Carol Spies Pettijohn

Carol Spies PETTIJOHN Our beloved mother left us on Monday, January 10th at the age of 82. Surrounded by her family, she died of respiratory failure with pneumonia. She had survived lung cancer years beyond our wildest hopes. Carol was born to Otho and Edith Spies in Seattle, WA in 1928, and lived in the Laurelhurst and Wallingford neighborhoods before moving to Berkeley, CA during elementary school years. She graduated from Berkeley High School with the Fall 1946 class, and attended UC Berkeley for a few years. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, where she met Carol (Scotty) Davis, who would become her absolute-best friend, and sister-in-law, when she married Mom's beloved older brother, Richard. As single girls, Mom and Scotty came from California to live in Seattle 'on a lark' in the early 1950's. Mom dated Hal Pettijohn, a Seattle-friend since childhood. Carol, Hal, Scotty and Dick had the best of times together throughout those years. Carol and Hal were married in 1955, and moved from Magnolia to Bellevue in 1959. Before having children, Carol learned bookkeeping at Boeing and liked it, and took those skills to U.S. Plywood where she worked for a number of years. Later, she would serve as bookkeeper for Hal's building business. Once their two sons were born, Carol dedicated herself to homemaking. She was a room mother nearly every year the boys were in elementary school. Carol and Hal shared a friendship, love and dedication to family that we will always admire and strive to equal. Hal died of cancer in 1993, with Carol by his side. Carol served many years as a member and sometimes-chair of fund-raising groups for Children's Home Society of Washington, and Friends of Youth. She enjoyed making new friends, knitting hats, making ornaments to sell, event planning, and manning bazaars and the Bunny House at Bellevue Square at Easter. Carol loved her family and friends, and kept good track of them all. She worried about their challenges, and celebrated their triumphs. She frequently expressed wonder at her good fortune to have so many good friends and family who gave her so much support in so many thoughtful ways. We will all have to work harder to keep in touch without Mom to keep us glued together. Carol is survived by her sons, Nicholas (Marianne), and Thomas (Celeste), and granddaughters Alexandra, Annaleigh and Amelia (born 2/16); and by her brother and sister-in-law, Richard C. and Carol Spies and their three daughters, Jo Ann Athey (Kevin, and children, Madeline and Peter), Claire Russo (Stephen, and children, Cameron and Kyle), and Corinne Williams (Craig). Carol is predeceased by her nephew, Richard D. Spies. We wish to thank the tirelessly kind and helpful staffs at both Swedish Hospital, and Mirabella Skilled Nursing for attending Mom during her difficult times. Family and friends are invited to join to celebrate Carol's life Saturday, February 26th at Noon, at The Golf Club at Newcastle, St. Andrews Ballroom, 15500 Six Penny Lane, Newcastle, WA 98059. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Children's Home Society, Friends of Youth, Alpha Omi- cron Pi, The American Cancer So- ciety, or the charity of your choice.