Marsha J. Tippey

Marsha Tippey Obituary

Marsha J. TIPPEY Born 6.16.40 ~ Died 12.25.09 Marsha was born in Omaha Nebraska and lived most of her life in Seattle, WA. She attended Madrona Elem, Eckstein Middle, Roosevelt H.S. & Edison Voc-Tech. She worked for Radio 1, Floscan and Eldec. Marsha was Secretary/Editor of WA. State MIA/POW group. Children include Chris & Randy Orchard, Tracy & Lisa Sisley-Vallins, step-son Joe Hoskyn, and Grandchildren Hope Sisley, Dustin, Oliver, & Jesse Orchard, and Trevor & Mitchell Vallins. Sister, June Bean, survives her.

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Published by The Seattle Times from Jan. 10 to Jan. 11, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Marsha Tippey

Sponsored by Lisa Sisley-Vallins.

5 Entries

dale ledeman

February 6, 2010

you left me, no, you left us. not for another but to be free, free of pain anger angst and fear, but I miss you,the good times, the arguments, the make ups the giggles the laughs. I cannot win you back, as from another suitor,with sweets, promisis or gifts,for you no longer want nor need of anything, and no one can talk of your future. You left mqny behind to catch up with you later, we will have to wait to again see your sweet smile and feel your warm touch, you smiled before you left as if you knew your freedom was at hand, now you walk with those loved ones who left before you, we are deeply saddend by your leaving, but I know shortly I will again be with you and will again see your lovely smille and hear your voice say hello, dale

Allen Wilson

January 19, 2010

Please accept my deepest sympathies.

Joyce Flory

January 19, 2010

My deepest condolences to Marsha's family. She was like the older sister I never had and she and I shared so much over the years. I will miss her terribly. I will never forget the trips to Washington, DC where we met and I treasure the pictures that were taken. She was truly a one of a kind and I couldn't have asked for a better friend.

Dennis and Mary Trepanier

January 19, 2010

We give Marsha's family our deepest condolences on her loss. We will miss her dearly, and know that now she is in a better place.

We will miss your smile.........

Lisa Sisley-Vallins

January 15, 2010

It is with a sad heart that I speak of my Mother’s passing on Christmas Day.

Marsha was an “original” and someone this week told me that was an understatement!

She was the young, cool and pretty Mom who loved cars and owned the only Austin Healy Sports Car sporting flower Power stickers. I still can’t believe we squished all 6 of us in that little sports car to go skiing.
There was also the Plymouth that 6 yr. old Chris took an accidental joyride in, and her sporty Mazda RX7s, probably her favorites.

Mom wasn’t big on cooking but she made a tasty Spaghetti and Pot Roast. She enjoyed special family outings to Ivar’s Captain’s Table on the Seattle Waterfront where Crab, her favorite, was served in abundance. She also enjoyed SPUDS at Alki where we would eat on the beach if the weather was warm enough. This being Seattle, it usually wasn’t. Another favorite was Farrells Ice Cream Parlour for Birthdays, where Mom could never finish her trough to make “a pig of herself.” Holiday meals at The Elks Club with Grandma was also a treat, except for the time little Randy was served an alcohol-infused Shirley Temple.

Mom was fond of Chocolate Turtles, Marshmallow Bunnies, and especially, Coca-Cola. She liked to read, play board games, particularly Scrabble, and solve puzzles, She even entered the Seattle Times weekly puzzle contests for a while in the 70’s. She wrote poetry, liked Indian Art, and anything to do with Hawaii. She was also very good with Computers. Dancing made her really happy and I can still see Rich, one of her husbands, waltzing her around to the strains of “A Snow White Dove.”

After my Brother’s were all in school, I got to spend more time with my Mom and we would head
to The Triple X Drive-In to meet her friends for lunch. Mom liked their BLT’s and would allow me to play songs on the juke-box, usually Elvis Presley, her favorite Singer, who she had the opportunity to meet at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. She enjoyed many styles of music, from Celtic and rock, to classical and country. and would sometimes torture us with Opera Singer, Mario Lanza. Maybe that is why my brother, Tracy, has an affinity for Opera.

One year, her creative spirit kicked in and she decided to flock our Christmas Tree white. We then sprayed it with florescent colors. The black light made it glow in our front window and we had the most “farout” tree on the block. It was 1970 and all we needed to complete the picture was a Peace sign on the roof. We already had the “flower Power’ stickers on the car..

Any chance to sunbath was not to be missed and Greenlake was a favorite spot even though my Mom was afraid of water. She also liked to sunbath “Au Natural” in the privacy of her secluded yard in Carnation. We all laughed when a neighbor came to visit unannounced and she ran for it. Fortunately, it was a long driveway.

An animal lover all her life, Mom raised and showed German Shepherds and owned Michelob Kennels. Her dogs won many awards as did her oldest son, Chris. She was full of pride watching him win Jr. Handler of the Year. Mom also owned and boarded horses for a few years and saved an old 26 yr. old Palomino from the glue factory. Later on, she purchased a pony as a family Christmas gift. That “gift” led to a trip to the hospital for 26 stitches after she fell off onto the cement road.

Yes, Mom had a big heart for animals, except snakes. We kids knew this very well, although 2 of my brothers didn’t quite seem to understand to what extent her phobia reached. On a trip to a farm, they decided to capture a few garter snakes and put them in my lunch box, swearing me to secrecy.
Mischievous giggles in the back seat alerted her that something was up, so I wisely confessed.
You never saw a car pull off the freeway so fast. Mom quickly jumped out and threatened us with our lives, “Release the snakes immediately, and you will live to see another day.” Boy, was she furious over that prank..

In High School Mom joined Drama Club and took business classes. She could type over 80 Word per minute, which probably came from her practice at the Piano her father bought for her when she was 9 yrs old. Playing the piano was one of her most pleasurable and relaxing activities and I used to love listening to her practice.

Being the rebellious teen, Mom married young and proceeded to have 2 boys, Chris and Randy, Who were 10 months apart. That marriage disintegrated and she then married my Father, Eden. Soon after, Tracy and I were born. It’s strange to think of someone with 4 children at the age of 21 in today’s society, but back then, it wasn’t uncommon due to Women’s limited reproductive rights.
Mom divorced and married for a 3rd time at the age of 26. She said that no one would marry a women with 4 young children, and she was probably right. Her 3rd husband, Rich, was much older and provide some of the security she craved for her children. That marriage managed to last until she was 33 and she remained single until she was 36 when she married a 4th time, to Dale. At this juncture, we all decided that she was trying to catch up with Elizabeth Taylor and ignored any further matrimonial bonds……..Although there was 1 more, it was to husband #4….again.

My Mom enjoyed crafts and was very good at Sewing and Crocheting. I remember her making all the dresses for a Valentine’s wedding and then she made me the cutest skirt and vest with the leftover material. I loved wearing my home-made outfit to school, bragging about my clever Mommy. She didn’t embrace sewing as much as crocheting, and made some really cool crocheted vests and dresses during the time that those styles were “hip.” It took her months to complete the stunning full-length dress she made to wear to Chris’s graduation from the Navy School in San Diego. She also crocheted gorgeous baptism gowns and hats for many of her grandchildren that are now treasured keepsakes.

In the mid 70’s Mom became interested in the Seattle Police Dept. when they finally decided to allow Women to serve as patrol officers. The pay was good and equal, and it was an honorable way for a single Mother to support her 4 kids. Candidates completed written exams, physical agility tests, polygraph tests, and an oral board. Female applicants were asked pointed questions that would never be acceptable today. Mom managed to pass most of the tests but was not one of the only 11 who were accepted into the Academy. We were all proud of her for trying so hard and attempting to make it in a “Man’s World.”

Astrology, Tarot Cards, and Reading palms was also a hobby of Moms. She was the only person I knew who owned a Crystal Ball. This was not information you shared on the school playground, lest you be branded, “The Devil’s Child.” But Mom believed in her individuality and right to practice whatever Metaphysical pursuits she wanted. She did many Astrology charts for family and friends over the years, and frankly, my own chart has some eerie parallels to my own life., so who knows?

Patriotism at our house was not something that was taken lightly or for granted. You stood up when the flag passed, you supported your President, you did not burn the American Flag. Mom showed her spirit for returning Prisoner of Wars back in 1973 by plastering our front window with a welcome home sign. Being kind of a hippee during that period. it was not what you would have expected of her…that is, if you did not know her military background - All her husbands served, her father served, her brother-in-laws served, and 2 of her sons served. If she hadn’t been too old, she probably would have enlisted herself.! But the seeds were planted and she joined the Washington State POW/MIA Concerned Citizens Association in the early 90’s. She became fully engrossed in the fight to bring back missing military personnel from past wars, and supplied wrist bands for people to help support the prisoners and Missing in action during the Gulf War. Her trip to The Wall in WA. DC. was one of the highlights of her life.. Mom’s dedication and faithfulness to the MIA/POW cause bordered on the obsessive, but it was where her true passion lay.

There are so many other wonderful memories that I could pass on about my Mother, but like all things, the time has come to say goodbye.
Mom will be missed by our family and friends, but we will carry her great smile, optimism, and love with us as we continue our journey through life.