Margaret "Maggie" Attebery

Margaret M. (Besette) Attebery, known to all as Maggie, was born on January 27, 1929 in Santa Barbara, California. She had three siblings: her older brother Frank, and two younger sisters, Doris and Kathleen (Kathie).

Maggie’s loving and caring nature led her to a career in nursing. She could not have predicted how much her life would change when one of her nursing friends talked her into a blind date with a young Marine, Bart Attebery. She fell head over heels in love with Bart and after only 4 short months, she told him to quit stalling and either marry her or move on. Bart knew he had a good thing so, once discharged from the Marines, he drove the two of them across the desert to Las Vegas where they got hitched on July 20, 1950 at the Little Chapel Around the Corner.

In 1954 they settled in Seattle where Bart worked as a self-employed commercial photographer. On December 11, 1955, they welcomed their beautiful daughter Michelle into their lives and, because family was the most important thing to Maggie, she quit her nursing job and dedicated herself to being a wife and mother. In 1958 and 1959, two more daughters - Jody and Linda - would follow, with their son John making a surprise appearance in 1962. In addition, over the years, the family unit would be enhanced by their beloved dachshunds, Snoopy, Ginger, Morgan, and Baron.

Maggie’s roles as wife, mother and grandmother were her most cherished, however her other roles over the years have been truly diverse. They include bookkeeper for the family business, real estate agent, money maestro, scheduling wizard, snake wrangler, family travel concierge, campground construction assistant and manager, mountain and beach hiking coordinator, and so much more.

While her children kept her extremely busy, she always found time to do things for herself. She was an avid bowler and enjoyed playing card games with loved ones. She would fill her quiet time reading romance novels and doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles. In her later years she relished taking money from the casinos playing 3-Card Poker and playing Bingo with her friends at Garden Court in Everett, Washington.

As Maggie’s children were leaving the nest, she began to travel with family and friends. Some of the places of note include Europe, the UK, Australia, and Canada. She loved cruising to destinations such as Alaska, the Panama Canal, along the West Coast, and to most of the Caribbean islands. While she visited many parts of the U.S., her most frequent locale were the Hawaiian Islands, making trips almost yearly. Nevertheless, her favorite place to spend time was on the beaches of the Washington and Oregon coasts.

Words Maggie’s family have used to describe her are dedicated, loving, caring, loyal, sassy, sweet lady, tenacious, beautiful, stubborn, fiercely passionate about family, open-minded, tough old lady, magical and loving smile, and best friend.

Maggie has been reunited with the love of her life Bart, along with family and friends too numerous to name. She is survived by her sister Doris Frost, her children: Michelle (Bryan) Agnew, Jody (Steve) Dixon, Linda (Randy) Nelson, and John (Hanily) Attebery; her six amazing grandchildren: Nick, Matt, Stephanie, Chelsea, Spencer, and Ayanna; five beautiful great-grandchildren: Duvaekk, Kaydance, Rileigh, Finley, and Emma; as well as her extended family in California.

Maggie will be interred at the Evergreen-Washelli Columbarium in Seattle, Washington, alongside her beloved husband. No services will be held at this time; however, a Celebration of Life will be planned for some time later in 2021. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in Maggie’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.