Zelda Tatel

Zelda TATEL 3/3/1924 - 10/21/2005 Our loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, age 81, passed away Oct. 21 after a brief illness. Zelda was born in Providence, RI, to Samuel and Gertrude Shepard, the eldest of four children. She grew up primarily in Boston, MA. At age 18 Zelda decided to join the army. Since the US Army did not accept women below 20 years of age, she first joined the Canadian Army. When she turned 20, she transferred to the US Army on the bridge at Niagara Falls. Following discharge from the army, she was married to Melvin Tatel. They lived in Boston while Melvin was finishing his education at Northeastern University. After Melvin was graduated with a degree in engineering, they moved to Seattle where Melvin got a job at Boeing. Zelda was very involved in the Jewish community in particular and the Seattle community at large, volunteering as a PTA president, Cub Scout Den mother, Campfire Girls leader, ceramics teacher (at Center House), president of BCMH sisterhood, president of AMIT Women, board member of Jewish War Veterans, and many other organizations. She was preceded in death by her sisters Charlotte Smith and Francis Wolensky, both of Portland, OR. She is survived by Melvin Tatel, her husband of 59 years, sons Harvey (Rosie) of Monroe, Chaim (Leah) of Seattle, and Eliyahu (Ronna) of Lakewood, NJ; daughters Bat Tova (Aryeh) Zwebner of Jerusalem, Israel, and Marcia (Shlomo Chaim) Kitay of Lakewood, NJ; and sister Esther (Mel) Rosenbloom of Portland, OR; as well as 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The family would especially like to thank the staff of the Kline Galland Center for the wonderful devotion and care they show to the elderly. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Zeldas memory to the Kline Galland Center, 7500 Seward Park Ave, Seattle, WA 98118.