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It is with deep sadness that the Morin family shares the news of the loss of their son and brother, Darin Jeffrey Morin. Darin was born to Gail “Bebe” (Elliott) Morin and William “Bill” Morin on April 23, 1965. Darin came home to and was greeted by his three older siblings, Duane, Dwight, and Linda, in Skyway, Washington where they lived until 1972 when the family moved to Mossyrock.
Darin enjoyed all the natural beauty that Lewis County offered and took advantage of its many outdoor activities. He learned to ride a motorcycle when he was five-years-old and as he grew, so did his passion and skill of riding. He raced in local riding events, including Tenino, where he competed and placed regularly. His love of motorsports carried throughout his life and this included riding his motorcycle, quad and Razr throughout the countryside. He also enjoyed jet skiing and boating on the local lakes, and spending summer days on Lake Mayfield with friends.
Darin enjoyed traveling to visit extended family in San Diego, and taking trips to Canada and other vacation destinations to join friends. He looked forward with much anticipation to Washington’s ‘camping season’ as he and his life’s partner, Tish (Tinker) Day, would go on annual RV camping trips with their large group of friends.
He was a skilled marksman and enjoyed target practice and shooting skeet. Darin spent countless hours sighting rifles with his best friend, Kelly Anderson. He made the cover photo of the website NW Action works in 2013 featuring one of their rifles after hitting an antelope at 1,000 yards during a trip to Montana.
Darin excelled in school, both in academics and athletics. He enjoyed playing sports, including football, and softball. In high school he was a running back for the Vikings and competed in the State “B” Championships at the Kingdome in Seattle his senior year. He was so well liked by classmates and peers that he was elected Homecoming King. He graduated from Mossyrock High School in 1983. After graduating, Darin added golfing to his many sport enjoyments. He also continued his love of the game by forming a softball team, Morin Billiards, playing throughout his college years.
He was a very talented woodworker and craftsman, using skills gained at a young age when he began working alongside family and friends at the family business, Morin Billiards. Later, Darin ventured into heavy equipment operating alongside friend and mentor, John Sears, at PLS Pole Yard in Rochester, where he mastered his ability to work heavy equipment.
Darin earned his Associate of Applied Technology, Information System Technology degree from Clover Park Technical College in Tacoma in 1997 and began a career as a computer system programmer. Computers, it turned out, were in Darin’s DNA. His first programming job was at ACS State Healthcare in Olympia; it was there that he assisted with the creation and programming for the Medicaid billing system for the State of Washington. He was most recently employed by Conduent, working primarily from his home in Mossyrock for the State of Wyoming as an Applications Develoment Engineer III, Wyoming Transitional Coordinator.
Darin was a history buff. Even after his formal education, he enjoyed studying American and foreign policy as well as religious history. He was a member of the High IQ Society of Mensa. He was also an avid
football fan, particularly the Seattle Seahawks, and spent many hours collecting statistics of all the NFL teams and players.
Considering himself a “realist” he had many business and personal interests, including cattleman. He had a love for horticulture and enjoyed planting and cultivating crops of tomatoes, cauliflower, lettuce, strawberries, and raspberries, annually. He canned his own spicy “dilly” beans every season. He jokingly referred to himself as a “jack of all trades, master of none.” Darin was easy-going by nature and could easily engage in a friendly debate on almost any subject, especially politics, even at times against his better judgment.
Darin proudly became a father with the birth of his daughter, Whitney Shay Morin, on Jan. 7, 1993. He loved his family and was extremely sentimental and nostalgic, forever treasuring memories and items from his past. He had a great sense of humor, often sarcastic and with a quick wit. He was always cracking jokes, and it was nearly impossible to be in his presence without it bringing a smile to your face, so infectious was his joy in life.
Darin’s love of animals emerged at a young age, first with his pony, Kookaburra, soon joined by one of the first of his beloved dogs, Target, of whom he bragged of the countless tricks his sister taught. He is survived by his four-legged family of eight dogs: Abbegail, Shane, Jessie, Frankie, Tater, Leia, Lola and his little buddy, Caesar, the famous four-pound Yorkie. Although he was reluctant to admit it, he also liked cats and shared his affection with Ziggie, Zaina, and Zee.
Darin passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on January 30, 2020, at the age of 54. He was preceded in death by his brother, Dwight Morin, and his father, “Bill” Morin. He is survived by his mother, “Bebe” Morin; his life’s partner, Tish (Tinker); his daughter, Whitney Morin; his sister Linda (Willard) Young; his brother, Duane Morin; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Let us hold on to the wonderful memories we have of Darin as a father, son, uncle, brother and friend. Rejoice that Darin enriched our lives and, as we shed our tears at his departure, let a smile grace our hearts that we had the opportunity to share our time with a man who brought so much joy to us all.
A memorial service and celebration of life is planned for February 28 at Newell-Hoerlings in Centralia, 11: 00 a.m., with a Celebration of Life reception immediately following at the Great Wolf Convention Center in Rochester. A private burial beside his father and brother at Doss Cemetery in Mossyrock, will follow at a later date. Honorary pallbearers: Kelly Anderson, Edward “Ted” Hardie III, Steven Rogers, Duane Morin, Tyler Young, Ryan Young, Jacob Young, and Cole Holt.
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