Thomas Jay Douville passed away peacefully at his home near Nine Mile Falls, Washington, on June 20, 2026, at the age of 80.

Tom was born on August 20, 1945, in Spokane, Washington, to Francis William Douville and Cleo Roberta (Roberts) Douville. He graduated from West Valley High School with the Class of 1964, where he was voted "Best Dressed." As a young man, he was an altar boy, a Boy Scout, and later served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam era before returning home to begin a life that was anything but ordinary.

Tom never seemed interested in taking the expected path. He embraced adventure, collected stories, and made lifelong friends wherever he went. His work over the years was as varied as his life. He tended bar, worked as a casino shill and later a pit boss in Las Vegas, surveyed land, welded grain elevators while suspended high above the ground, repaired just about anything that was broken, earned an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering from Walla Walla Community College, and spent years cutting, splitting, and delivering firewood throughout the Inland Northwest. Later in life, he found another calling as a beekeeper, operating Selkirk Honey Farms for more than two decades.

Tom loved the outdoors in every season. He spent countless winters skiing mountains large and small with close friends, and later, when age made skiing and beekeeping harder on his body, he traded snow for water, spending as much time as he could fishing from one of his many boats. Whether in the mountains, the woods, or on the water, he was happiest outside.

Above every adventure, every job, and every hobby, Tom was a father.

He raised his only son, Jacob, largely on his own. Their life together was filled with long days in the woods searching for standing dead trees with a firewood permit, conversations that lasted for miles down dusty forest roads, ski trips across the Northwest, and countless hours working side by side. At twelve years old, Jacob learned to drive in an old step-side pickup while Tom stood on the running board scanning the forest for the next tree to cut.

When it came time for college, Tom quietly made one of the biggest sacrifices of his life. He sold the family home and moved into a tiny cabin so his son could attend Washington State University and graduate debt-free. He never asked for recognition. He simply believed that was what a father should do.

Tom had an easy smile, an unmistakable laugh, and a gift for making people feel comfortable. He wasn't interested in impressing anyone. He was interested in enjoying life, helping friends, and sharing whatever he had. When friends learned of his passing, one summed up what many others felt by saying, "He was one of our favorite people."

Tom was proud of many things throughout his life, but nothing made him prouder than his family. He loved watching his grandchildren, James and Sadie, grow, and he never missed an opportunity to tell others how proud he was of his son.

Tom is survived by his sisters, Ranae (Douville) Rantanen and Colleen Douville; his son, Jacob Thomas Douville; his grandchildren, James Thomas Douville and Sadie Lynn Douville; and his nieces, Mindy (Rantanen) Ward, Echo Rantanen, and Tong Yuan Douville.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Francis William Douville and Cleo Roberta (Roberts) Douville.

Tom's life was full of unexpected turns, hard work, good friends, and unforgettable stories. He wasn't a man who could be defined by a single profession or chapter of his life. He was a skier, a fisherman, a beekeeper, a mechanic, a welder, a woodcutter, a storyteller, and above all, a devoted father and grandfather.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate Tom's life on Sunday, August 9, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the banquet room at Tecate Mexican Grill (2610 W. Northwest Blvd., Spokane). In true Tom fashion, there will be no formal service - just an afternoon of good food, great stories, shared memories, and laughter among the people who knew and loved him. Those planning to attend are encouraged to contact the family so we can provide the restaurant with an estimated guest count.