Eugenia Marie (“Gene”) Lyle was born May 18, 1927, in Seattle, Washington, to Forrest Guptill and Lenore Reese Guptill. Gene graduated from Roosevelt High School, Seattle, in 1945. It was at Roosevelt, while participating in Stage Force, that she developed her significant skills with saw, paint brush and hammer, and where she met Norm Lyle, to whom she was married until his death in 2003.
In the early 1960’s she became that rare bird of a mom who worked outside the home, first in the Trust Department of Pacific Northwest Bank for many years and then later for PEMCO Financial Services. Gene and Norm lived all their lives in Seattle until their respective retirements.
In 1993 they became year-round residents of Paradise Bay (Port Ludlow), Washington, where they purchased land in 1962 and built their “cabin”– and Mom definitely put those stage force skills to use on that house and several others they owned over the years.
Gene loved her family, travel (especially cruising), and watching NASCAR(!). Later in life she discovered quilting, and her sense of design and color were amazing. She was an active member of Cabin Fever Quilters and the Port Hadlock Lutheran Church Thursday Quilting group, creating many beautiful quilts for hospice and world relief efforts. Her work with Quilts of Valor – which honors veterans with the presentation of special quilts – was very important to her. She spent many hours quilting as she looked out over Hood Canal and watched for the cruise ships heading out to Alaska.
Mom passed away May 27, 2019, at Jefferson Healthcare Medical Center, surrounded by family and friends. We will of course all miss Mom and take comfort in many wonderful memories. No services are planned. Remembrances may be made in her name to the Quilts of Valor Foundation, P.O. Box 191, Winterset, IA 50273 (please reference Gene Lyle/Port Ludlow WA Chapter in the memo line), or to Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County. Rest easy, Mom. You did your job, brilliantly.
