Naomi Loise Cummings: July 1, 1936 — July 28, 2026
CASTLE ROCK- Naomi Louise Cummings (Scruton), otherwise known as “Omi”, passed away on July 28, 2026, at the age of 90 in Castle Rock, WA. Omi was born in Concord, New Hampshire to Norman and Marion Scruton on July 1, 1936. As a preacher’s kid, she attended schools in Cornish, New Hampshire; Upton, Maine; New England, North Dakota and graduated from high school in Forks, WA in 1954. She attended University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and graduated in June of 1958, marrying Robert (Bob) Cummings a week later in Forks. They enjoyed 67 years together in marriage.
Omi worked at Western State Hospital in a research program for mentally ill children until the birth of their first child. After their three children were born in Tacoma, the family moved to Longview in 1966. When their children reached school age, she worked as executive director for 15 years with the Lower Columbia Community Action Program serving Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties, developing programs which served low-income people in Southwest Washington. These programs included a food distribution program named FISH, the Head Start program for young children, job training programs, transportation services, self-help housing, a displaced homemaker program, legal aid, energy-saving programs, senior programs (including 7 sites for senior meals, Meals on Wheels, etc.). She also set up a shelter for abused women, summer tutoring for disadvantaged children, and a family planning program which grew to be a family health center. She served as president of the State Association of Community Action Agencies for 3 years and on the National Board of Directors for 2 years. She led efforts to change Washington State legislation relating to tenant landlord regulations, welfare reform, as well as removing sales tax from food items.
Next, Omi worked in as a caseworker for 16 years with the Department of Social and Health services (DSHS) in Cowlitz County, carrying caseloads focused on sexually abused children. She became the supervisor of Child Protective Services before retiring in 1997. She led numerous workshops on parenting, caring for drug affected babies, as well as foster parent recruitment and training.
Omi and Bob moved to Anacortes in 2001 and then to Guemes Island in 2006, which they used as their home base during several years of travel in their retirement years. Their travels took them to Nepal, India, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Ghana, Lesotho, England, Mexico, and Costa Rica. They traveled nearly 300,000 in their trusty “Big Red” van through every province in Canada and 49 States. (Big Red couldn’t float to Hawaii.) In March 2025, Omi and Bob moved to The Villager Inn, in Castle Rock, WA.
Throughout her life, Omi was involved in social justice issues starting with the Hungarian Revolution in the 50’s and civil rights in the 60’s. Most recently she participated in activism issues ranging from Native American rights at Standing Rock to immigrant rights and environmental concerns. She was active in Longview Presbyterian Church and Guemes Community Church (UCC). She received various awards and honors over the course of her life, but one of her favorites was a newspaper title proclaiming her “The Little Lady with the Big Laugh.”
Omi is preceded in death by her parents, Norman and Marion Scruton, her sister, Kathy McKeehan, her brother, Tony Scruton, and her husband, Bob Cummings. Omi is survived by their three children: Brenda (husband David), Bruce, and Brian (wife Dana) who graced them with 7 grandchildren: Laura (husband Marc), Ethan (wife Caroline and great grandchildren Elliott, Caleb, and Violet), Daniel (wife Emily and great grandchildren Cicely, Dublyn, and Donovan), Carl (wife Kristi), Devon (wife Ester and great grandchild Olivia), Joel (wife Brianna) and Hadassah. Every one of them are wonderful human beings and were deeply loved by Omi and Bob. Omi maintained close bonds with relatives on the East coast, sister-in-law Anna Jo Scruton of Waldron, WA, brother-in-law Jim McKeehan of Klamath Falls, and their children.
A service to celebrate and honor Omi’s life will be held Sunday, August 30, at Longview Presbyterian Church at 2:00 pm. A Zoom link to attend from afar will be available at the church website at the time of the service.
The Cummings family wish to extend our sincere thanks to the staff of The Villager Inn and Peace Health Hospice who lovingly cared for Omi during her last days.
