Faye Elenor Graves

November 27, 1927 – January 1, 2019

Posted

On New Year’s Day our mom passed away. We figured she planned to go that day so she would be remembered. Nobody forgets New Year’s Day.

Mom was born in Wenatchee, WA on November 27, 1927. She moved to Seattle with her family when she was 13. Mom had two brothers; Jack, and Clarence, and four sisters; Hazel, Laura, Nina Lee (of Sequim), and Carol (of Idaho). Mom was the sibling with the strongest opinions and she would voice them regularly.

Mom met Dad (Leon Graves aka Bud) just after he had got out of the Navy, serving in WWII. He rode is motorcycle over to her house to see her brother Jack. Jack introduced them and Dad took her for a motorcycle ride. They married three months later, when she was 19. Mom and Dad were best friends, and spent 63 wonderful years together. She loved being with Dad and her whole life was about him! Mom believed in helping with the population explosion and had five children (one set of twins): Sharon & Gord Lamay, Tom & Donna Graves, Gord & Sara Graves, Glen & Diane and new wife Joyce Graves, Mike & Susie Graves.

They had 13 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, and 3 great, great grandchildren. Mom was also a wonderful aunt to her brother Clarence’s four children. They loved Auntie Faye very much!

Mom was very family oriented when we were growing up, her family was her life, she hosted many family reunions over the years and loved having her grandchildren come visit and stay over, as well as all of the fun family camping trips together. All the grandchildren have many fond memories of the time spent at Grandma’s house. (She had lived in Riverton, Shine, and Port Hadlock before residing in Puyallup)

Mom loved cooking, and baking, there were always homemade pies every day of the week, her daughter Sharon always helped out with making lunches for the boys. Mom never drove (even after one of her daughters-in-law painstakingly taught her how to). Every Monday after work Dad would load us kids up in the back of our truck and take Mom to the grocery store, we all had to stay in the truck while she shopped.

Mom loved playing cards, boating, camping, riding bicycles, trips to the ocean, fishing, digging clams, picking oysters, and crabbing. She also loved going to Burley Mountain to pick huckleberries. Summer weekends at our cabin on the beach in Port Ludlow was her favorite place to go.

After retirement Mom and Dad loved to travel down south every winter in their travel trailer, making so many new friends. She sold sandals at parks where they stayed. She loved doing cross-stitch as well as making and selling warm hats that she knitted on a wooden circle with golf pegs in it, that Dad had made for her. She passed these knitting skills down to a few of her grandchildren.

Mom was definitely a one-of-a-kind lady. As per her wishes there will be no service. Please take time to visit with and hug the ones you love.

Good Bye Mom, we know you are back with Dad now.