A graveside service for ANNE GILLETT will be held at 3:00 p.m. Monday, December 3, 2018 at Hawthorne Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon, followed by an informal reception on-site at 3:30pm. Those with memories of her are welcome to attend either event or both.

Anne passed away on November 23, 2018 in Bellingham at age 87. She felt blessed to live in the home she and her husband built until the final few weeks of her life. Anne was raised in Tampa, Florida by her beloved Aunt Buji and Uncle Wade. A gifted student, she skipped the 2 ^nd grade altogether and graduated from high school and college early. Her musical talents showed up with classical piano training as a child.   Anne graduated from (what is now known as) Western Washington University where she met the love of her life, Bruce Gillett. They were married in 1950 shortly before graduating and shared a lifelong passion for jazz. Anne and Bruce played both as a duo and in countless collaborations with other musicians. On their 50 ^th wedding anniversary they cut a treasured CD for family and friends. Anne was included in Milt Krieger's book "The Less Subdued Excitement", which documents the history of jazz in Whatcom County. She was a long-time member of the local Musicians' Union and served on the board for many years.

Anne retired as a teacher in the Stanwood School District in 1993. She brought a sense of humor and used the element of surprise to keep students engaged in the classroom. Her classes visited the Josephine Sunset Home in Stanwood to perform songs for the residents. She loved boating in the San Juans, dining out, and traveling. She returned to Florida often to see friends and relatives, and took quite a number of cruises in different parts of the world.

Anne was preceded in death by husband Bruce and daughter Jan. Survivors include daughters Jill (Dan) Estvold and Michelle (Doug) Scraper, son Bruce (Sylvia) Gillett, along with many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her family would like to express gratitude to the staff members of Logan Creek in Mount Vernon and Mt. Baker Care Center in Bellingham for their kind and loving approach to her end stage in life.