A. WILLENE HOVERSON

1930 - 2013

October 22, 1930 to August 14, 2013

A. Willene Hoverson, a loving wife, mother and grandmother passed away on August 14, 2013 at home in Anacortes.

Willene loved arts and crafts in many forms. She was especially skilled at pen and ink drawing, watercolor painting, sewing, and ceramic doll-making. Generous with her talents, she gave many of these beautiful creations to friends and relatives. She was quite a cook, and made holidays special with large meals complete with fruit pies. Her family home was situated on an acre lot planted to attract wildlife, and she enjoyed sighting visitors such as songbirds, quail, deer and occasionally porcupines. Often times her artistic projects were based on her love of these creatures. She loved little dogs, and her rat terrier, Rex, was her latest companion.

Willene was born in Quinlan, Oklahoma the second eldest of six children born to Elic and Oleva McAdoo. Her siblings are Mary Alice Walker (deceased), William Curtis McAdoo (deceased), Norma Lee Macdonald of Benicia, CA, Wilma Parisi of Auburn, CA, and Patricia Evelyn Gallez of Sun City, AZ.

The McAdoo family left Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl in 1936, first to Oregon and then to the San Joaquin Valley in California. After a few years, briefly to Glen Ellen, CA and then to Vallejo, CA in 1943, Willene completed junior high and high School in Vallejo. She worked as a part-secretary in the athletic department while attending Vallejo Jr. College. After graduating secretarial training, she was employed as a stenographer at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. She met Rodger about this time in 1947 when babysitting for Rodgers' brother, Dale, and they were married in Vallejo in 1951. They made their home in Livermore, CA, in 1955 where both of their children were born, and they remained there until 1968, when they made a permanent move to Anacortes, WA.

She is survived by her husband, Rodgers F. Hoverson, at home, and two children: Denise L. Hoverson of Mount Vernon, WA and Steven A. Hoverson of Everett, WA. She also left six grandchildren: Christopher T. Ellis, Stephen "Rick" Ellis, Ross M. Tibbles, Tara M. Hoverson, Lindsey E. Hoverson, and Janelle Bel Isle Hoverson and Rex.

As requested by Willene there will be no funeral service, but memorials can be made in her name to benefit the Tommy Thompson Trail: Anacortes Parks Foundation, P.O. Box 1902, Anacortes, WA 98221 (www.anacortesparksfoundation.org)