Melba Delores Sankey

Melba Delores (Brown) Sankey (age 81) passed peacefully into the arms of her Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ on Saturday September 14, 2019 at her home in Edmonds, Washington after a courageous battle with pancreatic and liver cancer.

Melba was born on February 10, 1938, to Kenneth and Mabel Brown in Prosser, Washington. She was raised in Walla Walla, Washington, moving to Eugene, Oregon in 1954 where she graduated from Eugene High School in June, 1956. During high school Melba met the love of her life, Fillmore Sankey, and they were married at the Church of the Open Bible in Eugene on July 14, 1956. Their 63 years of marriage was a testament to the love that they had for each other and to the blessing of being committed to a Scripture-based Godly marriage.

Melba had a significant impact on many lives. Not only did she make it a priority to invest in the lives of her four boys and their wives, but had an amazing capacity to spend time loving on her 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren as well. In addition to many other life lessons, she tried her very best to teach and model the decorum and proper traditions of great tea parties.

She was devoted to serving others and did so in a variety of ways. In addition to her mastery in cake decorating, candle making, calligraphy, upholstering, quilting, embroidering, tatting and crocheting, she was prolific in her abilities as a seamstress, knitter and card maker. She spent countless hours perfecting her crafts so that every gift she made was a work of art. She put that same energy into preparing for her Children’s Church lessons over the years, and those students (and their parents), as well as her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, were the beneficiaries of Grandma Sankey’s passion for telling and showing them the love of Jesus.

Melba was preceded in death by her parents, and two siblings, Wilbur Brown and Earl Brown. She is survived by her husband, Fillmore Sankey of Edmonds, Washington; children, Stanley (Charleen) of Eugene, Oregon, Stephen (Patsy) of Edmonds, Washington, Stuart (Cathy) of Edmonds, Washington, Sterling (Allison) of Edina, Minnesota; 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren; five siblings, Kenneth (Sharon) Brown; Russell (Betty) Brown, Thelma (John) Roberts, Virginia (Richard) Roberts, Norman (Marilyn) Brown; and many other friends and relatives.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to: Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life at Alderwood Community Church on Friday, October 4, at 4:00 pm.