Mary Louise Howe Franck

Mary was born August 4, 1925 in Oakland California to Charles Dudgeon Howe and Willa Ashley Howe. She passed away September 14, 2018, having lived 93 happy and satisfying years.

Starting out a Californian, at an early age her family migrated northward, settling in Seattle, where her father was employed by the Bell Telephone company. Graduating from Roosevelt High School, she studied at the University of Washington, obtaining a degree in psychology. While at the UW, she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, and maintained friendships with many of her sisters for years following.

In 1947 she married Victor Russell Franck, raising a family [son Daniel Victor Franck, and daughter Barbara Franck Grimes] in north Seattle. The Francks were a boating and boatbuilding family. They spent countless happy days cruising the Puget Sound and the inland waterways of British Columbia in a succession of Vic Franck built yachts. Mary also filled her time as a docent at the Woodland Park Zoo and as a member of the Orthopedic Guild of Children's Hospital. She satisfied her creative ambitions by teaching herself to weave and embroider. Many placemats, scarves, and Christmas stockings poured forth in the following years.

As empty nesters, Vic and Mary bought a second home in Palm Desert, where many of their friends spent winters. Golf became a passion and Mary even managed a hole-in-one, a feat not duplicated by many...especially not at 83!

Her last years were spent at Ida Culver House in Broadview, and Sunrise in Edmonds, where she made many friends, and enjoyed life.

In addition to Dan [wife Elisa] and Barb [husband Carl], Mary is survived by her grandchildren Jason Franck, Kevin Grimes, and Leslie [Grimes] McCallen, her sisters Alice Hingston and Willa (Randy) Rohwer, and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a memorial service at the Florence Henry Chapel (Boundary Lane NW & NW Highlands Road, Shoreline) on October 13th, at noon, with a reception following at St. Dunstan's Church (722 N 145th Street, Shoreline). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Seattle Children's Hospital.

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Barbara Grimes 425-218-6668 [email protected]