Samantha Corinne Grandbouche of Houston, Texas (formerly of Olympia, Washington) died in a tragic aviation accident on Oct. 20, 2024. She was 42.

Samantha was born on October 11, 1982 to Brad and Deborah (Huisingh) Seward in Aberdeen, Washington. During high school, Samantha attended Grays Harbor College through the Running Start Program and played piano in Jazz Band. After graduating from Hoquiam High School in 2001, she went on to study art at Washington State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2008.

While at Washington State University, Samantha met her future husband John Grandbouche in 2003. They were an instant and inseparable item who eventually married Nov. 21, 2015 in Aberdeen, Washington. In addition to the jobs they held separately, Samantha and John both worked at Grays Harbor Paper and later ran a hotdog and mini-donut business together.

In 2018, Samantha decided to pursue her dream of flying and enrolled in helicopter pilot training at Glacier Aviation. She earned her Commercial Helicopter Pilot Endorsement in December 2023 and became a Commercial Helicopter Flight Instructor later that year. In September of 2024 Samantha accepted a job offer to move to Houston, Texas and work as a helicopter tour pilot.

In her spare time, Samantha loved spending time with her husband, her family, and her friends. She enjoyed hanging out with her chickens, as well as drawing, painting, and playing video and word games.

Samantha would sometimes get out her accordion to accompany her husband John for a rough performance of an Irish pub song like “Finnegan’s Wake” or “The Irish Rover,” as she did most recently last Labor Day at the annual family camping trip, an event Samantha looked forward to with great enthusiasm each year.

Samantha is survived by her husband John Grandbouche; parents Brad and Debbie Seward of Aberdeen; brother Jeremy Stutesman of Aberdeen; niece Sloan Stutesman of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; grandfathers Robert L. Seward of Hoquiam and Robert L. Huisingh of Edgewood, and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday Jan. 11, 2025 at the Rotary Log Pavilion in Aberdeen (1401 Sargent Blvd, Aberdeen, WA 98520). All are welcome.

For anyone wishing to help John in the wake of this tragic event, please visit www.gofundme.com and search “Support John After Samantha’s Tragic Loss.”