Oak Harbor residents remember Pastor David Lura after cancer death

Oak Harbor is mourning Pastor David Lura, a longtime spiritual leader and volunteer who passed away Jan. 25 after a fight with cancer. Lura served 23 years as pastor at First United Methodist Church and retired in 2010, but continued to fill in at the church and to volunteer across the community.

Lura was widely known locally as “Pastor David” and by some as “Oak Harbor’s chaplain.” A Facebook post summed up his roles: “Pastor/Chaplain/Volunteer David G. Lura, although retired from the Methodist Church still fills in when needed and is a Chaplain for the local Navy League.” He also officiated the St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2022, a visible sign of the ways he mixed ministry with civic life.

Former mayor and neighbor Jim Slowik remembered Lura’s steady presence in Oak Harbor. “He always did what he could to make the community a little better place to live,” Slowik said. Those remarks reflect a pattern of local volunteerism that included coaching youth sports and organizing leagues. Lura’s brother, Duey, recalled a lifetime of athletics and music: Duey described his brother as a “baseball nut” and said, “He was the biggest kid on the football team.” Duey also recalled traveling with David to provide “pulpit supply” at churches around the state and often joining him in song.

Lura’s death highlights two interwoven local realities: the central role faith leaders and volunteers play in small-town social support, and the broader public health burden of cancer for families and communities. Island County residents rely heavily on informal networks - churches, volunteer organizations, and civic events - to meet needs that sometimes outpace local health system capacity. The loss of a visible volunteer and chaplain can deepen gaps in bereavement support, elder care check-ins, and veterans’ outreach tied to organizations like the Navy League.

Public health and healthcare policy questions also come into sharper relief when a familiar community figure dies after a cancer fight. Access to oncology care, transportation to regional treatment centers, caregiver supports, hospice and palliative services, and local mental health resources are all part of how communities absorb such losses. Strengthening those services and the volunteer networks that complement them can reduce isolation for people confronting serious illness.

For Oak Harbor, the immediate work will be remembrance and supporting those closest to Lura. First United Methodist Church and local veteran and civic groups are likely places for announcements about memorials and ways to honor his legacy. His death serves as a prompt for neighbors to check on one another, to support bereaved families, and to consider how Island County can sustain essential community and health supports in the years ahead.