Lakehaven Water and Sewer District commissioner Timothy McClain died on Wednesday, Oct. 9, district officials confirmed.

Out of respect for the family, district officials did not release McClain’s cause of death.

“He’s been a great commissioner since 2010,” said John Bowman, Lakehaven general manager. “He’s been a great advocate for the community and provided the great leadership for the district and … excellent service for this community, specifically for our water and sewer utilities.”

McClain was appointed to the Board of Commissioners in September 2010, and elected to the board in 2011.

This year, McClain was running for re-election against challenger Kate Mitchell for the board’s Position 4 seat. Bowman said the Lakehaven District is working to figure out what the next steps of this process will be.

Lakehaven general counsel Steve Pritchett consulted with the Municipal Research and Services Center along with an attorney general opinion for guidance in this election process.

While Lakehaven’s board in previous years has had one commissioner leave the position and another pass away during the term, “we have never had this happen before,” Pritchett said of the candidate’s passing while on the general election ballot.

“If the deceased candidate prevails in the election, it creates a [board] vacancy,” he said.

If McClain is elected posthumously, the board will have 90 days to appoint someone to fill the position. This person will serve on the board for two years as an appointed commissioner. Then, the individual will be required to run in the November 2021 election to be elected to the board to fulfill the remaining four years of the six-year term.

“He was a wonderful, wonderful human being,” Pritchett said. “He was a great ambassador for the community … a very bright and sharp man.”

McClain was a graduate of the University of Oregon with a degree in business administration. He held management positions with Weyerhaeuser and was also involved in the transportation industry for nearly three decades.

A transportation logistics broker, McClain moved to Federal Way in 1979. He is survived by his wife, Faye, their three grown children and 10 grandchildren.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tim’s family,” Bowman said. “We will miss him.”