Faye Elois McDonald went to be with her Heavenly Father just before the holidays of 2007.
She was born in Twisp, Wash., as Faye Willmorth in 1926, daughter of Clarence and Rose Willmorth. Along with her brother, Norman Gus and sister, Iris, she was raised in Eastern Washington. At the age of 16, she adventurously moved to Seattle, Wash., to work in the aircraft industry spurred by World War II. There she met Robert H. Swanson, son of Jenny and Anton Swanson, who moved to the United States from Sweden in 1910. They were married at the end of the War.
In 1946, she had her first born, Barry Swanson followed by Brian four years later. She was active in school events and raised her boys in North City. In 1965 she had a third son, Darin McDonald.
Faye remarried in 1969 to Malcolm McDonald and moved with Darin to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where they had a business in the crabbing industry. Some years later she was widowed and returned to the Seattle area. Eventually she found another soul mate in Marvin Washburn and they were happily married until his death.
She is survived by her children, Barry Linn Swanson and his wife, Connie, of Lake Stevens, Wash.; Brian Neal Swanson and his wife, Paula, of Robesonia, Penn.; and Darin Robert McDonald and his wife, Krisha, of Everett, Wash.; her grandchildren, James Swanson, of San Francisco, Calif.; Sean Swanson, of Grand Prairie, Texas; Amanda, Steven and Christopher Swanson, of Lake Stevens, Washington, Terina Swanson Chen and her husband, Joey Chen, of Reisterstown, Maryland; Leah Marie Kirkpatrick and her husband, Mathew Kirkpatrick, of Harrisburg, Virginia; and Nathan Robert Swanson, of Tulsa, Okla.; her great-grandchildren, Mark Swanson, of Grand Prairie, Texas and Anya Marie Kirkpatrick, of Harrisburg, Virginia.
A memorial service was held at 4 p.m., Jan. 19, 2008, at Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home in Marysville, Wash.