Mary Dillon Elmslie

1932 - 2021

Mary Dillon Elmslie was born in Spokane, WA in 1932. She was the only child of Dorothy and Herold Dillon. She attended Washington State University and studied art. She later worked for Boeing as a technical artist, where she met and married Richard Elmslie.

After retiring in 1999, Mary and Dick traveled the world including cruises around the world and safaris in Africa. They visited many countries including Australia, China, Kenya, Egypt and Greece. Mary and Dick settled into a retirement community in Bellingham and lived happily together there until Dick passed in 2008. Later she moved to Josephine's Caring Community in Stanwood, where she passed away in her sleep on June 17, 2021 at the age of 89.

Mary loved crafts including quilting, beading, and sewing. She was an avid cat lover and had many cats in her home that she loved dearly and spoiled rotten. She also enjoyed collecting things from her travels, especially seashells that she discovered beach combing.

She had two children, Andrea Lee, who passed in 1974, and Kenneth Herold. She has six grandchildren. In 2010 she decided to get her first tattoo, at age 78, with her daughter-in-law and three oldest granddaughters. She had the distinction of being the oldest person that the tattoo artist had ever worked on, who tattooed a beautiful dragonfly on her shoulder.

There will be a celebration of life Luau, which will be held later in August. She requested her and her late husband's ashes be sprinkled in one of her favorite places, Maui, where she had many fond memories. Memorial contributions can be made to World Wildlife Fund (PO Box 97180, Washington, DC 20090-7180) and Parkinson's Research (Northwest Parkinson's Foundation, https://nwpf.org)

Please send your condolences and share memories of Mary to her family online at www.kernfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are through Kern Funeral Home, Mount Vernon. April 30, 1932 - June 17, 2021