Michael Arthur Tolbert was born to Arthur and Pearl Tolbert on March 4, 1946 in Portland, OR. He grew up and attended school at East Valley in Moxee, WA. After graduation in 1965, he went into the Navy for 2 years. Mike loved his family very much. He spent many summers with Gramps up at Chinook Pass. He always carried his fishing pole wherever he went.
Later when he was older, he would be fishing the Columbia and Priest Rapids for sturgeon or salmon. He worked for 32 years at Boise Cascade in Yakima starting on the Greenchain in the plywood section and then he went on to be their top machinist for the Plywood Division. He worked on over 3,000 cylinders.
He met Marilyn Jeanne Sanchez in November of 1991. They were a match from the start. They did everything together from hunting, fishing, and mushrooming. They spent many days putting thousands of miles on the four runner. Mike and Jeanne were very involved in Post 36 of the American Legion in Yakima. They were in charge of Christmas baskets and other projects that included cooking for the masses. They started the “Taco Tuesdays.” He was also a past Commander of the American Legion.
His buddies would say he met his match. Besides his wife Jeanne he is survived by three children, Gabrielle (Al) Yoerger, Troy (Stepanie) Brule, and Raina (Steve) St. Hilaire all of Yakima area; three sisters, Carol Marshall of Eugene, OR, Pat Keeney of Kent, WA, and Colleen Walkerhauer of Moxee, WA; as well as an estranged daughter, Jennifer Trefrin. Mike loved his 10 grandchildren and enjoyed seeing the 6 great-grandchildren running around the house in Cowiche; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents Arthur and Pearl Tolbert and his brother Laurence Tolbert and brother-in-law Orv Marshall.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the American Legion Post 36.
Memorial Service will be held at Langevin El Paraiso Funeral Home, 1010 W. Yakima Avenue, Yakima, WA on Thursday June 13th, 2019 at 2:00 pm. Reception will immediately follow the service at American Legion, 1120 N. 34th Avenue, Yakima, WA.
To share a memory of Michael please visit www.lepfuneralhome.com.
