Community mourns passing of Nooksack mayor, retired WCSO Chief Deputy Kevin Hester
Nooksack mayor and longtime Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Kevin Hester died Tuesday following a battle with cancer. He was 59.
Hester served as mayor of Nooksack since 2022. He and his wife, Kim, moved there in 1996. He ran for political office with a goal of maintaining Nooksack’s “small-town atmosphere” while also expanding and providing needed amenities.
Hester led the city through two major floods, most recently in December.
Prior to Hester’s election as mayor, he spent 30 years with WCSO. He worked as a patrol deputy, detective, sergeant and lieutenant on the Drug Task Force, chief civil deputy and chief of investigation and support services.
“His leadership, integrity, and unwavering commitment to this community leave a legacy that will not be forgotten,” WCSO wrote in a Facebook post.
In a video posted by WCSO upon Hester’s retirement in 2021, then-Sheriff Brian Elfo called Hester “a godsend to everyone here at the Sheriff’s Office.”
Elfo said Hester was involved in administrative changes at WCSO, and helped solve major homicides, including the cold case murder of Mandy Stavik.
Hester said he wanted to be in law enforcement since he was a child, and was glad to have his family support him in pursuing that.
His son, Collin, currently works with WCSO. Hester said in his retirement video that his son’s graduation from the police academy was “one of (his) proudest moments.”
Before coming to WCSO, Hester served in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Community members shared support and memories online following the news of Hester’s death. They remarked on his friendliness, sense of humor and support in flood recovery efforts.
Valley Tap House wrote on Facebook that Hester was “more than a mayor.”
“His dedication to Nooksack … his willingness to help others, and the genuine care he showed for the people around him made a lasting impact that will never be forgotten,” they wrote.
The bar is collecting donations for the Hester family, and is donating tips, according to the post.