Keith Farabee

Raymond Keith Farabee passed away February 13, 2019 at Astria Regional Hospital in Yakima with his wife at his side. He was born June 21, 1930 in Yakima to Raymond H. and Margaret (Halsey) Farabee. He was preceded in death by his parents and only sibling, Dean H. He received his education in Yakima schools, graduating from Yakima High (Davis) in June 1950. While in High School he spent 2 years in the Marine Corps Reserves and 1 year in the National Guard. On graduating he joined the Air Force taking basis training at Lackland Air Base in Texas. He then spent a year at Scot Field in Illinois, training in radio repair and communication. He was a radioman on aircraft flying wounded soldiers (Korean War) to and from Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas and Travis Air Base, California to hospitals. He spent his last months stationed in the South Pacific Kwajalein Naval Base where his group flew escort and rescue missions in seaplanes. They escorted planes carrying soldiers to and from the Korean War zone to their base for refueling. It became a rescue mission if a plane went down in the ocean. He was honorably discharged in June 1954 at the rank of Staff Sargent. He returned home and joined the Yakima Police Department serving 25 years and retiring in 1979. In late 1961 he met “the little red haired girl from the Indian Reservation”. On June 15, 1962 he married Charlene Kennedy in Post Falls, Idaho in a tiny little church by Rev. John Walton. In 1977 we moved to a small farm on Cowiche Mill Rd., Cowiche. He grew hay, had horses and lots of work; he had to build all the barns and out buildings. He loved the trail rides in the mountains with friends and his old horse “Red”. He loved to fish and hunt. He worked from 1989 to 1997 at Bestway Pawn Mart for Tim and Dianne Mabrey. He loved every minute of it. He was forced to retire again when his health began to fail. By April of 1998 he was bed ridden with a debilitating and painful nerve disease brought on by diabetes. He remained at home and found his way back from bed/wheelchair to walking with canes. The farm was sold and a new home built north of Selah in 2000. He regained enough use of his legs and strength to help with yard work, which was therapy for him. By 2009 the need to reduce chores forced a move to town and a condo. He loved being “close in” to church, coffee spots and restaurants. His favorites- Old Town Station in Union Gap and Powerhouse Grill in Yakima. Many thanks to all our wonderful friends who were there for us the past 20 difficult years. Husband- you were my love and very best friend- enjoy the peace and rest you so deserve. A Celebration of his Life will be 11am, Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Christian Life Center, Yakima, WA To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Keith Farabee, please visit our flower store.