Dolores Jane Brackett

Dolores spent her early childhood in Tacoma and moved to Yakima in 1946. She graduated from Yakima High School in 1948 and was active in High School Honor Society and was Vice-president of the student body.

She entered Washington State College in 1948 and graduated in 1952 with a teaching degree in elementary education. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Phi Lamba Theta educational honorary.

Dolores married Leroy William (Bill) Brackett in 1952 and remained married for over 50 years until Bill’s passing in 2011. She and Bill enjoyed frequent travel domestically and abroad in their retirement, including China, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands, England, Scotland and France.

Her first teaching position was at Gilbert School in the Yakima School District in 1952 and had 45 third graders in her class. She remained friends with several of those first students up until her passing.

After the birth of her two children, Debra and Lori, she returned to teaching under the umbrella of Special Education. She developed a Perceptual Motor program for the district and later received specialized training to become a learning and language disabilities specialist. She received Yakima’s Outstanding Teacher award in 1986 and retired from teaching in 1987. Dolores always said if she had to do it over she would always be a teacher – she loved “her kids”.

Dolores also loved her sports and was an avid tennis player and cross-country skier. She later enjoyed golf with her husband, friends and family as members of the Yakima Country Club.

She maintained an active role in Yakima Junior Aid and later as a Sustainer in the Yakima Junior League where she was Scholarship Chairman for many years. She also maintained active in several other groups and held leadership roles in the Leslie Loudan Hospital Guild; Money Madam’s investment club; and Capital Theater Backstage, where she was Chair of the Docent Committee.

Dolores belonged to several Bridge card groups and played often – even up until her passing.

Dolores enjoyed and is survived by her daughter Lori and husband Jay Powers; their two daughters Lindsay and Camille and their husbands Patrick Tiernan and Corey Rogers respectively, along with three great-grandsons: Luke and Brady Tiernan, ages 4 and 2, and Owen Rogers, age 1.

Family and friends were most important to Dolores and she enjoyed entertaining them most of all.

In lieu of flowers please consider donations in Dolores’ honor to the following:

Rod’s House

Children’s Village

MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for December 12, 2023, at 11:30am, at Rainier Memorial Center, 2807 Terrace Heights Drive, Yakima

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.lepfuneralhome.com for the Brackett family.