1 Upcoming Event
Celebration of Life
FEB
01
Sunday, February 1, 2026
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Lacey Community Center
6729 Pacific Avenue Southeast, Lacey, WA 98503
Kenneth Lee McLaughlin, 72, passed away peacefully on January 9th, 2026.
Ken Sr. was born on July 27th, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Mary McLaughlin. Growing up in St. Louis, he participated in many school and church sports leagues. He sang in the prestigious St. Louis Boys' Choir. In his junior year, Ken and his mom moved to Spanaway, Washington, where he attended Bethel High School. He quickly made lifelong friends through football and baseball, and met the love of his life, Christie Rollins. He graduated in 1971 and soon after married Christie, his high school sweetheart and best friend. They spent the next 54 years together building a marriage of love, respect, and great friendship.
Ken and Christie moved their family to the Key Peninsula area to raise their three children, Jamie, Ken Jr., and Jennifer, in a small, tight-knit community.
Ken started his career at Fircrest Supply, which later became Boise Cascade. He was a load builder, a delivery driver, and worked in sales and purchasing. eventually becoming a manager at the Tumwater location. Ken excelled at everything he did. His ability to build strong relationships with those around him made them feel like he was their mentor or someone to look up to. He had a strong work ethic and determination, which inspired others.
Ken's determination, optimism, and strong partnership with Christie were a catalyst to start their own company in 1986. Together, they built Capitol Lumber, Inc., in Olympia, WA, where many family and friends worked over the years. The company eventually grew to add a door and millwork shop as well as two branch locations in Spanaway and Key Center.
Throughout the years, Ken was an avid sports enthusiast. He loved the outdoors, whether it was camping in the early years, fishing the rivers and lakes in Washington, or hunting with the guys. He was also a bowler in many different leagues, where he made lots of friends and helped his team with a top score of 299. Ken spent many years playing slow and fastpitch softball. He volunteered to coach J.V. football at Peninsula High School and helped establish the Peninsula High School Boys and Girls Water Polo Teams. He always found time to coach his kids' sports teams, attend their school functions, and travel to horse shows.
Out on the Key Peninsula on Rocky Bay, it brought him great joy to celebrate the holidays with the neighbors, whether it was waterskiing, letting off fireworks, sitting by the bonfires, or raising children and animals. Ken enjoyed spending time out on Mason Lake, enjoying watersports and fireworks. He considered this to be one of his happy places to spend time with family and friends.
Ken spent the last 25 years watching his three grandchildren grow up and graduate. He was happy to attend all their sports and school choir activities. He loved connecting with each of them about their current endeavors. He was very proud of his grandkids!!
Golf was a big part of Ken's life. He always enjoyed hosting the annual Capitol Lumber Golf Tournaments and traveling in their motorhome to play on different golf courses in and around Washington and Arizona.
Ken and Christie traveled to Arizona and Palm Springs for thirty-plus years to attend Spring Training. Many family and friends joined them to watch the Mariners. Ken would provide updates to his family and friends on the prospects for the upcoming season. He was happy to get to see the Mariners go as far as they did this past season.
Despite Ken's many health issues, he was an inspiration to others. He continued to work every day at his company, doing the work he truly loved. He had an incredible memory for things, including numbers and directions, which never ceased to amaze us all. He was always genuine and full of gratitude for life. Ken was a conversationalist and a people person, where he could be heard laughing on the phone or seen smiling as he interacted with people. The connections he made throughout the years were what kept him going. He loved what he was doing, and that brought him tremendous joy.
He is survived by his wife Christie of 54 years, his daughter Jamie (John), son Ken Jr. (Beth), and daughter Jennifer, his three grandchildren Kendal, Katelyn, and Grace, his mother-in-law Shirley, his siblings, and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Low Vision Resource Center through the Olympia Host Lions https://olympiahostlions.org/low-vision-resource-ctr
His Celebration of Life will be held at Lacey Community Center in Lacey, WA, on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at 1:00 PM.
Ken Sr. was born on July 27th, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Mary McLaughlin. Growing up in St. Louis, he participated in many school and church sports leagues. He sang in the prestigious St. Louis Boys' Choir. In his junior year, Ken and his mom moved to Spanaway, Washington, where he attended Bethel High School. He quickly made lifelong friends through football and baseball, and met the love of his life, Christie Rollins. He graduated in 1971 and soon after married Christie, his high school sweetheart and best friend. They spent the next 54 years together building a marriage of love, respect, and great friendship.
Ken and Christie moved their family to the Key Peninsula area to raise their three children, Jamie, Ken Jr., and Jennifer, in a small, tight-knit community.
Ken started his career at Fircrest Supply, which later became Boise Cascade. He was a load builder, a delivery driver, and worked in sales and purchasing. eventually becoming a manager at the Tumwater location. Ken excelled at everything he did. His ability to build strong relationships with those around him made them feel like he was their mentor or someone to look up to. He had a strong work ethic and determination, which inspired others.
Ken's determination, optimism, and strong partnership with Christie were a catalyst to start their own company in 1986. Together, they built Capitol Lumber, Inc., in Olympia, WA, where many family and friends worked over the years. The company eventually grew to add a door and millwork shop as well as two branch locations in Spanaway and Key Center.
Throughout the years, Ken was an avid sports enthusiast. He loved the outdoors, whether it was camping in the early years, fishing the rivers and lakes in Washington, or hunting with the guys. He was also a bowler in many different leagues, where he made lots of friends and helped his team with a top score of 299. Ken spent many years playing slow and fastpitch softball. He volunteered to coach J.V. football at Peninsula High School and helped establish the Peninsula High School Boys and Girls Water Polo Teams. He always found time to coach his kids' sports teams, attend their school functions, and travel to horse shows.
Out on the Key Peninsula on Rocky Bay, it brought him great joy to celebrate the holidays with the neighbors, whether it was waterskiing, letting off fireworks, sitting by the bonfires, or raising children and animals. Ken enjoyed spending time out on Mason Lake, enjoying watersports and fireworks. He considered this to be one of his happy places to spend time with family and friends.
Ken spent the last 25 years watching his three grandchildren grow up and graduate. He was happy to attend all their sports and school choir activities. He loved connecting with each of them about their current endeavors. He was very proud of his grandkids!!
Golf was a big part of Ken's life. He always enjoyed hosting the annual Capitol Lumber Golf Tournaments and traveling in their motorhome to play on different golf courses in and around Washington and Arizona.
Ken and Christie traveled to Arizona and Palm Springs for thirty-plus years to attend Spring Training. Many family and friends joined them to watch the Mariners. Ken would provide updates to his family and friends on the prospects for the upcoming season. He was happy to get to see the Mariners go as far as they did this past season.
Despite Ken's many health issues, he was an inspiration to others. He continued to work every day at his company, doing the work he truly loved. He had an incredible memory for things, including numbers and directions, which never ceased to amaze us all. He was always genuine and full of gratitude for life. Ken was a conversationalist and a people person, where he could be heard laughing on the phone or seen smiling as he interacted with people. The connections he made throughout the years were what kept him going. He loved what he was doing, and that brought him tremendous joy.
He is survived by his wife Christie of 54 years, his daughter Jamie (John), son Ken Jr. (Beth), and daughter Jennifer, his three grandchildren Kendal, Katelyn, and Grace, his mother-in-law Shirley, his siblings, and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Low Vision Resource Center through the Olympia Host Lions https://olympiahostlions.org/low-vision-resource-ctr
His Celebration of Life will be held at Lacey Community Center in Lacey, WA, on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at 1:00 PM.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Kenneth Lee McLaughlin, please visit our flower store.
Kenneth Lee McLaughlin's Guestbook
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