A Life Rooted in Manson: Brett La Mar on Love, Loss, and Leadership

In this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we sit down with Brett La Mar, a man whose life story is deeply rooted in the Chelan Valley and shaped by family, resilience, and service. Brett was born in Everett, Washington, and raised in Manson, growing up and attending Manson School from K-12. Like many small-town kids, those early years helped form a lifelong connection to community, work ethic, and relationships that still matter today. After graduating from Manson High School, Brett went on to Washington State University, earning a degree in Communications with minors in Business Marketing and Music. He began his career on the west side, working in sales, but life quickly pulled him home when his mother was diagnosed with stage-four cancer. Brett returned to Manson in 1992 to help support his family and step into the family business—beginning a nearly 30-year chapter leading Lake Chelan Building Supply. As General Manager and Co-Owner from 1992 to 2020, Brett guided the company through expansion, loss, rebuilding, and perseverance. The business endured a devastating snow collapse in Manson, a major wildfire that destroyed the Chelan store, and the challenge of rebuilding stronger each time. Through it all, Brett’s leadership reflected the same grit and loyalty that define small-town life. Brett’s personal story carries profound loss and deep love. His mother fought cancer courageously for 17 years before passing in 2009. In 2011, Brett lost his first wife, Sheri La Mar, after a 3½-year battle with stage-four breast cancer. Sheri was a beloved teacher in Manson for nearly two decades, and Brett speaks candidly about grief, faith, and rebuilding life after unimaginable loss. In 2012, Brett remarried Beverly La Mar, an ARNP with Confluence Health in Wenatchee. Together they blended their families, raising three children—Jared, Alyssa, and Bryce—who all graduated from Manson. Brett and Beverly are now proud grandparents, with more on the way. Brett still lives in the Manson home he grew up in, a detail he shares with humility and humor. Community service has always been central to Brett’s life. He serves on the Lake Chelan Community Center (Seven Acres Foundation) Board and was part of the original design committee. He is also a worship leader at Real Life Church and has spent decades volunteering through chambers of commerce, youth sports, high school athletics, search and rescue, and regional industry leadership. This episode is an honest conversation about family, loss, faith, leadership, and what it really means to stay committed to a small town through every season of life.