Faye Dezarn

Faye Dezarn

Faye (Utsey) Dezarn was born on December 23, 1926 in Matagorda County, Texas and passed from the earth on March 8, 2019. She grew up in a settlement called Kichai and later in Buffalo, in east Texas. Her family lived very humbly; she wore dresses made from flour sacks, went barefoot and ate squirrels. At sixteen, she moved to Houston to make her own way in the world. She held various jobs and met and married Lowell "Barney" Dezarn when both worked at Rice University. She became a military wife and with her family traveled the world including Japan, Europe and most of the United States. Through our travels she and Barney instilled a profound sense of history. They retired to a home in Magnolia - in Seattle - where she lived happily for four decades.

She was the best mother a child could want. Every meal was homemade with cakes, pies and cookies made from scratch. She knitted wonderful sweaters, scarves and hats and happily worn by her family and friends. She sewed beautifully, did stained glass, made candles and homemade wine from rose petals. Thanks to PBS and the late Bob Ross she learned to paint, including "happy trees." For a while she lived and breathed duplicate bridge, leaving Barney to fend for himself sometimes! Christmas was always special with a big pot of homemade bouillabaisse and our favorite cookies, pies, and other treats. She cultivated a colorful garden, spending many happy hours digging in the dirt until dark.

Faye was a private person -- filled with intellectual curiosity to the end. She passed on that sense of intellectual curiosity to her children, teaching us the joys of hanging out in the library and coming home with a stack of books. She taught us that it's okay to spend time together without talking. She loved the Seahawks and the Mariners and working the puzzles page in the Times.

Above it all, Faye loved all living things. She loved her dogs - Misty, Bubbles and Chica. Her yard was a refuge for squirrels, raccoons and, to our chagrin, she wouldn't even hurt a rat. She loved birds.

She spent countless hours helping us with our schoolwork. Whenever we were in need, she was always there to support us. As she got older, we were happy to be there for her.

Faye is survived by her son, Barry (Brigid) and three grandchildren, Sonya, Sean and Neil, and by her daughter, Sheila (Gary Phillips) and her grandcat, Murray. She went in peace. We will miss her forever.