OBITUARIES
Local obituaries for Seattle, Washington, King County and Surrounding Areas
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Alice Evelyn Riggins
Mar 14, 2026
Alice Evelyn Riggins was a homeowner in Renton for the past 40 years. She passed March 2026 at 79 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents Dale and Barbara, and her younger brother Otis. She is survived by her older brother Dale Porter. She worked over 20 years for Farmers Insurance and retired from there. She did...
Grace Cooper
Mar 11, 2026
Grace Myrtle Cooper was united with Jesus on March 11, 2026 in Redmond, Washington. Born Grace Myrtle Hanson on July 15, 1925 to parents Theodore E Hanson and Lillian Bolen of Blair, Wisconsin, Grace was one of nine children. She is survived by her youngest sister, Clarice Edenfield. During WWII, Grace was a real “Rosie the Riveter." She worked making...
Jay Michael Schlechter
Mar 9, 2026
Jay Michael Schlechter, PhD, aka Swami Dhyanam Anurag. Born New York City, November 3, 1941, to Harry and Belle (Jones) Schlechter, who predeceased him. Died in Seattle, March 9, 2026. Active and entirely himself until the day before his death of multiple organ failure. A psychological counselor, Sannyasin, dancer, meditator, jogger, and Mariners fan who wrote Haiku and loved his...
Paula Jean West
Feb 28, 2026
Paula Jean West, 84, passed away peacefully February 28, 2026, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Born on December 22, 1941, in Galveston, Texas, to Johnnie Mae Davis and Norman Anderson West, Sr., she was raised in Seattle, Washington, alongside her brother, Norman A. West, Jr.
She graduated from Garfield High School and attended Portland State University. Following her marriage, Paula raised six children...
Susan Jackson
Feb 25, 2026
Susan Rena Jackson was born on October 15, 1945, to Wallace (Wally) and Rena (Aimone) Jackson in Boulder City, Nevada, and grew up in the North End of Tacoma — a city she would call home for most of her life. As a teenager she worked as a lifeguard at Titlow Pool. She graduated from Wilson High School in 1963...
Georgene Frances (Bettis) Scott
Feb 22, 2026
Raised by a tenacious and resourceful working mother in Portland, Oregon, Georgene had vivid memories of childhood that included her nearby maternal grandparents. While the hardships of the Depression and war years made for simple living, her early years were rich. From her grandma she learned to sew, and to braid, recalling, “I braided bread dough. I made Challah on...
Ann "Teddie" Richel Schuh
Feb 19, 2026
Ann (Teddie) Richel Schuh was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to George and Lucille (Rice) Richel in 1937. She died February 19, 2026, with family around her, in her apartment in Seattle, Washington. As a child she lived above the Grand River in the village of Lamont. When she graduated from East Grand Rapids High School in 1955, she was...
Frances Simonsen Howard
Feb 19, 2026
Frances Simonsen Howard died on February 19th, 2026, at her home in Edmonds, WA, three months short of her 100th birthday. Her family and a few close friends were with her constantly during her final days. As sad as that time was for her survivors, it was also exhilarating to intimately share her experience of leaving this world. We will...
Dudley Chappell Shoemaker
Feb 15, 2026
Dudley Chappell Shoemaker, 81, of Tukwila died quietly in his home February 15, 2026.
DC was born in Galesburg, IL to Paul and Dorothea. The family moved from Illinois to California in the late 1940’s. He joined ROTC at Berkeley in the mid-1960’s and graduated with a BA degree. After college, DC joined the U.S. Army Transportation Corps.
He married his first...
Ethel Trop Pratt
Feb 13, 2026
Ethel Trop was born March 27, 1928, in Albany, New York, to Joseph and Rose (Asch) Trop. She was the fourth of five children, and the only girl. Much of her childhood was shaped by the Great Depression, and then later, by World War II.
Ethel graduated as an honor student from Philip Schuyler High School in 1946, winning the Graduating...
Larry Getzlaff
Feb 11, 2026
Larry Getzlaff, 83, of Kent, Washington, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2026, at Valley Medical Center.
Larry was born on September 15, 1942, in North Dakota to Otto Getzlaff and Gertrude (Brandt) Getzlaff. He was one of twelve children and remained close to many of his siblings throughout his life.
He proudly served in the United States Army, spending much of...
Lish Whitson
Feb 11, 2026
Lish Whitson of Seattle died the morning of February 11, 2026 from complications of leukemia. He was born in Washington D.C. in 1942 and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. After graduating from Pennsylvania State University, he applied for and was accepted by the Peace Corps to go to Afghanistan.
It was in training for the Peace Corps at the University of...
Barbara Ann Shull
Feb 10, 2026
Teacher, caregiver, and lifelong encourager who lifted others with kindness and optimism
Barbara Ann Shull, a lifelong learner who encouraged and uplifted others, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2026, at the age of 83, with her youngest daughter and loving care team by her side.
In the months leading up to her passing, she was surrounded by music and love. She...
John Rochford
Feb 7, 2026
John Rochford, a beacon of kindness and generosity, left our world on February 7, 2026, in Seattle, Washington, after a valiant battle with cancer. Born on June 5, 1958, in El Paso, Texas, John's life journey was one marked by compassion, intelligence, and an unwavering commitment to service. John's formative years in El Paso were just the beginning of a...
Ruth Hanna McCormick
Feb 5, 2026
Ruth Hanna McCormick of Seattle passed away on February 5, 2026, at the age of 97. She had a long and rich life. She travelled extensively, loved the theater and film, was a fine educator, and was an advocate for women. She had friends all over the world.
She was something of an organizational genius, something her children all remember and...
John A. Rasmussen
Feb 3, 2026
John A. Rasmussen of Shoreline, WA died February 3, 2026 at the age of 76. Paula, his wife of 54 years, was at his side. He fought multiple cancers courageously for 3 years with the help of professionals at Fred Hutch and UW Medical Center, but ultimately lost the battle.
John was born in Seattle in 1949, to Isobel (Grann) and...
Helen Ann Jones
Feb 3, 2026
Helen Ann (Holzhueter) Jones, age 83, hung up her well-worn gardening gloves for the final time on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. She approached each day of her life with an unshakeable joy in living life to the fullest, particularly in the year since her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
If you knew Helen, you knew sunshine. You knew the warm laugh as...
Ann Watson King
Feb 1, 2026
Ann Watson King, born in 1941 in Suffern, NY, to Rose and Herb Watson, passed away peacefully on February 1, 2026 surrounded by family.
Ann is survived by her three daughters: Kathleen King (Ed Wong), Deborah King (Jared Taylor), and Alison King. She was a proud and loving grandmother to Samantha, Sarah, Keith, and Iris. She is also survived by her...
Jack Gossett
Jan 29, 2026
As Old Ma Earth existed for millennia without me, so she shall again. Shortly after my 85th birthday, I had an epiphany: I didn’t have time to drink cheap wine.
I was born in the village of Dennison, Ohio, to Hazel Russell Gossett and Harold John “Squid” Gossett. (Yeh, Squid. I also had uncles named Goosie, Punk and Doc.) I graduated...
Charles Jerome "Charlie" Vincent
Jan 26, 2026
Charles Jerome “Charlie” Vincent, age 90, born to Charles Henry and Pauline Catherine Vincent on March 29, 1935, passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 26, 2026 in Burien, Washington.
He is survived by his loving wife, Carol; his children, Terri Vincent (Keith Field) (Seattle, WA), Mark Vincent (Lisa) (Redmond, WA), Susan Harris (Stacey Anderson) (Shelton, WA), and his siblings,...
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