Elizabeth Naomi Balcom

Elizabeth Naomi Balcom was born on 5/25/57 in Astoria, Oregon, and passed away on 9/9/26 secondary to a brief battle with cancer and a brutal 4-year struggle with Alzheimer’s. She will lovingly be remembered by her surviving parents, Eli & Shirlee Mattila; siblings Bill and Rebecca Mattila; her two children, Jonathan Balcom and Shirlee Bohto, along with her four precious grandchildren, James, Walter, Arianna, and Theodore, and her loving daughter-in-law, Adrianna Balcom.

The essence of Beth was pure, unadulterated love. She loved her children beyond measure and defined mother-bear-ness. If she was for you, no force on earth could stop her. She challenged the depth and meaning of love and was only equaled by that of her mother. A kind of love that echoes throughout scripture. Truly unconditional, passionate, and fierce. This love was clearly instilled, embodied, and now carried on by her children and grandchildren.

Beth will always be remembered for her immediate smile and kind words. Always leaving a person feeling better about themselves. She was charming, disarming, and constantly cheerful. Most of the time. She could stop a charging bear with the tone in her voice. Again mostly. She was the craftiest person on the planet and made everything around her more beautiful and lovely. She will be wholly missed.

A Celebration of Life will be held at The Refuge Church, 3670 Chico Way NW, Bremerton, WA 98312, on September 13, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.