Doug Wight

It is with heavy hearts that we announce our beloved husband, father, and grandfather Douglas Merton Wight peacefully passed into Heaven on July 12, 2026, after being diagnosed with an aggressive cancer just three months prior.

Doug was born on March 5, 1947, to Donald and Ellen Wight. He was a lifelong resident of Bellingham.

After graduating from Bellingham High School and Western Washington State College, he married his high school sweetheart, Lynn Ebright. They had a beautiful, loving marriage for 59 years.

Doug was preceded in death by his brother Terry Wight of Bellingham.

Doug is survived by his wife Lynn, his children Carolyn Roy (John) of Blaine, David Wight of Bellingham, and his grandchildren Annie Kilpatrick (Cody) of Kirkland and David Roy (McKenzie Young Roy) of Portland, Oregon. He is also survived by his brother Don Wight (Marilyn) of Bellingham, sister Barbara Wight (Patrick Lipp) of Spokane, brother Steve Wight (Carol) of Ferndale, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Doug had a long and dedicated work life. Upon graduating from Western, Doug was offered a job at the Bellingham Herald as the Personnel and Building Manager, then later as the Community Relations and Circulation Director. After a number of years, Doug was drawn to real estate sales, development, and all aspects of property management. In 1983, he partnered with his father-in-law, Ed Ebright, at Ebright-Wight Realty, and after many years moved on to Windermere Property Management until his retirement in 2023.

Of course, Doug didn’t ever really retire! He loved being active and his life was a life of service. Doug’s passion was to help improve his community where he lived at Lake Samish, at his church, and in the broader area of Whatcom County.

Some of Doug’s areas of service included the Ski to Sea Race Founder Committee, Bellingham Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Board of United Way, Kiwanis Club of Bellingham Board of Directors, YMCA Board of Directors, President of Kiwanis Club of Bellingham, President of the Whatcom County Association of Realtors, Bellingham Bay Rotary Club, Founding Director of St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, President of Whatcom Hospice Foundation, Hospice House Capital Campaign Cabinet, Whatcom Hospice House Board of Directors, and Fundraising Chairman for Northlake Community Church.

Over thirty years ago, Doug and Lynn purchased Lake Samish Terrace Park, across the street from where they lived. Doug wanted to buy this mobile home park so that he could begin to improve the park and invest in the neighborhood.

During the week, Doug would work at his business in Bellingham and also attend meetings for all the community boards he was committed to at that particular time. In the evenings and on weekends, he would spend time improving the mobile home park, which meant many labor-intensive activities including mowing lawns on his riding lawnmower (which was like a go-cart that went rather fast!) until he finished the job often after dark. Doug also loved riding his tractor to remove snow off the roads so the tenants could get to work during snowy conditions. Digging ditches to fix water lines was also very common throughout those many years - there wasn’t a job that he couldn’t handle… he loved it all!

Doug also loved sports, and especially participating in golf tournaments in later years. His love for the game of golf came naturally as he was athletic his entire life. He was on the football teams and track teams throughout middle school and high school, starting in the fifth grade with track, where he received ‘blue ribbons’ for his speed (in his socks) in the 75-yard dash! He also had a stint in college as a punter before retiring from the sport early due to concussions.

The joy of having children and grandchildren was such a blessing to Doug. He never wanted to miss any of their school sports and activities. He would make every effort to be there to show support and enthusiasm for them… giving tips whenever appropriate!

Doug will be greatly missed as an amazing man with such a heart for people and his community. He was a loving, caring, and supportive husband, father, and grandfather, or “Bopa” as he was affectionately called by the grandkids.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Doug on Saturday, August 22nd, at 2 p.m. at Northlake Community Church (1471 E McLeod Rd, Bellingham).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Whatcom Hospice Foundation or Northlake Community Church.