Betty Louise Tazioli

Do you know anyone who

• Slept with sheets inside their sleeping bag?

• Skied Mount Rainer before there was any kind of a lift - including a rope tow?

• Had four hip replacements and assorted other body adjustments - the original bionic woman - and

kept on going?

• Readily dispensed advice (usually correct) the same way she did Miracle-Gro in the garden -

everywhere?

The list could go on and on. And it does. This was life of Betty Louise (Vieweg) Tazioli who died June 14, 2024, at the age of 98. Peacefully, ready. A life filled with great stories.

Betty was born in Seattle’s Latona neighborhood. Her mother, Sylvia, was on bed rest and didn’t enjoy being cooped up in a dark bedroom. So, her father, Otto, created a nicer space in the dining room for his wife. Betty would fondly tell the story of being born in a “Dining Room.” No wonder she became such a good and versatile cook.

Betty was graduated from Seattle’s Lincoln High School. She then moved with her parents to Cherry Point, North Carolina where her father was an officer with the Marine Corps. This experience prompted Betty to train as a nurse and volunteer for the American Red Cross.

Returning to Seattle she had a brief stint in modeling. About that same time, on a blind date, she met Edward Tazioli, the man who would become the love of her life (and she his). Ed was smitten - how else could you explain the entry he made in his calendar when they met: Hot Dish!

They immediately connected. And Betty quickly learned the ways of Ed’s Italian family. She was invited to Ed’s parents for a Thanksgiving dinner after they’d been dating for a bit. There was pasta! Betty liked it so much she had a second helping, and then discovered this family’s tradition: pasta first, then the turkey and all the trimmings. She gallantly ate on.

The couple married in 1952 … on Betty’s birthday. Ed was the consummate gift. They went on to have two daughters, Pamela and Alisa. The young family lived first in the Bryant neighborhood and then in Meadowbrook along Thornton Creek, or as Ed called it, their waterfront property.

Betty loved being a wife and mother. As a young bride she was a savvy cook. Before Ed came home from work, she would sauté garlic and stroll around the house with the warm pan, putting his mind at ease by spreading goodness of dinner to come. She could fix just about anything. “Just take it apart and look at it”, was her approach to repairs. A skinned knee, however, was met with a Band-Aid and a kiss. She sewed clothes for her girls and their dolls and turned the kitchen into a beauty parlor, giving permanent waves and haircuts. For fun, the family would sit on a blanket in front of the fireplace and dine from a hibachi.

Betty was the consummate Northwesterner, loving Mother Nature. She harvested and shucked oysters, went mushroom hunting and joined the Mycological Society. She hiked, she walked, she swam. Ever tried digging the elusive razor clam? She was a pro. Her crabbing skills were diverse using a pot, rake, and even by hand which is tricky. She could put REI to shame as the original inventor of “glamping”. The end of summer was marked by a vegetable harvest. Betty, Ed and various family members made their annual trek to Wapato for the perfect sun ripened tomatoes and peppers.

A true adventurer, Betty walked on glaciers, and flew the skies in hot air balloons. She even took flying lessons just short of getting her pilot’s license, only to fly to Bellingham for hand-churned ice cream.

There were beautifully ornamented Christmas trees and matching Santa hats she made for all of Ed’s extended family. Of course, there was a purpose to the latter. Every year, the entire group went caroling in the neighborhood. Ushered along, the kids didn’t like it much, but they did like yet another holiday tradition - Betty’s x-rated version of The Night Before Christmas. Oh my!

Betty always found time to volunteer and support the non-profit sector. She readily made her community a better place. Beginning with Ascension Lutheran Church, where she also sang alto in the choir, and the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital Guild, her interests included health, children, the environment and anything to support veterans. She was fond of fundraising auctions. When Ed would leave the table, she would quickly raise her paddle. Thanks to Betty, they traveled … a lot!

Amid it all, there were struggles. Betty was like Humpty Dumpty. All the kings’ horses and men put her back together again. She had a battle with alcoholism which she won. She powered through everything that she set her mind to. And, all the while, looking rather glamorous. The hair, the makeup and those eyelashes! And those smiles and that laugh. Couldn’t mistake them.

Perhaps more than anything, Betty and Ed enjoyed family gatherings, no matter where they were. Ed’s parents, Amelia and Leonildo Tazioli and his two brothers, Leonard and Richard, and their families were together constantly, practically every Sunday dinner at the elder Taziolis’ home. There were many gatherings with friends and family at Betty and Ed’s homes, indoors and out, the consummate entertainers. Betty’s lemon meringue ice-cream pie, baked Alaska style, was legendary.

And then there was this moment. It happened at nearly every dinner at their home. Once everyone was seated and before anyone could start eating, Ed would rise from his chair, walk to the opposite end of the table where Betty was sitting, give her a kiss and then return. And at that moment, for the couple, their daughters and for anyone who had joined them, there was simply love.

Betty loved her doctors and her caregivers. God bless you all for giving her a lively 98 years.

• Dr. R. Jeffrey Westcott, Nurse Erika, and right-hand gal Davonda

• Dr. Christopher Smith

• Caregivers Betty Anderson and Josie Karanja

• The amazing team at Bridle Trails Adult Family Home – Alina, Patricia, Mary, Doris, Liz and Priscilla

The next time you are down in the dumps, think of Betty. Put a smile on your face, hum a little tune, tell someone you love them and be grateful for all you have in your life. Betty will be watching.