Well, actually, I am sure. Despite Obie hitting a few of his drives OB per usual when asked how he played afterwards he would always respond, “I had fun”. It didn’t take much to make Obie happy, you see he was a simple man. For him to have fun, all it really took was for him to be with his friends and the people he loved.

And the person he loved to be with more than anyone else was Kirby. His love for Kirby was amazing and only matched by her love for him. Since Obie’s death, the strength, compassion and resiliency Kirby has shown has been incredible. I think in part because there is still a big part of Obie in her, including that part that helped her through her grief when she lost her best friend so tragically. As friends to Obie and Kirby, we are supposed to console her through this time and we have done that. And she is very grateful for the support she has received from all her friends and family. But for me,I think in my case she has consoled me more often than I have her. And for that, Kirby, Thank You.

Now Obie was not a regular church attender, but he believed in God and he practiced what Jesus preached. What Jesus preached was Love, love, love. Jesus last words to his disciples before his ascension were “Go out and love others as I have loved you” Obie did that as well as anybody I know. He constantly lifted others up around him with love and support, especially children and youth. He supported the Boys and Girls Club passionately. He was kind and gentle and although he had no biological children, he was an “Uncle” to many of his friends’ children. And then there are Tyler and Lauren, who without a doubt he loved as much as any father could. And he loved, loved being a new grandfather. Although it was a short time he already made a positive impact on his grandchildren.

So, I know I will see Obie again. And in heaven there will be mountains, lakes, rivers and oceans. And because God loves us of course there will be beer. I mean if God can turn water into wine, he can certainly turn water into Natural Light, how tough can it be. I mean there isn’t that much difference. {sorry Obie} And there will be elk in the mountains so there will be elk camp. I am not sure about guns in heaven so Obie won’t be able to shoot any, but hey why should it be any different than here. (Sorry again Obie, man am I gonna catch from him)

And of course there will be golf courses. I can see Obie now on the first tee, cancer free, standing tall pain free, hitting the ball down the middle of the fairway every time. OK there are some miracles even God can’t do. But it doesn’t matter and afterwards he will say he had fun because he will be with friends. I am sure he already has some rounds in with Billy Wedberg, Big G and Glenny. For those of you lucky enough to know those folks, think about how much fun that foursome will have. In fact, knowing Obie, he already has a golf tournament organized. I can see it now, the “Super Heaven Invitational Tournament”. And you all are invited. You know what you need to do to get there.

So yes, we all mourn his loss, and there is an awfully big void in our lives. But we need to honor Obie. We can do that by cherishing our friends, do not take your friendships for granted, Obie never did. Love others and make new friends. Support a youth organization. Find the things in life that bring you joy and pursue them. It can be very simple things, like having a drink with friends whether it be beer or coffee or just holding your grandchild. Most importantly, love your spouse and family with all your heart and soul every day.

Finally, we should all feel a sense of gratitude that we were lucky enough to have Obie in our lives. I know I am thankful that I was one of Obie’s best friends. Thank You Obie and I will see on the tee block.

Celebration of Life Video

Closing Remarks (Kirby Amacker)

Thanks to Eddie Pablo who took my crazy idea for the video and turned it into that masterpiece. 

As you’ve seen and heard and most likely experienced, Obie had a profound impact on so many people.   While it would be easy to fall into this Obie sized hole in my heart, I know that is not what he would want for any of us.  My goal is to honor his legacy by continuing to spread love throughout our amazing community and beyond. 

We have created the Obie Fund at our local Boys & Girls Club to support the opening of Richland Teen Center, just a few blocks from where he grew up.  He was a firm believer in the positive impact that clubs have on the kids in our communities.  We would love for you to join us if you would like.  We have close to $20k raised so far and are just getting started.  You can find information on the back of the program.

I have also created a blog to share my thoughts and experiences of navigating life during this time of grief and loss.  The video from today will be posted this afternoon if you’d like to watch it again.  The link is listed on the back of the program as well.  Obie also created his own celebration of life playlist last summer before we knew what was on the horizon.  The link to the Spotify playlist which is also linked on my site.  He was a planner and many of us have heard him utter “failing to plan is planning to fail”. 

In a world where the loudest voices are spewing hate and division for their own advancement, Obie lived his life spreading love.  He was a strong man and used that strength to lift others, not advance himself.  Imagine the profound impact we could collectively had on this world if we all demonstrated a fraction of Obie’s community building strength?  That is our opportunity, honor Obie by carrying that strength forward.

Our community was so important to Obie and I am so fortunate to have all of your supporting me and our family during this time of loss.  I know that Obie’s greatest wish would be that he could be here to connect with you all.  So before you head off to your day, filled with a list of things to do, I ask that you take time to connect with others here.  We know you have some great Obie stories, we could easily fill hours and hours with an open mic.  Grab something to eat, take some time to say hi to people you may not have seen in a while or meet someone new.  Share your stories of Obie and how he impacted your life.  He was so intentional in connecting with you, take this time to show him that his legacy will live on through all of us.

This concludes the official part of our celebration, but we have this room until 1:00 pm.  I have no doubt that a room full of people telling stories will make him smile. 

I know that the world will be a better place if we all carry forward Obie’s commitment to love and community.  Thank you for joining us today, I look forward to connecting.  We now get the pleasure of enjoying the talented Lindsey Tucker performing while we visit.