Violet Lillian Zuvela

1925 - 2016

Violet Lillian Zuvela passed from this life on to her next adventure November 7, 2016 surrounded with family. Violet's life was filled with rich adventures, beauty and love. The sight of a flower in bloom or a tree in its splendor would take her breath away. She loved the theater and opera. She loved to garden and would spend hours tending to her roses. She loved travel, a passion she readily shared with nieces and nephews. She loved hikes in the mountains. Children brought her the greatest happiness. She loved a good meal and showed her love by cooking elaborate dinners with no detail left undone. She loved a perfect lemon drop martini or glass of wine with friends and family. She loved her Croatian heritage, her parent's village of Vela Luka, the music and culture. Music moved her to tears. Above all else, she loved the people in her life with pure joy and without any judgement. To quote a niece recently, the love Violet gave out was sewn by a fierce and empowered heart. That heart drew people to her. Born in Carson Lake, Minnesota in 1925 to Croatian immigrant parents, Peter and Marija Zuvela, Violet was the seventh of ten children. Her family relocated to Everett, WA where she graduated from Everett High in 1943. She received her AA from Everett Community College in 1970 and graduated in 1972 from the University of Washington with her BA in French. Her career was a reflection of her curious and inquisitive nature spanning from Great Northern Railway and Thornhill Publishing Corp. (which became GTE) in Everett. She then followed her traveling heart to San Francisco to work for UW Steel Corp. as an executive secretary. In 1967, completely true to her fierce independence and zest for life, after a year of traveling in Europe, she moved to Paris working as a translator for documents that were being filed at the COSPAR (Committee on Space Research), an opportunity that had her working alongside Carl Sagan and other researchers from around the world while organizing symposiums around Europe, Asia and the United States. She eventually came back to Seattle where she bought her home in Greenwood, where her kitchen became the hub of all activity for the neighborhood and family. She retired in 1992 from the University of Washington Medical Center as a budget analyst. Violet was preceded in death by her niece, Sondra Giefer; her nine siblings; and her parents. She leaves behind 36 nieces and nephews; 61 great nieces and nephews; 45 great-great nieces and nephews; and four great-great-greats! Each one her favorite. Her family would like to thank her physician, Dr. Doug Paauw and his wonderful team at UWMC for his care and especially his guidance these past few years, enabling Violet to squeeze the very most out of life with travel, activities, family and all she enjoyed. She was the heart of our family and she is greatly missed already. Rosary will be held Friday, November 18, 2016, 5:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 2501 Hoyt Ave, Everett, WA. Funeral Mass, Saturday, November 19, 2016, 11:30 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, followed by a graveside service and reception. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Violet's preferred charity: University of Washington Medicine. Checks should be made payable to the "UW Foundation" and mailed to: UW Medicine Advancement, Attn.: Gift Processing, Box 358045, Seattle, WA 98195-8045. Please indicate that the gift is in memory of Violet Zuvela as a fund is being established in her honor. Or you may make a gift online at www.supportuwmedicine.org