Frances Lam of Mercer Island, Washington passed away on September 28, 2017. She grew up in Seattle.

After graduating from the University of Washington in 1938, she traveled to Chicago, where she attended the University of Chicago Master of Social Work program and where, at Chicago’s International House, she met her future husband, Edward. They married in Hong Kong in 1940 and returned permanently to the United States in 1952, eventually settling with their young family and Frances’ mother on Mercer Island.

Theirs was a two-career household, dedicated to supporting their children’s education and opportunities for sport and recreation, instilling appreciation of the country’s National Parks, the destination of most of their annual road-trip vacations.

Widowed at age 48, Frances focused on family and her career in social and family adoption services until retirement. She and her mother welcomed sister Marion to their household when Marion retired. Accompanied by family, Frances took many cross country road trips and toured China, Scandinavia, the UK, France and Italy. She was a long time, enthusiastic and eager student of gardening, weaving, spinning, needlecraft, and basketry. In her nineties she fulfilled a lifelong dream, finding a teacher at her retirement community who inspired and graciously supported her efforts with watercolor.

Frances leaves behind son Ron, daughter Judy and son-in-law Jiggs, sister Edith, many cousins, nephews and grandnephews, nieces and grandnieces, and cherished friends old and new, many of whom gathered recently to celebrate her 100th year of life.

In honor of her wishes, there will be no memorial service and burial will be at the family’s convenience.

Contributions to her memory may be made to the Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606, or to Kin On Community Health Care, 4416 S. Brandon Street, Seattle, WA 98118.