Merlaine Dolores Duranceau

April 16, 1938 – August 17, 2021

MOUNT VERNON –

Merlaine Dolores Duranceau passed away Tuesday, August 17, 2021, at Skagit Regional Hospital in Mount Vernon with her husband, Clyde and sons David and Gary by her side.

Merlaine was born in Burlington, Washington to Jesse and Faye (Martin) Brostrom on April 16, 1938.  Although they lived in Anacortes, Faye chose to give birth in Burlington so she could be closer to her family.

After completing the First grade in Anacortes her family moved to Burlington.  Merlaine graduated from Burlington-Edison High School in 1956.  Merlaine then attended Skagit Valley College where she met Clyde.  They began dating and through their many conversations they discovered that they had been in the First grade together in Anacortes.

After one year at Skagit Valley College, Merlaine got as job as a receptionist at Skagit Valley Hospital which was located at the corner of 6 ^th Street and Division.  After the new hospital was built on Kincaid Street in 1958, she moved to the new hospital as receptionist.  She enjoyed working at the hospital and made many friends.

Merlaine and Clyde were married in June of 1960.  Their plans for the near term were interrupted when Clyde received a draft notice in September of 1961 to report for induction into the military on October 1, 1961.  This was precipitated by the "Cuban Missile Crisis".  Clyde immediately signed up to join the Air Force.

Merlaine reunited with Clyde in February of 1962 in Biloxi, Mississippi where Clyde was attending Keesler Air Force Base Electronics School.  In October they moved to Larson AFB in Moses Lake where Clyde was assigned to a Radio Relay Unit.  In June of 1963 Clyde received orders to report to a Radar Detachment in Hawthorne, Nevada on July 1.  Although this was a little unsettling for Merlaine she always tried to make the best of the situation.

Merlaine was always willing to help organize social gatherings with their newly found military friends.  Merlaine loved to camp so she helped organize several different camping trips to Yosemite National Park which was about 60 miles from Hawthorne.  Merlaine's all-time favorite camping spot was Fort Flagler, where she and her family have been camping nearly every year since 1972.

Clyde was released from active duty on October 1, 1965 and the family headed back to Mount Vernon.  The family had now included two sons (David 1 ½ yrs. and Gary 5 weeks) plus a 6-month-old Malamute pup named Duke.

Merlaine became closely involved in the raising of her two sons.  She made sure that they took swim lessons, encouraged them to join the school band so they could learn to play a musical instrument, she was a teacher's aide for several years.  Merlaine enrolled the boys in a Cub Scout Pack and instantly became a Cub Den leader for 5 years and convinced her husband that he should be a WEBELOS Den leader for three years.  Merlaine was a big supporter of Boy Scouts and helped organize many Court of Honor potluck dinners and kept encouraging her sons as they worked to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.  They both achieved this rank.  After the boys got into middle school, Merlaine worked as a receptionist for the Shepler Chiropractic Clinic for more than 20 years.

Merlaine is survived by her husband Clyde, her son David and his wife Paula and their children Ashley, Derrick and Alinda, and her son Gary and his wife Wendy and their children Rebecca and Justin.

Merlaine was preceded in death by her parents Jesse and Faye (Martin) Brostom.

A graveside service will be held on September 10, 2021, at 1:00pm at Hawthorne Memorial Park, Mount Vernon, WA.

Merlaine loved animals, especially dogs.  She always had a treat for them.  Donations can be made in memory of Merlaine to her favorite charity:  Humane Society of Skagit Valley, 18841 Kelleher Rd, Burlington, WA  98233.

Please visit www.hawthornefh.com to share your thoughts and memories and sign the online guest register.

Arrangements are under the care of Hawthorne Funeral Home, Mount Vernon, WA.