Mary Michelle Dale

Mary Michelle (Gough) Dale, 43, passed away on Saturday, October 8th, 2016 at home with her husband, Zane, and her children at her side. Mary was born February 27th, 1973 to Dennis Gough and Patricia Draper in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. She moved with her mom and dad to Selah, Washington, near Yakima, in 1974. She attended school in Selah until 1982 when she moved to the San Diego, CA area with her family. In 1988, Mary returned to Selah where she graduated from high school in 1991.

In 1996, Mary’s universe expanded to encompass motherhood when her son, Layne, was born. Logan was born in 2006, and in 2010, she had her third son, Luke. Her sons were the most important people in her life and she was immensely proud of them.

Mary was an extremely hard and conscientious worker. She started working when she was 16 years old and from that point on, she usually held down both a full time and a part-time job. She was a Registered Ophthalmic Technician during the day, and loved her part-time jobs as a server through the years in many of Yakima’s most popular restaurants.

In 2010, Mary made a life change by deciding to go back to college to get a nursing degree. She quit her day job and went to work full-time as a server so that she could go to school during the day. She enrolled at Yakima Valley Community College and began taking the prerequisite courses for the nursing program.

Throughout her life, Mary was an energetic, outgoing, kind, and creative person. She lived her life with an enthusiasm that infected everyone around her. She was a Drama Queen in the best sense of the words.

In early September of 2013, after finding a large lump in her abdomen, she was diagnosed with widespread metastatic appendiceal adenocarcinoma, a rare form of cancer originating from the appendix, and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). In early 2014, a second evaluation at MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston confirmed she had inoperable metastatic disease.

Although her prognosis was grim, Mary chose to keep life as normal as possible. She continued to care for her children, attend college as she was able, and participate actively and positively in life, all while undergoing chemotherapy every other week for the first 2 years after her diagnosis.

In June of 2015, Mary received her Associate of Arts degree from YVCC. She was so proud of being able to accomplish that goal and even talked of trying to reach her ultimate goal of a nursing degree. Mary’s courage and will to live well in the face of her devastating diagnosis is a lesson well-learned by those of us she leaves behind.

She is survived by her three sons, Layne Sires, Logan and Luke Dale; her husband, Zane Dale; her mother, Patricia Murray (Craig Huntley); father Dennis (Sue) Gough; sisters Meghan Murray Johnson, Erin (Derick) Murray Mitchell and daughter Baylie; Lyndsey Gough; and brothers Drew and Alec Gough. She is also survived by her mother- and father-in-law, Cheryl and Steve Dale and the large and loving Dale/Yoerger families; Layne’s father Tim (Diane) Sires and family; her step-father Steve (Beth) Murray & family; Grandma Arlene Hansen; her best friends, Kim Davis Harris, Tara Camp, and Erin Burton; uncles Preston, Patrick (Celeste) and Perry Draper; aunt Clara (Les) Bunch; aunt Carolann (Tim) Tackels; uncle Walter Gough and many beloved cousins including Arthur, Ross, Britni, and Steph.

She was preceded in death by her baby sister, Stephanie; her maternal grandparents Hubert and Thelma; her paternal grandparents Richard and Mary; and step-Grandpa Gary.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest donations to a fund for the care of Mary’s sons in care of their aunt Meghan Johnson, or if preferred, to the ACPMP Research Foundation. Contributions can be sent to Langevin • El Paraiso Funeral Home, 1010 W. Yakima Avenue, Yakima, WA 98902. A basket for cards and donations will also be available during “Mary’s Party.”

We will be celebrating Mary’s life according to her wishes: We will gather together for an open-house (come early or come later!) at the Yakima Valley Museum, 2105 Tieton Drive in Yakima for “Mary’s Party” on Saturday October 22nd from 3 pm to 7 pm to honor her, have a drink, share a laugh and memories, and don’t forget: WEAR PINK!!!

Mary and her family wish to thank the following people who have made her final journey easier and who have come to know and love her as we do: neighbors Dan & Judy Johnson; Karen RN, YVMH Hospice; and all of the wonderful nurses and staff at YVMH Infusion Care. We also wish to thank Albert Brady, MD, Thomas Geiver, MD; Patrick Waber MD and the staff at Cottage in the Meadow. A very special thank-you to Wayne Clarke, ARNP for his efforts at keeping Mary pain-free.

“When you die it does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live.” - Stuart Scott (Died Jan., 2015 from appendix cancer. For more information about Appendix Cancer and how you can help, visit: acpmp.org)

To share a memory of Mary visit www.lepfuneralhome.com.