Marcee Jean Stiltner

Marcee Jean Stiltner Marcee Jean Stiltner, age 69, died January 29, 2017 at her home in Tumwater, Washington, surrounded by her loved ones. She was born January 3, 1948 in Norfolk, Virginia, the second daughter to the late Glenn and Margaret (Butts) Stiltner. She graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1965, then attending college at Big Bend Community College before finishing her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Eastern Washington University. She was married to Michael Ray Smith of Moses Lake, Washington for 8 years and with whom she had two daughters. Marcee was a remarkable woman known for her energy and spirit. She worked full-time while raising two daughters and was a supportive and loving mother to them. She was a master seamstress with a fully equipped sewing studio where she made her one-of-a-kind outfits and accessories. She was an avid gardener whose front yard garden was widely admired in the spring and summer months. She had a deep love of reading, long conversation with dear friends, and spending time with her daughters. She was always interested in people and the stories they had to tell about their lives. She was connected to an extended network of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, who appreciated her for her quirky sense of humor, intelligence, bravery, honesty, deep listening skills, confidence, and compassion. She was always quick to stand up for the vulnerable, donning a safety pin after the 2016 presidential election to indicate her alliance with marginalized people and against racism. Her big smile and delightful laughter will be missed by the many people who considered her a friend. Marcee spent her career in mental health, a field she had a deep and passionate commitment to. Her work took her to many areas of the country including Idaho, Delaware, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before finally bringing her back to her home state of Washington where she spent most of her childhood. Across the span of her career she worked in the public and private sectors, profit and non-profit, in the director's chair and paper-pushing roles, always seeking to be of service and advocate for people who needed help. At the time of her death she was employed by Children's Advocacy Center of Washington, serving children traumatized by physical and sexual abuse. She is survived by her eldest daughter Whitney Smith and husband Andrew Hayes of Oakland, CA, her youngest daughter Brena Smith of Los Angeles, CA, her younger sister Shelly Parks and husband Charles Parks of Edmonds, WA, and her older sister Joyce Hudson and husband John Hudson of Henderson, Kentucky. She will also be remembered by her nieces Rae, Tanya and Tamara, and by her nephew Wyatt. Her memorial service will officiated by Kay Gardner Pyle at Funeral Alternatives of Washington in Tumwater, Washington, February 7 at 11 AM. There will be a reception with light lunch afterward. Donations may be made to a special training scholarship for child advocates at CACW established in her name, the Marcee J Stiltner Scholarship Fund. Contact Randy Ryan for more information. Donations to Planned Parenthood, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the ACLU may also be made in her name.