Respected Colville Business Council member passes

Virgil “Smoker” Marchand passed away Jan. 13. Smoker was currently serving in the Colville Business Council as an elected representative from the Omak District.

The Chairman of the Colville Tribes, Jarred-Michael Erickson, said, “The Colville Business Council is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our colleague, Smoker Marchand. Smoker was a strong voice for his people and he brought a unique perspective to tribal government. We will all miss him.”

The Chairman continued, “There will be time in the future to discuss Smoker’s life and accomplishments. For now, we want to respect the privacy of Smoker’s family and loved ones in this period of grief, and we ask others to do the same.”