Lynda Joy Jolly

Lynda Joy Jolly, age 69, of Aberdeen, passed away on June 4, 2021, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma from complications due to a long-term illness. She was born on Sept. 23, 1951, in Eugene, Oregon to James Perry Blackburn (deceased) and Lydia Cultee-Blackburn (deceased).

Lynda attended Eugene and Portland public schools until her admission to Portland State University in 1974 where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Post college she became the Criminal Justice Planning Aide for the Metropolitan Service District for the city of Portland, later earning a promotion as head of that department. A few years later, she accepted a job at Dillingham Ship Repair at the port of Portland industrial district before then moving to Aberdeen, Washington in 1984 where she took up a position as executive secretary to the president of the Quinault Indian Nation.

That same year she met her husband Robert “Mike” Jolly and were later married in 1992.

In 1986 she was offered a job at Aiken and Sanders CPA in Aberdeen where they offered her a way to learn more about finance. She was an auditor and bookkeeper as well as tax preparer for the company until her presence was requested back at QIN by Joe DeLaCruz to head up their new self governance department. Over the next 8 years she travelled around the U.S. giving seminars and teaching other tribal governments about self governance budgeting, planning and implementation, and how to negotiate for tribal funding agreements with federal agencies. She held many other positions over the years at QIN before moving to a position at the then newly formed Quinault Enterprises where she retired from in 2015.

She is survived by her husband Robert “Mike” Jolly, her stepchildren: Michelle Jolly, Michael Jolly and Kelly Jolly; her siblings: Philip “Dino” Blackburn (brother), Deborah Blackburn (sister), Gary Blackburn (brother) and James “Jimmy” Blackburn (brother), and her son Dondi Blackburn as well as eight grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life is being planned and will be announced later.

Cremation arrangements are by the Coleman Mortuary in Hoquiam.

Please take a moment to record your thoughts for the family by signing the online register at www.colemanmortuary.net.