Tamara Lynn Mathias

Tamara graduated from Inglemoor High School in 1976 and continued her education at Western Washington State College (now Western Washington State University), graduating with a degree in business administration. She was adept in the field and brought that acumen to every employer who appreciated her talents; she was sharp as a tack and always willing to take on challenges that were difficult but rewarding.

Shortly after graduating while exploring career options, she took a job with the U.S. Fisheries Department (she worked at a fish processing plant during college to pay for tuition and gained experience in identifying different fish species). She was hired to inspect fishing practices on a 100ft Korean stern troller fishing in the Bering Sea. It’s incredible to imagine a 5’4” 115lb woman on board a 100ft ship with an all-male Korean speaking crew! There is no doubt she had those men vying for her attention at all times. But she was there to do a job, and we can imagine her excelling at telling the captain “You cannot fish in this area” and “This type of fish is protected and release them”. I’m sure the captain knew she meant business whether she spoke Korean or not!

There was another challenging event that took place before she ended her career at sea (she spent the better part of nine months out in open waters with very little shore leave). The U.S. Fisheries Department “transferred” her from a 100ft troller to a 200ft troller in open waters. In order to get her aboard, she had to be zip-lined from one boat to the other in crazy high winds and incredibly rough seas; there were several times she came close to being dropped into the freezing water with only a dry suit and a life preserver to keep her alive! Tamara would relay this story with wit and humor, but everyone who heard the story was amazed at how brave and courageous a person she was to do something like that without flinching.

Outside of work, she enjoyed and became proficient at stained glass art and scrap booking. She loved gardening and delighted in watching the numerous hummingbirds feeding on the fruits of her labor. Tamara loved animals and they loved her. There was never a time that she didn’t have a dog at her side or a cat in her lap.

Tamara was stricken with lupus at a young age and suffered many of this disease’s insidious symptoms: chronic fibromyalgia, joint inflammation, life-threatening intestinal trauma, and more. But she fought these symptoms with great determination and perseverance and remained the Tamara we all knew her to be, a person who had strength, wit, and a rueful sense of humor that made others around her feel comfortable and at ease. She was loved and cherished by all who knew her, and we will always have her with us in our hearts. A celebration of her life will follow at a later time.

If any donations are made, please consider giving them to the Lupus Foundation of America at www.lupus.org or by mail at Lupus Foundation of America, Pacific Northwest Chapter, Inc., at 241 S. 4th Place, Suite D, Renton, WA 98057.

All are welcome to sign the online guestbook below and add any special stories for the Mathias family.