Zeta Mae "Mike" Dodge

Zeta Mae "Mike" DODGE Zeta Mae "Mike" Dodge passed away Friday, May 6, 2011 at the Richmond Beach Rehabilitation Center in Richmond Beach, WA. Mike was born April 20, 1922 to Thomas and Anna Bracken in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Along with her nine brothers and sisters, she spent most of her childhood helping to run a large sugar beet farm and cattle ranch in Wyoming. Mike Dodge graduated from the University of Nebraska and came to Seattle to attend the Virginia Mason School of Nursing. She practiced her specialty as a surgical nurse in Riverside, CA, and in Seattle at Virginia Mason Hospital until her marriage to Dr. Harold T. Dodge, a cardiologist at the University of Washington Medical School. They raised a son and daughter mostly in the Seattle area. As Dr. Dodge became renowned in heart research, they entertained world visitors, and they themselves traveled widely to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Mexico. Consequently, Mike became quite adept at giving multicultural dinner parties. Some of the highlights for both she and her husband of 48 years were dancing and enjoying fine dining at many of Seattle's excellent restaurants. Also, she enjoyed entertaining friends and family at their Hood Canal cabin. In 1965, Mike was able to return to nursing when she and some of her friends formed the Active Reserve Registered Nurses and worked at Virginia Mason Hospital on a temporary basis to fulfill a severe nursing shortage. After the death of Dr. Dodge in 1999, she continued her volunteer work with the American Heart Association and University of Washington medical associations. She later continued to entertain at the University House. Most recently, Mike had enjoyed attending the Seattle Symphony. She is survived by her son, Tracy and wife Linda of Bothell and daughter, LaVonne "Dolly" Helt and husband Mark of Lynden, WA; her grandchildren Patrick, Shaun, Heather and Erin; and great-grandchildren Krista, Colin, Riley, Trevor, Cameron, Preston and Brynn. Mike is also survived by her twin brothers in Arizona, Dr. John Bracken and Tom Bracken. Mike Dodge will have a Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 21, at the University House located at 1325 North Allen Place in Seattle. A social reception starts at 3:30 p.m. and a service will be at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Harold T. Dodge-John L. Locke Endowed Chair at the University of Washington, UW Medicine Advancement office, Campus Box 358045, Seattle, WA 98195 or to the American Heart Association (Washington State Chapter).