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IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Ethel Marian
Olszewski
September 27, 1924 – January 22, 2017
Obituary
Ethel Marian Bell Olszewski
September 27, 1924 – January 22, 2017
Our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Ethel Marian "Pie" Olszewski passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday January 22 at Mt. Glen Assisted Living in Mt. Vernon. She was 92 years old.
Pie was born in Spokane, WA to Howard St. Paul and Ethel Cross Bell, and grew up on Spokane's South Hill. She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1943, and began her studies at the University of Idaho in Moscow. After her first year of college she returned home to her first real job in her father's accounting firm having developed "stenography skills that were greatly improved, as well as the art of reception and proper etiquette on the telephone."
While Pie had fully intended to continue her studies in the fall of 1944, she turned 20 as the school year started, and was lured by the excitement and patriotic obligation to join the war effort by enlisting in the Navy WAVES. This was the perfect opportunity for Pies's lifelong spirit of adventure and reputation for defying the rules. That fall found her shipping off with great fanfare as part of the "Spokane Platoon" of young people entering the service during WWII. P
ie took a cross-country train tri
p to basic training at Hunter College in New York City, followed by her first military billet in Stillwater, OK.
Pie was reposted to San Bruno, CA in 1945 where she met Eugene "Ski" Olszewski, Chief Hospital Corpsman, U.S.N. True to her spontaneous spirit, Pie and Ski were married without her
parent
s'
knowledge on February 19, 1
946 at St. Matthews Episcopal
Church in San Mateo, CA. A telegram from her father the day after said "your happiness is our happiness." Pie and Ski were married for over 52 years, until his passing in December, 1998.
While Ski was deployed with the Navy in the Pacific, Pie returned temporarily to Spokane where Kathryn was born in 1946, followed by Michael in 1948. Following deployment, Ski was stationed in Bremerton, where Margaret was born in 1950, followed by Steven in 1952. After retirement from the Navy, Pie and Ski settled in Mt. Vernon, where Mary was born in 1959, and finally, the baby of the family, Carolyn was born in 1964.
As Pie's family reached their school-aged years, she returned to work first as a secretary at Madison School in the early 1960s. Eventually she began as a sales clerk at Weisfields Jewelry in Mt. Vernon, where she rose through the corporate ranks to become the first female store manager for Weisfields. When the Mt. Vernon Weisfields closed, Pie joined the team at Shellan's Jewelry. While at Shellan's she furthered her education at the Gemology Institute of America and became a certified gemologist and diamond appraiser in 1982.
After retirement, Pie and Ski moved to Mukilteo in order access their military benefits. Pie was finally able to work on her life-long dream of writing. During this time she completed two novels, and wrote a weekly senior column for the Mukilteo Beacon. With the advent of the Internet Pie immersed herself in researching the genealogy of her family, documenting their immigration from England to the United States. Pie remained in Mukilteo until her age-related needs required a move to a senior apartment complex, followed by assisted living. She moved to Mt. Glen in in 2015 to be closer to her family, especially daughter Margaret who took on much of her daily care.
Along with her parents, Pie was preceded in death by her husband "Ski" Olszewski, daughter Kathryn Olszewski, sister Mary Dorritt Grant, and brother John Howard Bell. She is survived by her sister Polly Collins of Boise, ID, sister-in-law of 71 years Delores Miklaszewsewicz of Milwaukee, WI, children Michael Olszewski (Roselyn) of Newcastle, Margaret Bird (Allen) of Mt. Vernon, Steven Olszewski (Cindi) of Bow, Mary Arnold (David) of Albany, OR, and Carolyn "Annie" of Seattle. Pie was proud to be grandma to Curt (DeAnne) Tronsdal of Fir Island, Nichole Olszewski of Seattle, and Shannon Peacock (Daniel) of Burlington. Grandma "GG" was loved by her great grandchildren: Dallas, Jack, Bridget, and Kenny Tronsdal of Fir Island, and Haley and Gunnar Peacock of Burlington.
Pie will be remembered for her loving nature, her kindness to others, her sense of adventure, and her long and eventful life. A memorial Eucharist will be held at 1pm Saturday, February 18 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Mt. Vernon. Pie was a life long lover of animals, and had a kind heart to those in need. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Humane Society of Skagit Valley or Hospice of the Northwest would honor this life well lived. We want to thank the nursing and care staff at Mt. Glen for their loving and compassionate care for our mom in her last months of life. We loved Pie, and miss her already, as we send her in wholeness home to the stars. She's all yours now Ski.
Please share your thoughts of Pie and sign the online guest register at
www.hawthornefh.com
. Arrangements are under the care of Hawthorne Funeral Home, Mount Vernon.
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