Lenora Eileen Pixley

Lenora E. Pixley, 87, long-time resident of Washington State entered peacefully into rest on

Thursday, January 13, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, her home for the past five years.

Born on 19 December 1934 in Oakes, North Dakota, the second of four children of Florence

and E. Walter Gramlow, Lenora and her siblings grew up in the post-Depression era when it

took great courage and determination to raise a family on a small Midwest farm. Lenora

recalled long days picking berries in the hot sun and helping her hard-working parents with

chores on the farm and in the home. Her mother taught in a local school, instilling in Lenora

and her siblings the value of education, and inspiring Lenora’s desire to become a teacher,

which she fulfilled in future years.

From North Dakota the family moved to South Haven, Michigan and onward in 1948 to

Spokane, Washington. Lenora attended John Rogers High School, graduating as

valedictorian. She continued her education at Washington State University, earning a

Bachelor of Science in Home Economics, summa cum laude, and was notably awarded the

Outstanding Senior Award in 1956 in recognition of outstanding leadership, service,

scholarship and character. At WSU Lenora was elected to the Mortar Board, Kappa Omicron

Nu and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies. She was President of her Kappa Kappa Gamma

chapter and chosen as Homecoming Queen in her junior year.

While at WSU Lenora met fellow Spokanite, Morris H. ‘Skip’ Pixley. They married in June

1956. As Skip pursued his military career in army aviation, the couple hopscotched to Army

bases from Georgia to Colorado, Texas, Alabama and Washington, and to Hanau in

Germany. During those years Lenora and Skip welcomed three daughters. Lenora

continued to embrace opportunities to teach while enjoying the fulfilment of motherhood.

After five years Skip and Lenora opted to return to civilian life, spending a year in Walla

Walla where Lenora again taught school. In 1962 they moved their young family back to

Spokane where Lenora was a devoted mother and contributor to the Spokane community.

She taught fifth grade at Finch Elementary before choosing to focus on family commitments,

and volunteered her time to helping organize municipal events such as the 1981 Spokane

Centennial Gala and the 1984 Expo Extravaganza.

Lenora was a long-time member and President of Spokane College Women, member and

Co-Chair of the Spokane Military Ball committee, President of the Campfire Girls Council Fire

and leader of her daughters’ groups, President of the Spokane Kappa Kappa Gamma

Alumnae Association, and volunteer at Sacred Heart Hospital. She also continued to pursue

further studies in education at both EWU and Whitworth College.

In 1988, after 26 years in Spokane, Lenora and Skip moved to Bellingham, and then to

Mount Vernon, Washington where they resided until 2017. Lenora enjoyed gardening,

sewing, genealogy research, and travelling to visit her daughters and their families in the US

and abroad. She was a dearly loved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Lenora is survived by her husband of over 65 years, Skip Pixley of Colorado Springs,

daughters Lori Shafran of Great Falls, VA, Lynne Fourie of Lambesc, France, and Sandi

Swinford of Colorado Springs, CO, seven grandchildren and one great-grandson. She was

pre-deceased by her sister Alice Sonnenburg and brother David Gramlow.

A celebration of Lenora’s life will be held in Spokane at the Fairmont Memorial Park Sunset

Chapel on Sunday 6th February at 12.30 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to

the Women’s Leadership Network at Whitworth University.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MtViewMortuary.com for the Pixley family.