Helen "Misty" Coumbe

1923 - 2016

Helen Louise "Misty" Coumbe passed away in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 7, 2016, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Born in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 10, 1923, to William and Alice Unterberg, she lived her first 22 years in the same house in the Chicago suburb of Lombard. While young and employed in the city, she and her female friends adopted nicknames, with hers - Misty - being the one that stuck for life. Misty and Vern Coumbe married in 1945, and four years later, soon after his discharge from the Navy, the two moved to Alaska, driving up the Alcan Highway in the middle of winter, landing in a cabin in the tiny homestead settlement of Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula. They started a family in Seward, and then in Anchorage, Alaska, with four young children, when Vern passed away in 1960. Misty faced her unexpected challenge of raising four young children alone with strength. She moved the family to Arizona, to be close to other family and to afford to stay at home with the small children. When the youngest was in kindergarten, Misty took the family to California, where she went to work at Knott's Berry Farm. As the oldest graduated from high school, she moved the brood back to Arizona, and became an executive at the Arizona Medical Association, where she worked until her retirement. She continually sought a brighter future, establishing a new home for herself many times over, designing and building beautiful homes in Seward and Anchorage, Alaska; in Phoenix and Payson, Ariz.; and in Taos and Placitas, N.M. Her home adventures included at age 80, living off the grid on 40 acres in Snowflake, Ariz. Never interested in counting the number of homes she established for herself, she was always interested in creating spaces that were comfortable and welcoming. It was with the same spirit she developed her many friendships around the country and across the globe. Her love for and attachment to Alaska and New Mexico remained strong and were matched by her desire to be nearby her beloved children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Arizona. Misty loved travel - by car, train, boat and airplane. She experienced the world, traveling around China, Africa and Europe, including a treasured trip to Tuscany a few years back. She loved getting in the car and exploring the back roads and the open road, instilling that spirit in her children. A train commuter as a young person, she maintained a desire for that mode of transport, recently taking a train trip across Canada. She was active in many causes, including volunteering at the Anchorage Museum and at the Democratic Party, as well as supporting peer training in local schools to steer young people from prejudice and toward understanding differences. She held strong beliefs, but wouldn't force them on anyone. Misty was preceded in death by her parents, Alice and William Unterberg; and her husband, Vernon Coumbe. She leaves behind her brother, William Unterberg of Spring Hill, Fla.; her children, Michael Coumbe (spouse Kevin Harun) of Anchorage, Melissa White of Phoenix, Jennifer Coumbe-Kiper (spouse Larry Kiper) of Phoenix and Rebecca Delaware (spouse Mark Delaware)of Phoenix; her grandchildren, Jason, Brian (Cynthia), Jessica (partner Michael), Joshua (Rebecca), John (Renee) and Ashley; and her great-grandchildren, Madison, Amaris, Aiden, Eli, Cassandra, Asher, Skylar, Bailey, Parker and Alanna. There will be a gathering on June 4, 2016, to celebrate Misty's life. For information, contact mcoumbe@gmail.com. Burial will be alongside Vern at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.