KATHLEEN TIERNAN Obituary

Kathleen M. Tiernan 9/21/1921 - 2/22/2011 Kathleen M. Tiernan, n e Langley, died after a brief illness on February 22, 2011, just 6 months shy of her 90th birthday. A Gig Harbor resident for nearly 30 years, Kathleen was born in Liverpool, Great Britain, and raised in New York City. She moved to California with her husband, William J. Tiernan, where he began his law practice and they gradually created their family by adopting two sons, John and Peter Tiernan, and a daughter, Deborah Stucker, who survive her. A truly unique character, combining city savvy with a child-like innocence, she leaves her family with a trove of idiosyncratic sayings and a world-view all her own.In death, she joins her husband of 39 years, the love of her life, after having faced her widowhood of 15 years with grace and fortitude. Immediate survivors include a sister, Joan Buechner, her daughter-in-law Phyllis Tiernan, 3 grandchildren, Keri Tyson, Gary Winn and his wife Cari, Dannette Moreland and her husband Justin, 3 great-grandchildren, Kristal Heintz, and Evelyn and Avery Winn, and a great-great-granddaughter, Aliya Gonzales, born last fall. She will also be missed by her nieces and nephews, in whose lives she actively participated, and by those who came to know and love her at Harbor Place (in her words, the "Happy Palace"), her last residence, especially her friend, Grace Jenkins. Never one to seek the spotlight, Kathleen Tiernan quietly made a significant difference in the lives of many - furthering an education here, staving off adversity there. Her generosity was made all the more effective by the faith she showed in those she helped. Her family and loved ones are forever in her debt. Contributions can be made in her name to the Humane Society, www.humanesociety.org in memory of her beloved tabby cat, Nibsy. Please visit www.havenrest.com to sign Kathleen's online guestbook, leave condolences or a favorite memory of Kathleen for the family.

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Published by News Tribune (Tacoma) on Mar. 9, 2011.

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March 18, 2011

Thank you, Grandma Kathleen, for everything you did to make our lives better. We will miss you.

Keri and Kristal

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