Genevieve Boddington

Genevieve Boddington passed on Sunday, March 5, 2006, in Redmond, Wash. She was 83.

She will be remembered for her beautiful smile and for her loving care and kindness.

The youngest in her family, she was born June 20, 1922 in Salt Lake City, Utah, but grew up in Nampa, Idaho with her parents, John and Ella Clare Wakefield; sisters, Georgia and Janet; and brother, John.

She received a teaching certificate from the College of Idaho in 1943 and was teacher and principal of a one-room school for one year. She graduated from WSU St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Spokane in 1947, then moved to Seattle with her classmates to work in area hospitals.

While in Seattle, she met her husband of 25 years, Rodney. They married in 1951 and moved to Sultan, Wash., where Rod set up a law practice and she worked as town treasurer. They raised two daughters, Valerie and Donna.

She was active with the Sultan JCs, Eastern Star and the Sultan Methodist Church.

After Donna’s untimely death in 1972 and Rod’s death in 1976, she worked as the school nurse for Sultan School District until she retired in 1990. She also took Rod’s place on the Washington School for the Blind Board of Trustees and served until 1985. She learned to paint and later volunteered with the Valley General Hospital Guild.

The place closest to her heart was the cabin she and Rod built on San Juan Island, where they had many happy times with family and friends. The hours spent beachcombing, fishing, playing cards or sitting in front of the wood stove she loved to cook on were some of her most memorable.

She is survived by her daughter, Valerie Navratil; son-in-law, Larry Navratil; and granddaughter, Abby.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Western and Central Washington Alzheimer’s Association.

— Genevieve Boddington family