Lois Ann "Mickey" Rasmussen

Lois Ann "Mickey" Rasmussen

AGE: 77 • summered in Ocean Grove

Lois Ann "Mickey" Rasmussen, born March 19, 1934 in Passaic, died Thursday, June 23, 2011 in Seattle.

She is survived by Bill, her loving husband of almost 56 years; her children, Scott (Laura), Glenn, and Lynn Van Hollebeke (Louie); and her grandchildren, Andy, PJ, Will, Maryann, Donna, Jessica, and Sarah. She was preceded in death in 1999 by her 3-year-old grandson, Justin Van Hollebeke.

As a young girl in Northern, NJ, Mickey developed a lifelong love of literature. This love carried on through Ridgewood High School into college, where she met her future husband, Bill, at DePauw University before graduating from Westfield State College with a degree in English. After graduating, she taught English at Minnechaug Regional High School for a number of years, where she was a popular, if demanding, teacher. After her teaching years, Mickey continued to found book clubs wherever she lived and shared her love of literature with her friends and family. Unwilling to ever be one dimensional, she was also a lifelong sewer. Mickey created many quilts, embroideries, and clothes over the years for herself, her family, and charities. She also went to as many Yankee games as possible. A devoted fan of the Pinstripes, cheering for everyone from DiMaggio to Jeter, and even getting to know Yogi Berra, she indoctrinated her family into the same love. She spent many of her summers in Ocean Grove, NJ—starting to vacation at the place known as God's Square Mile in 1938. When not in Ocean Grove, Mickey enjoyed traveling the world. She had visited London, Rome, Tokyo, Osaka, and many more cities of the world. Fiercely devoted to the family, she has spent the last number of years supporting her children and grandchildren with passion and zeal. She was much loved and will be missed.

Burial was at 10 a.m. Monday, June 27 at Holyrood Cemetery, 205 N. 205th St., Shoreline, Wash., followed by a "Celebration of Life" at 11 a.m. at Lake Forest Park Church, 17440 Brookside Blvd. NE, Seattle, Wash. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer that gifts in her memory be sent to the Ladies Auxiliary of Ocean Grove, NJ.