Hazel Lenore Starkey

Hazel Lenore Starkey
Date Of Birth: 04/12/1920
Date of Death: 12/22/2024
Hazel was born as the eighth of nine children to Grover Cleveland Mohr and Blanche Mohr in Guernsey, Iowa. She grew up during the Great Depression and graduated from Deep River High School in 1938.
While working for an insurance company in Des Moines, Iowa, she met Kenneth Starkey on a blind date, fell in love and married him in 1946. Early in the marriage, her children Kenneth, Jr. and Connie were born, and she became a housewife in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. In 1957, they decided to go into business for themselves and opened a specialty clothing store called Starkey's Store for Children in Boise, Idaho. From her selling experience, she developed her sense of fashion and her ability to sell to customers of all ages and backgrounds. Throughout their years of marriage, she and Ken were very close, devoted to their children and enjoyed their life together.
She was a Christian believer with a strong faith. One of her heroes was Billy Graham. She believed in the power of prayer, and had a strong curiosity about the Bible. She liked to listen to gospel music by the Gaithers and Elvis Presley and to sing hymns while she rode her stationary bike.
When Ken passed in 1992, she turned to Cedar Mill Christ United Methodist Church for community, support and purpose. She held leadership positions with the United Methodist Women for about 21 years. She devoted a lot of her time to Meals on Wheels, Washington County's Play it Again store and also Second Edition at the Cedar Mill public library for people in need. In all of these, she developed strong friendships and was appreciated for her talents and ability to relate with people.
In 1997, she became a resident of Springwood of Beaverton. She thoroughly loved the people in this community. She made a point of befriending new residents. She organized card games and working on puzzles in the clubhouse, enjoyed walks around the park and played Bingo once a month. She encouraged neighbors to congregate in her family room.
Throughout her life, family from both sides was very important to her. She actively kept in touch with them by calls, emails and cards, and the walls of her apartment at Springwood were covered with photo arrays of family.
As the physical challenges of aging mounted, she moved to West Hills Village Senior Residence in Portland. She made the most of this final chapter. Once again, she made friends during meals and activities such as exercise, spiritual times, Bingo and cards.
Hazel was a loving wife and mother, daughter and sister, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother, a woman of faith, a reliable worker, a risk-taker, a loyal and empathetic friend, an organizer and a chronicler. She loved people and life in general. She was an inspiration to many.
She is survived by her son Kenneth Starkey, Jr. (Arlene), daughter Connie Johnson, stepson Kenneth Clarke Starkey, grandsons Max Johnson (Rachel), Louis Johnson (Coral), K.C. Starkey, Allen Downard, granddaughters Rebecca Starkey, Rachel Starkey, Julie Starkey (Kathlene), Tammy Jarrett, great grandchildren Diane Greenham (Jacob), Joshua Downard, Timothy Downard, Nicole Jarrett, Jamie Peterson (George) and numerous other great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.
A private interment will be held at Skyline Memorial Gardens where Hazel will be placed next to Ken.
A visitation, celebration of life and reception are planned to occur at Cedar Mills Christ United Methodist Church, 12755 NW Dogwood Street, Portland, Oregon. Details of the date and time will be announced through Springer and Son Aloha Funeral Home and Crematory in the near future. Please check back for further details.
In honor of Hazel's memory, the family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Cedar Mill Christ United Methodist Church, www.cedarmillchristumc.org.