Gail Hudnall Botteen

Gail Hudnall Botteen passed away peacefully on December 14, 2017 at Serenity View in Bonney Lake, Washington. She was ninety-seven years old. Gail was born on January 28, 1920 in Las Animas, Colorado to Leonard H. Hudnall and Alice Parsons Hudnall. She was preceded in death by her husband Major Edward John Botteen, Jr., her father Leonard, her mother Alice Hudnall Collins, her two half-brothers Leonard H. Hudnall, Jr. and Robert M. Hudnall, her two younger brothers Jack Hudnall and Lee Hudnall, her younger sister Wanona (Jean) Hudnall Scott, and her great-grandson Jonah Kienholz. Gail is survived by her three children: daughters Susan B. Reinke and Judith ( Judy) B. Brown, and son Raymond E. Botteen, and their spouses: Bill, Fred, and Donna. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Annette Sugden, Edward Sugden, Lindsay Brown, Lauren Brown, Trevor Brown, Brian Botteen, Nicole B. Haugen, David Kienholz and Jake Kienholz; and great-grandchildren: Andre, Mary, DJ, Ava, Joy, Taylor, and Hunter.

Gail attended grammar school in Las Animas and graduated from Bent County High School in 1937. She briefly attended the University of Minnesota and graduated from business school in Denver, Colorado. After business school, she worked for the Army Corps of Engineers and it was while she was stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1944 that she met and married Lt. Edward J. Botteen, Jr. Sadly, she was widowed when her husband Ed was killed in an airplane accident after they had been married only eleven years.

Gail devoted her life to raising her children and playing an active part in the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was employed for many years as a secretary at John Rogers High School in Spokane, Washington until her retirement in 1982. It was a perfect career for her because of her love for young people.

As a young girl, music became an important part of Gail’s life. She was an accomplished pianist and singer. She was an accompanist and singer with the Sons of the Pioneers, a band that was headed by Curtis Gates who was later known as Ken Curtis, the actor who played Festus in the well known 1950’s television western Gunsmoke. Gail sang most of her life in various church choirs and at other events.

Until the end of her life, Gail was an avid sports fan gaining her love of sports from her father and mother. She rarely missed an opportunity to attend a sporting event whether it was football, basketball, baseball or soccer. She was a fan of all the Rogers High School sports teams and all the teams that her children or grandchildren played on or were associated with. Her raucous enthusiasm at games was famous. She followed the Seahawks and the Mariners not to mention the Sonics when they were in Seattle.

Gail was known for her infectious smile, her quick wit, her wink, and her love of life. She will be missed by all those who loved her and whom she loved.

The family would like to give special thanks to Maria and Vladimir Gorospe and Nina for the loving care they provided Gail for the last five years of her life.

Private services will be held at Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Bellevue, Washington. A Celebration of her life is planned for later this summer.