Obituaries

Vernon Edward (Ed) Tubbs

Born September 4, 1955 - Passed March 17, 2010

Ed passed away at home March 17, 2010 after a long fight with cancer. 

He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Debbie Tubbs; his children, Darren Tubbs, Lisa Fairbrother and Travis Tubbs of Indiana, Michael Anderson, Heather Anderson, Jared Anderson of California, and Lindsay Tubbs of Idaho; and sister Joellen Smelser and brothers Bobby and Paul Tubbs, all of California.

Ed was born in Santa Paula California. Ed was especially proud of, loved and adored his 10 grandchildren: Robert, Jayden, Ethan, Jacob, Jonathon, Brayden, Jeffrey, Jaiden, Caleb and Hailey, and his two adopted granddaughters Mandy and Tina. They will miss their Paapa. 

The oldest son born to Vernon and Lila Tubbs, as a child growing up he loved to play baseball, ride dirt bikes, rope and ride with his favorite horse “Willie.” As a teenager he took up surfing and loved the beach and just hanging out with his friends and family. 

He graduated from high school at Santa Paula High in 1973. Shortly after graduation he joined the United States Navy and served as a Petty Officer Third Class during the Vietnam War aboard the Air Craft Carrier USS Constellation as an Air Craft Maintenance Specialist on the flight deck for four years. He was honorably discharged in 1977. 

In 1990 he met his soul mate Deborah Henderson. On March 17, 1991 they were married. Along with Ed’s three children and Deb’s four children they raised their own “Brady Bunch.” 

His children and wife were everything to him. Every summer Ed loved taking his family on vacation to their favorite lake in Paso Robles, California, Lake Nacimiento, camping for days filled with water skiing and fishing. Also they would go to Jalama Beach near Lompoc, California, where they would spend the days fishing from the shore, collecting seashells, watching the dolphins playing right off shore as the sun would set. 

Ed was very involved with all his children’s activities: FFA, coaching Little League baseball, girls slow pitch softball, and Junior League Bowling. As a couple Ed and Deb bowled on a coed couples League, where they were lovingly referred to as “Mr. Ed and Wilbur.” 

Ed was a very hardworking man, often working long hours and two jobs to support his rather large family. And to keep the laundry soap flowing! They even had their own catering business with Deb’s brother Rick, taking up a lot of their weekends in which the whole family would be involved. 

Whenever possible Ed and Deb would escape the hectic-ness of a house full of seven children and go to some Country singers concert or go dancing. Ed loved country music, and with his cowboy hat atop his head and his boots on his feet he and Deb would dance the night away. 

Sometimes after a long day of work they would drive to the beach in Ventura, sit on the sand and watch the sun go down. In 2005, with all their children grown except their youngest, Lindsay, the three of them and their cat Kidders ventured from Santa Paula, California, and relocated to Cambridge, Idaho, where they bought a small cafe called “Bucky’s” and together they ran it. 

Ed loved the life they made here in Idaho. He loved the community of Cambridge. He made many friends here and referred to them as his extended family. He loved the simplicity this new life brought them. He loved everything about the café, even if it was cooking, washing dishes or just irritating Patti. He enjoyed hours sitting and talking with the many locals who frequented Bucky’s daily. 

Buying the cafe was his idea of semi retiring. Little did he know it would become their life. He especially enjoyed sneaking away with Deb and going fishing as often as they could down in Hells Canyon. Ed loved to fish, and he was quite proud of his little fishing boat. He and his wife Deb also loved camping out and four wheeling on their quad with their good friends Walt and Janet. 

The biggest thrill to Ed in the long winters here in Idaho was getting up early and plowing the snow around the café, especially on his new John Deere tractor! He would also go around and help plow out neighbors’ driveways. You would often see the lights of his tractor hours before dawn while most people and Deb where still sleeping. We all know she is not a morning person…. 

When Ed was diagnosed with lung cancer in January of 2009, knowing he would not have much time left in this world he began diligently making major repairs and improvements to the café, getting things set as not to burden his wife with such things upon his passing. He was a good man, a wonderful father and such a devoted loving husband. When most would have given up the fight, he fought so hard with cancer he told his wife Deb that he wanted to be married for one more year; he hung in there until the day of their 19th wedding anniversary, ultimately proclaiming his undying love for her. 

Upon his death, at his side were his wife Deb, son Travis, daughter Lindsay and her fiancé Josh Wyant, brother-in-law Rick Henderson, Pastors Jon and Trudy Morris, and his Hospice Nurse Marilyn Loveland. The family would like to send a special thank you to Jon and Trudy of the Angel Camp Cowboy Church, and the loving staff at the Heart ‘N Home Hospice and Palliative Care of Fruitland.