Iva Lee Duskin

11/20/1921 - 10/30/2009

IVA LEE WATTS DUSKIN kept friends laughing with one-liners The life journey of IvaLee Watts Duskin, 87 came to a peaceful end on September 30, 2009 in Tumwater, Washington at Olympics West Retirement Inn. IvaLee was born on November 20, 1921 in Wilbur, Washington. She spent most of her childhood in Wilbur, with some time in the Dayton-Wattsburg area. IvaLee was very close and devoted to her dad, Ted Watts. She attended high school at Holy Names Academy in Spokane, graduating in 1939. Then she went on to Washington State College and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. IvaLee met her love, Joe Fred Duskin, in Pullman,; which began a Cougar tradition for the Duskins. They were married January 1, 1942, until Fred's death in 1973. WWII and the Army Air Corps had them traveling before settling on Magnolia in Seattle to operate their business, Blue Ribbon Foods, and to raise their children Jeff and Doris Ann. Many happy times were spent at the little family cabin on Lake Goodwin. Her son Jeff died tragically in a skydiving accident in Alaska in 1978. IvaLee worked as the office manager of Equitable of Iowa Life Insurance Company, retiring in 1982. After retirement, IvaLee delighted in traveling. Over the years she also enjoyed reading, bridge, crossword puzzles, bowling, red roses, swimming, cello, knitting, chocolate, making "fantabulous" pie crust and gravy, good parties and jokes and spending time with friends and family. In 2000 IvaLee moved to Olympia to be near her family. She made many new friends and enjoyed bantering and teasing with the loving and caring staff at Olympics West. She was intelligent, composed, always generous, had strength, courage and dignity, and kept us laughing with her "one-liners" and unique sense of humor right to the very end. Mom - Grams will be so missed by her family. IvaLee is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Doris and Nick Lippert of Olympia, granddaughters Shelley (Scott) Seaman and Alison (Zach) Morgan of Olympia; five great grandchildren Madeline and Nathan Seaman and Ashlyn, Kellen and Avery Morgan; sister Lindarae Watts of Spokane; and daughter-in-law Sharon Duskin of Fairbanks, Alaska. Iva Lee was preceded in death by her husband Fred, son Jeff and her "number two son", Gary Henson.