Kammie Bunes

April 5, 1958 – January 7, 2026

Kammie Lorraine Bunes of Bandon, Oregon, died on January 7, 2026 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center in Springfield after a brief illness.

Kammie was born on April 5, 1958 in San Francisco, CA, the youngest child of Allen and Carol Bunes. The family lived in Pacifica, CA until 1969 when they moved to El Granada, CA. Kammie graduated from Half Moon Bay High School in 1976 and went on to earn an AA degree from San Mateo Community College.

In 1980 Kammie moved to Orick, CA to work as a Park Ranger at Redwood National Forest. Soon after her arrival she met her lifelong partner Greg Combs and moved to Prairie Creek Fish Hatchery where Greg was a resident hatchery tech.

The couple married in El Granada on May 25, 1986. They lived in various places in CA and WA before settling in Olympia WA where Kammie earned her BA in Environmental Studies at Evergreen State College. After completing her degree she was promoted to Special Lands Acquisition Program Manager for Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Kammie later transferred to what is currently WA State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) where she started as an Outdoor Grants Manager and promoted to Senior Outdoor Grants Manager. While at the agency she was a highly valued acquisition specialist, playing a pivotal role in the development of Washington’s farmland preservation program.

In 2012 Kammie assumed a similar role as a Right of Way Agent for Oregon Parks and Recreation. Her decades of work in the field in both states resulted in the creation of outdoor recreation opportunities and the conservation of farmlands, forests and wildlife habitat. Dedicated to the work, she often downplayed her achievements, while making sure to give credit to others who played a role in her projects.

Kammie and Greg shared a passion for gardening, and went on two memorable fishing trips to Alaska. In 2023 Kammie traveled to Norway to visit ancestral places and see the Northern Lights. Her love for nature and the outdoors led her to serve on the board of Wild Rivers Land Trust. She also volunteered for the Oregon Coast Alliance and Postcards to Voters. In the midst of her busy life Kammie maintained a loving connection with family and a circle of close friends.

She is survived by her husband, Greg Combs, brother Scott Bunes (Marian), sister Shannon Nottestad, sister Kellie Lombardi (Francis), stepson Eryn Combs (Amy), nephews Peter Bunes (Lorrie), Duane Bunes (Jody) and Vincent Lombardi (Kim), great nieces and great nephews Emily, Tristan, Kaitlyn, Tavin and Vance Bunes She also leaves behind her brother-in-law Gerald “Jerry” Combs, nephews Kyle and Dillon Combs, niece Chelsea Goodrich, great niece Nora Goodrich, and many dear friends and colleagues in Oregon, Washington and points beyond, and her dog Teeka.

Enjoying life and doing good in the world came naturally to Kammie. Those whose lives she touched will never forget the vibrant spirit that animated her brilliant blue eyes and cheerful smile.

Donations in Kammie’s memory can be made to Wild Rivers Land Trust, PO Box 1158, Port Orford, OR 97465 or via wildriverslandtrust.org. A memorial for friends and family will take place at a future date.