Elsie Vander Houwen

Elsie Vander Houwen died Thursday August 1, a week after celebrating her 102nd birthday. She was born Elsie W. Lanfear in Thornbury, England, on July 23, 1911, and came to Canada and then the United States with her parents. She moved to Mercer Island in 2001 to be closer to her son Boyd and his family and quickly became part of their circle of friends from multiple generations.

She lived at Island House Retirement Community where she was a passionate player of the word game UPWORDS and enjoyed getting to know people from around the world. Most recently she lived at Patriot’s Glenn Assisted Living in Bellevue.

She loved gardening and quickly transformed Boyd and Loma’s yard with a blaze of flower varieties and colors from boxes of bulbs that arrived ready for planting every spring. Her love for colors carried over to her wardrobe which remained bright and colorful throughout her life.

Her family was always at the center of her life and she got special joy when her youngest great grandchildren Elsie Lee Vander Houwen, 3, and Violet June Guy, 2, were born. She also enjoyed spending time with granddaughters Karry and Kelly and their children, including a special trip to Australia and New Zealand.

She was fiercely independent and remained interested in sports, politics and business even as she became increasingly frail, insisting on filling out the August primary election ballot days before her death.

Prior to moving to Mercer Island she worked as a legal secretary in Everett, and lived in Yakima where she was the business manager and bookkeeper for the family orchard she built and operated with her husband of 55 years, John. She was a founding member of the Terrace Heights Garden Club and the Yakima Valley Arboretum, and active in school and community organizations.

Survivors include her son Boyd (Loma) of Seattle, grandson Garth (Olivia) and great granddaughter Elsie Lee of Maple Leaf, granddaughter Dana Guy (Michael) and great granddaughter Violet June of West Seattle, and granddaughter Karry Blodgette and great grandson Grant of Depoe Bay, Oregon. She is also survived by granddaughter Kelly Wigin (David) and great granddaughters Zoe and Aleena West and great grandson Adyn West of Ridgefield, Washington.

She was preceded in death by her husband John in 1989, and her beloved son Kirby who died of a brain tumor in 2005. There will not be a memorial service, though a celebration of her full life is planned. Ashes will be taken to Yakima where she will be buried next to her husband in Terrace Heights Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to the Yakima Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Drive, Yakima, WA 98901, or a charity of choice. Correspondence to VHPR, P.O. Box 1639, Mercer Island, WA 98040.