Louis Christopher Zubaly

Louis Christopher Zubaly, 66, of Coeur d’Alene Idaho, passed away in his home on July 14, 2023. Louis was born June 2, 1957, in Yugoslavia to Hungarian immigrant parents on their way to America.

Louis spent his early childhood in New York and later years in California. He started working in the library system as a teenager. With his brilliant, curious mind and entrepreneurial spirit, Louis was mostly self-taught with all the technology skills he acquired. He then found his way to Tacoma, Washington and is credited with creating the first online library catalog for the library, as well as ALIS-B, an online circulation program to track checkout and returns.

After retiring from Tacoma Library in 1994, he turned to free-lance computer consulting, was a paralegal, and helped various nonprofits including The Center for Dialog and Resolution, Guadalupe House and Centro Latino. In his spare time, Louis helped any and everyone who needed help, primarily with technology, very rarely asking for anything in return. Friends who were fortunate enough to be helped by him felt he made them feel cared for and worked tirelessly until their problem was solved, often into the night. Those who knew and loved him relied on his big intellect to inform them on a wide range of topics. It is fair to say that Louis’s invisible and quiet help strengthened and empowered the lives of hundreds of people over the course of his life.

Louis loved books, podcasts, music, and radio. After the loss of his younger brother Frank, he took to walking long distances for his health – 25 miles a day was not uncommon; this time allowed him to listen to books, podcasts, and the news. He figured that through his walks he might have traveled a good portion of this world.

Most of all his family and friends remember Louis for his generous heart. He was a kind and gentle person. He was so giving to friends and strangers alike that he was nicknamed “the angel in human clothes”. As one friend said, “Heavens got themselves the biggest wing-spanned angel, I can fathom.” Louis had touched our souls forever and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Louis is survived by his Mother Maria Zubaly, Sisters Elizabeth Wood and Barbara Dunlap, 7 Nieces and Nephews, 6 Great Nieces and Nephews, and many, many loving friends across Washington and Idaho. Louis was preceded in death by his Father Lajos Zubaly, his Brother Frank Zubaly, and his Nephew Nicholas DeGard.

A Memorial and Celebration of Life for Louis will be held August 10, 2023, 3:00 pm at the Center for Dialog & Resolution, 717 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma, WA 98405