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- [S5] Obituary.
September 30, 1934 - July 11, 2018
Valley Hills Funeral Home
It is with extreme sadness that the family of Nadine Burmaster announce her passing in the evening of Wednesday, the 11th of July from the ravages on her mind and body from Lewy-Body Dementia. She was a wife, lover, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend to many.
Nadine was the third of four daughters born to Roy and Henrietta Lack in Bellingham, WA on the 30th of September 1934, attended public schools there and graduated from Bellingham High School in 1954.
In the fall of 1952 while serving as a volunteer at the local St. Lukes Hospital, she had occasion to meet a young x-ray technician. Their first date was to a movie, a romance blossomed, engagement followed and on June 13, 1953 they married. Over the next several years they were blessed with four beautiful children, two boys and two girls. They were happily married and lovers for over 65 years.
Nadine and family spent their first couple of years of marriage in Bellingham, then a move to Anacortes for five years and back to Bellingham where her husband worked for Georgia-Pacific and attended Western Washington University. In 1968 the ?big? move was to Bremerton where her husband had accepted a teaching position. There they stayed for the next twenty five years feasting in the joy of watching the kids involved in sports, music, school and just growing up.
In 1969 and for several years beyond, Nadine was a ?Foster Mother? to a whole raft of children numbering in excess of forty over the years. Several of them were newborns that stayed in the family for three or more years. Needless to say, this entailed a lot of work and energy but she loved these kids as she did her own.
In 1980 Nadine accepted a position at the Naval Supply Center in Bremerton, a job she truly enjoyed. In 1993, she and her husband retired, moved to Selah with their five year old grandson, settled down to spend time with and be near their now multiple grandchildren.
In retirement, Nadine?s somewhat dormant passion for sewing turned into an explosive passion for quilting. Quilting, quilting!! From early morning to evening, quilt patterns, in progress quilts threads, materials and whatever abounded about her work area. She sewed in the car when traveling and it was always necessary to make a stop or two at some favorite fabric shops for some special materials. Many of her quilts were donated to the Union Gospel Mission and each grandchild received one of grandma?s handmade quilts when they married. She developed many great relationships with her quilting comrades, a most favorite was Mel Black. She continued in this until the Lewy-Body began its relentless regimen on body and mind several years ago.
Not all was work, cooking, changing diapers, etc. for Nadine. In 1972, she and her entire family backpacked the Cascade Mountains, a fifty mile trek that weatherwise left a lot to be desired. She was the expediter in getting tents, packs, food and other supplies for this week long adventure. Visits to Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Little Big Horn Battlefield, an ocean cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary were always due to her efforts. Her climactic travels were no doubt her long east coast trip with her sister Norma and cousin Pat, two trips to Europe, one with her quilting friends, the other with cousin Pat, taking in the sights of London, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Paris.
Nadine was preceded in passing by her parents and older twin sisters, Della and Delcie. She is survived by her husband Carl, daughter Gayle (Larry) Gamache and son Larry of Yakima, son John (Nancy) of Darrington, daughter Carla of Denton, Texas and sister Norma (Glenn) Hardin of Bellingham. There are also grandchildren: Sean, Jeremy, Jason, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Aletha, Ashley, Matthew, and Zack. Fifteen great grandchildren are in the mix as are several nieces and nephews and a special cousin, Pat Monroe.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, the 25th of August in the clubhouse of the Broadmore Mobile Home Court at 55 W. Washington Avenue, Yakima.
To share a memory or condolence with the family visit www.valleyhillsfh.com.
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