The family of Kasey Douglas Heath is heartbroken to announce his unexpected passing

on June 9, 2026, in Raymond, Washington.

Kasey was born July 12, 1978 to Edie Aust Stritmatter and Douglas Larry Heath in

Aberdeen, Washington. He was raised in the Willapa Valley and graduated from Willapa

Valley High School in the Class of 1996.

Kasey was much loved by his family and many friends. They were immensely important

to him as well – most of all, his daughter Mikayla. He was her best friend and treasured

the time they spent together discussing life, working on projects, listening to music

(which included making up lyrics) and “dancing” to it in the car; and storytelling around

the campfire. He was very proud of his nephews and niece.

Kasey was very funny with a witty sense of humor, who liked to joke and make others

laugh even when he was sad and lonely on the inside.

He was handsome and meticulous about his appearance and could almost always be

found wearing one of the many different baseball-style caps that he carefully kept.

Kasey was intelligent, with a knack for building a better mousetrap to solve issues when

something wasn't working right.

He enjoyed bonfires, playing dice (10,000), joining in family ping-pong and cornhole

tournaments, and Sunday banana splits at his grandparents’ house. He loved his Oma's

cooking and baking and his Opa's sense of humor, and wrestling and hunting with his

grandpa Larry.

He enjoyed visiting with family, reminiscing about the fun times, learning about family

history and the jokes and mischievous shenanigans of his uncles’ younger years.

Kasey was very giving. No matter how little he had, he would try to help others less

fortunate than himself, and buy a little something for the younger family members at

Christmas or for a birthday — or make some type of toy.

Despite enduring serious physical pain he always had a smile, kind words and a helping

hand to others. He was happy-go-lucky his entire life and never judged anyone.

However, you knew when Kasey was passionate about a subject, because the more he

talked the louder he got.

When Kasey was young he enjoyed operating his many dump trucks, front-end loaders,

monster trucks and playing with his G.I. Joes in the mounds of soil created by the

construction of the family home.

As a child he also displayed an ability to solve problems by adapting a fishing pole to

snag snacks in the middle of the night, and share them with his sisters in the bedroom

they shared temporarily during the construction.

During his younger years he could most likely be found up Trap Creek with his best

friend Matt. There they explored the woods on 4-wheelers, fished, hunted and loved life.

While Kasey loved the social aspect of school at Willapa Valley, he could be very

stubborn and worked very hard at avoiding schoolwork — unless it was woodshop, art

or any other class taught by Mr. Hudziak.

He was involved with Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and the Young Explorers Group of Pacific

County.

His athletic pastimes included baseball, as a left-handed pitcher; football, until suffering

a knee injury; soccer, and golf, which he enjoyed with his daughter.

Kasey liked being out in nature, whether it was fishing, hunting, target shooting, clam

digging, camping, swimming, or just walks and driving in the woods. He was skilled at

gardening and propagating plants.

A jack of all trades, Kasey enjoyed farm life, herding cattle; haying; and had fond

memories of working for Terry and Lana Smaciarz. He worked at Weyerhaeuser for

approximately 6 years but much preferred commercial fishing later in Alaska and had

many stories about it.

He was a talented visual artist, with a gift for drawing and an ability to transform almost

anything into a piece of art. He enjoyed carving wooden animals and loved finding

interesting wood, bark, rocks and other natural materials and found objects for use in

future projects.

His creations included an intricate and whimsical birdhouse, made from items he had

collected – a masterpiece given to his sister for her 50th birthday.

He attended the Willapa Methodist Church from a very young age through the beginning

of high school. He had a lifelong affection for animals, in particular his childhood dog

Lucy, a yellow lab. His all-time favorite story was “Where the Red Fern Grows,” which

still made him tear up as an adult.

Kasey is survived by his daughter, Mikayla Rae Heath of Raymond; his mother, Edie

Stritmatter (husband Arthur Eilefson); his father, Doug Heath (wife Rene); two sisters,

Heidi (Heath) Moore and Kristen (Stritmatter) Fourtner (husband Daryl); a niece, Kiana

Moore; nephews Kolten Moore, Reece and Caden Fourtner; and many uncles, aunts,

and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents Ernest and Emmy (Oma and Opa) Aust,

and Larry and Patricia (Pat) Heath.

Kasey’s funeral will be at 12 p.m. Saturday, June 20 at Bayview Funeral Home in

Raymond, Wash. A graveside service will take place afterward at Fern Hill Cemetery in

Menlo, followed by a celebration of Kasey's life at the family home, 3808 Burkhalter

Road, Raymond.