Erna Mildred Abell

With sad hearts we share the news of the passing of Erna Abell; she was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who lived life to the fullest. Erna passed peacefully on October 5th and will be missed by all who knew her.

Erna (Haag) Abell was born to Ernest and Mildred Haag in Kelso, Washington, some 94 years ago. From an early age, she was outgoing and always loved being in the spotlight. She relished being an only child and could make friends with anyone. She danced ballet from age 5 through college and played in the percussion group in her high school band.  Erna also became the head majorette in the high school marching band.  As the majorette, she was the one that had the whistle-- so when she blew it, 60 people would follow her!  One highlight memory was marching in the Portland Oregon Rose Festival.

She met her husband Keith while attending the University of Washington.  They were married in 1951, and both Erna and Keith worked for the Boeing Company. They built their first home themselves from the ground up in Bellevue, and in 1962 they moved to their second and final home in Clyde Hill. After the birth of their son in 1960, Erna became a full-time mother and homemaker. Keith became an executive with Boeing where he had a 42-year career. 

In 1958, Erna and Keith joined the Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club (MBYC) in Bellevue. They made many life-long friends at MBYC and had many adventures on their boat, the “Seabell.” They enjoyed decades of cruising in Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and Canada. Over the years, they organized and hosted many of the annual club events. Erna was President of the Mates (women’s group) and President of the Women’s Interclub Council (WIC) for yacht clubs in the Puget Sound area.  In 1974 Keith was the Commodore of the Yacht club and Erna was the First Lady. For several years Erna especially enjoyed performing musical comedies in the MBYC yearly “Follies”; she was the director and producer for 2 years.

When Keith retired from Boeing in 1990, they bought a 40 ft. Monaco Motorhome and spent the next 15 years touring all around the United States. Erna and Keith also helped to host Monaco motorhome rallies around the country and developed many friends in that community. 

After Keith’s death, Erna moved into an apartment in Bellevue to be close to her family. She later moved into The Gardens in Bellevue and lived there for many years. Erna always enjoyed her passion for knitting, participating in The Garden’s social events, attending yacht club events, and seeing her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Erna was able to watch both her grandchildren grow to become wonderful adults and see them get married. Erna lived a full life and always loved being at the center of any event; she was known for her sense of humor and “bigger than life” personality. She also had the unique ability to get people to share their innermost thoughts.

She is survived by her son Greg Scott, her daughter-in-law Connie, and her two grandchildren Taylor (Becka) and Jessica (Mark). Erna was deeply loved by her family and many friends. She left a legacy of love, humor, and devotion. Erna will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

A Celebration of Life for Erna will be held on December 6th, from 2 – 4pm, at Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club. 9927 Meydenbauer Way SE, Bellevue, WA 98004.