Doris Nolan

1928 - 2023

Doris Nolan, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at the age of 95 on August 16, 2023, surrounded by family. She is now reunited with her cherished husband, Jim Nolan, who preceded her in death in 2005.
Born Doris Mae Engstrom on March 31, 1928, she grew up in Kent, Washington. Doris and Jim were high-school sweethearts, and she served as his campaign manager when he ran for student-body president their senior year at Kent High School. Doris knew the candidates would be introduced at the school assembly, which always began with all students rising to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Just as she saw the flag coming in, Doris stepped up to the microphone and said, "I'd like everyone who is going to vote for Jimmie Nolan to stand now!" Jim won.
Doris and Jim were married September 10, 1949, and she continued to be his "campaign manager" for over 55 years, including 22 years as an Army officer's wife. Doris made a new home for the family every two to three years as Jim was assigned to various posts including New Jersey, Washington, Oklahoma, New York, Texas, Panama, Michigan, Colorado, and Georgia. And she kept the home fires burning while he served in Korea and in Vietnam.
When Jim retired from the Army in 1970, they built a home on Sequim Bay and, still raising five children, opened Nolan's Drive-In restaurant. They loved being an active part of a small community. In addition to helping at the restaurant, Doris was an involved member of St. Joseph's Catholic church, the Sequim Scribes, several bridge clubs, and PEO. She was an avid football fan and cheered loudly for the Sequim Wolves (especially when her son John played), the UW Huskies, and the Seahawks. Jim and Doris always enjoyed participating in the annual Irrigation Festival and entered floats representing their restaurant in several parades.
Music was a lifelong joy for Doris, who started piano lessons at the age of five. She was a church organist almost everywhere the family lived, including in Sequim at St. Joseph's and at the Presbyterian church. Her grand piano was a centerpiece of her home, where family and friends would gather to sing along as she played. Doris knew and appreciated good music and often attended live concerts. She was an avid singer herself, so any sing-along performance of Handel's Messiah was a perennial favorite.
More than anything else, the center of Doris's life was her family. She leaves us, her children, with many happy memories of her energy, creativity, and dedication as a mom. A few examples include her impromptu beach picnics on Sequim Bay, her flair for making Halloween costumes (both for us and for herself), the annual hand-decorated box for Valentine's Day, and an outright extravaganza every Fourth of July. She was present and supportive through all our important moments and found endless ways to make every family gathering memorable and special. We will remember her always as loving, kind, thoughtful, fun, and
wise.
Doris is survived by her five children: Nancy (John) Davenport, Cathy (Tom) McNally, Mike (Ann) Nolan, Tricia (Mike) Matteson, and John (Morgan) Nolan; ten grandchildren: Allison (Ryan), Chris (Nina), Jay (Charlene), Lucy, Madeline (Andy), Thomas (Lauren), Aaron (Julia), Colin, Charlotte "Charlie" and John "Bubba"; and eight great-grandchildren: Ellie, Ethan, Rose, Grace, Pearl, Harper, James, and Tommy.
A funeral mass will be held on Friday, Sept 15 at 11 AM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 121 E Maple St, Sequim. A reception will follow in the church hall. A rosary will precede the mass at 10:30.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Doris's memory to: St. Vincent DePaul
PO Box 2114
Sequim, WA 98382