Clayton Van Kester Obituary (1996

Taken unexpectedly, much too soon. Clayton Van Kester, age 18, of Selah WA went to be with the Lord on March 8, 2014. Born on January 16, 1996 in Yakima WA, to parents Steve and Kathy Kester. Clayton was a third generation 'Selah Boy' attending Agapeland preschool & kindergarten and is a senior at Selah High School. He was full of love for his family, friends and his animals full of life for baseball, fishing, hunting and all outdoor activities of the Pacific Northwest. Clayton packed a whole lot of livin' into 18 years. Clayton started playing baseball at age 4 and loved playing catcher. His teammates nicknamed him 'Little Edgar' (after Edgar Martinez) for his homerun hits and 'Diesel' because he ran the bases with the power of a diesel truck! Clayton had an extremely good-natured competitive streak. His younger brother Garrett remembers Clayton as someone who 'encouraged me to do everything I possibly could in life but he would never let me out fish him!' One time at Clear Lake, Garrett had just pulled a nice rainbow trout out of their favorite fishing spot, but Clayton told him 'You are not going to out fish me!' and then he fished the same spot all day long until he had landed a bigger one! His dad Steve remembers 'not only was Clayton a good son, he was a good friend'. His mother, Kathy, is blessed to have had Clayton as a son and feels like his spirited nature taught her many great lessons. His strong work ethic was admirable as he was always willing to complete a job. He had just recently made plans to attend Perry Technical Institute when he graduated. Clayton will always be remembered as a person who had an amazing smile and loved to laugh. His friends were many and those bonds were larger than life. Clayton was survived by his mother, Kathy (McIntyre) Kester; his father Steve Kester; his younger brother Garrett; maternal grandmother JoAnn Larson (Hal), maternal grandfather Roger McIntyre, paternal grandmother Billie Bailey; paternal aunts Debra Boomer, Barb Mills (Joe), all of Selah; his maternal Uncles Rick and Kevin McIntyre (Darcee) of Yakima; numerous cousins; a cat named Christopher, dog named Buddy and a new puppy Clayton picked out and was to pick up from the breeders on March 9th ; and his lifetime best friend Noah. Clayton is preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Eugene Bailey, Grandpa Verle VanZant, Grandpa Marvin Kester, and his cousins: Brad Miller, Leslie and Rodney Scott, and Preston Letsche. Clayton was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at the age of 12. His mother asks that in lieu of flowers or gifts, memorials in Clayton's name are sent to Type I Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to help improve the lives of other children managing their diabetes the way Clayton so courageously managed his and hoped for a cure ( https://jdrf.org/get-involved/ways-to-donate/). Clayton's love for life will live on in each of us as we share stories, laugh, hug and cry together. You will always be in our hearts we love you! Visitation will be Thursday, March 13, 2014 2:00-7:00 pm at Selah Covenant Church (560 McGonagle Rd, Selah, WA). Funeral service on Friday, March 14, 2014 2:00 pm at Selah Covenant Church with burial to follow at Terrace Heights Memorial Park. A reception will be held at the Selah Covenant Church after the burial. SERVICES Funeral service Friday, March 14, 2014 2:00 PM Selah Covenant Church 560 McGonagle Rd. Selah, WA 98942