Elizabeth Marie Dombroski

Beth Dombroski (née Carossino) was born on February 25, 1942 in the coastal town of Aberdeen, Washington. Her father Jack, the son of Italian immigrants, owned a small auto repair shop, while her mother Harriet stayed at home to raise their five children. The family faithfully attended St. Mary Catholic Church in Aberdeen, and Beth and her four younger siblings attended St. Mary’s School. The family was close-knit and enjoyed simple pleasures such as Saturday evening TV with a big shared bowl of popcorn.

Beth enrolled at Grays Harbor College with the goal of becoming a teacher. There, she met Jerry Dombroski, her future husband, who had just returned from service in the Army. The two dated, fell in love, and were married on June 22, 1963. Mom wore a beautiful designer-inspired dress which was handmade for her by a seamstress neighbor as a wedding gift.

Beth and Jerry moved to Bellingham, Washington to continue their education at Western Washington State College, renting a tiny home on Strawberry Point on Lake Whatcom. Beth earned her BA in Education in 1964 and began her teaching career. The couple bought their first home in the Edgemoor district of Bellingham. They welcomed two children to their family: Ann in 1968 and Mark in 1969. Beth took an extended leave of absence from teaching and stayed home for eight years with Ann and Mark. Jerry worked a second job at a local grocery store, and Beth worked part-time from home as a seamstress to make ends meet. The couple often had only $40 to spend on food after paying the monthly bills. Nevertheless, Beth and Jerry worked within their budget to make their house a loving home. Beth sewed clothes for the family and made handmade Christmas ornaments with the children, and Jerry grew a vegetable garden in the backyard. Several years after Beth returned to the workforce, she and Jerry purchased a beautiful home in the woods on the outskirts of Bellingham, where they lived for over 43 years.

Beth returned to teaching in 1974, first at Assumption Catholic School, then later teaching 5th grade at three different elementary schools in Bellingham. She quickly gained a reputation as a top-notch, innovative educator. She worked in two of the most difficult schools in the city, and was tough but loving in the classroom. For her master’s thesis, Beth created a year-long curriculum which incorporated cutting-edge research about the brain and learning styles. She used that curriculum in her own classroom to empower students to understand their own unique learning styles. Many underperforming students made tremendous strides under her leadership and left her classroom with newfound confidence. Throughout her career, Beth found ways to enrich her classes. She incorporated photographs and materials from summer trips to national parks, shells and fossils from local beaches, and many other resources. Beth retired in 1999 from Geneva Elementary School, having taught for several decades and having touched the lives of hundreds of students, fellow teachers, and student teachers.

Beth was endlessly creative. She was a talented seamstress and later an incredible quilter. She tried her hand at painting, embroidery, and macramé, with excellent results. She loved to cook and spent many hours researching healthy and tasty meals. She sourced whole foods from the garden and did a lot of canning. Later, Beth began beading, and this became her ministry of love. She never sold any of her incredible creations. Instead, she delighted in giving handmade earrings, bracelets, and necklaces to family, friends, and many others such as hairdressers, nail technicians and waitresses. Some of these pieces of jewelry took many hours to create and all were true works of art.

Beth and Jerry loved traveling. Beth would plan weeks-long summer trips to national parks, turning each trip into a fun educational experience for her children. Every summer, the family spent a week in Eastern Washington at Lake Pearrygin, joining relatives and friends for camping, boating, fishing, and swimming. Locally, they spent many days at Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, and the San Juan Islands. After the children graduated, Beth and Jerry bought a camper, and then later a fifth-wheel and a travel trailer. They crossed the country several times to Hershey, Pennsylvania, and also traveled extensively in Alaska, along the Pacific coast and throughout the Southwest. For over ten years, they spent winters in their fifth-wheel on the Colorado River near Lake Havasu, AZ., making many new friends and taking side trips to visit the Rock and Gem show in Tucson and the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. In 2006-2008, Jerry and Beth traveled three times to Europe to visit their daughter and son-in-law who were stationed in Germany. A highlight of these trips was a visit to Beth’s paternal family’s village of Sant’Olcese in the foothills above Genoa, Italy. Beth loved seeing new places, always making the most of every experience.

Beth was a strong-minded woman who stood up for her beliefs and opinions at a time when women were not necessarily encouraged to speak their minds. This was not always well-received, but her intentions were always for the good of those she loved.

Beth loved her family deeply. She and Jerry were married for almost 62 years and raised two beautiful children. She loved to cook for company and created amazing and tasty meals; this was part of her “love language.” Holidays were always celebrated with parents, siblings and extended family. Beth, Jerry, and the kids spent many long weekends on “The Harbor” at their childhood homes, playing pinochle, eating together as a family, and going clamming at Ocean Shores and Copalis. Fourth of July and Christmas Eve were spent on Whidbey Island with Jerry’s family. Beth stayed close to her brothers and sister and their families, commemorating life milestones, going on camping trips together, and just enjoying each other’s company. Jerry and Beth celebrated their 25th, 50th, and 60th wedding anniversaries with many extended family and friends. These reunions were joyous and loving events.

Beth’s faith in Christ was at the core of her being. She was raised from an early age to honor and obey God. As an adult, she made that faith her own. She loved to study the Bible, completing many Bible study series by Beth Moore and other teachers. She started a prayer chain among her family and friends, faithfully praying for their needs and sharing their prayer requests with others. She attended church every Sunday without fail. After she and Jerry moved to New Braunfels in 2020, they attended their daughter’s Baptist church, and then attended Catholic mass at Good Shepherd Church or Saints Peter and Paul Church. In the last several decades of her life, Beth spent time alone with God every morning reading the Bible and praying. Her example of faithful devotion is a powerful legacy to her family.

In 2020, Beth and Jerry sold their home and moved to New Braunfels, Texas, to be nearer to their daughter Ann. In the fall of 2024, Beth was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her dementia also began to progress through a series of small strokes. When Beth received her cancer diagnosis, her first reaction, understandably, was great fear and anxiety. However, Beth took her dilemma directly to her Savior. She went to her room and spent several hours wrestling through all of her worries, fears, anger, and sadness. As she later told her daughter, she gave all of it to God and asked Him to take care of her future. From that point, although she still struggled, she had a core of peace. This assurance from God carried her through the next few months of cancer treatment, progressive loss of cognitive abilities, and a move into memory care. The caregivers at New Haven Schertz opened their hearts to Beth and said she was an easy person to love and care for. In the early hours of May 17, 2025, after a short hospital stay, Beth slipped into eternity and the arms of her Savior.

Beth is preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Harriet Carossino, her brother and sister-in-law John and Becky Carossino, and her nephew Josiah Carossino. She is survived by her husband, Jerry Dombroski, her daughter Ann and son-in-law Ron and their family, her son Mark and his family, her brothers Jim and Joe Carossino and their families, her sister Cathy and her family, and many cousins and extended family. Beth was well-loved by many, and she returned that love in full measure. She would want you to know that she has not truly died, but has graduated to heaven, and she longs to see all of you there with her someday.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Beth's name to World Vision. https://mycause.worldvision.org/campaign/Beth-Dombroski