April 27, 1932 – August 10, 2021
“Bette Ann” Hynes
Elizabeth “Bette Ann” Hynes was the youngest of the six children of Ellen and John Hynes of Davenport, Iowa. Bette attended Sacred Heart Elementary and graduated from Davenport High School in 1950. After high school, Bette visited her sister Margaret in Seattle – and never left. Her new employer, American President steamship line, sent her to San Francisco for a year, but she returned to Seattle where she met an adventuresome man in 1957 on a ski trip, who was to become her husband of 47 years. They married July 18, 1959, bought a VW bug and spent the summer traveling in Europe.
In the early 70s, she filled in at Wood/Harbinger Engineering Co for a week and ended up staying 22 years. She and John, a teacher and house painter, enjoyed a rich life with their family, their garden, their wine club, tennis and golf.
Bette and John raised three sons and she loved telling stories about THAT adventure! They were enthusiastic and talented tennis players, competing in tournaments with friends from Yarrow Bay to Hood Canal. Every summer, the family would pack up the car and camp at Washington’s most beautiful destinations including La Connor, Lake Chelan State Park & the Olympic Peninsula.
Bette’s children and grandchildren were devoted to their “Momma” throughout her life. She adored watching Andrew and Wendy’s daughters, Chelsea and Nicole, grow up to be successful young women; and Dave and Lynn’s three – Henry, Hailen and Harper – run circles around their world as they are growing up. Tom served as Bette’s landscaper, resident artist and chef in the years after John’s death in 2006. Bette enjoyed visiting and traveling with her children, frequently visiting Park City, Tucson and southern California.
Bette cherished her strong Irish heritage and Catholic faith. And oh how she loved her friends! She played darn good tennis at Robinswood for decades and stayed connected as the Tennis Girls morphed into Golf Girls or Poker Girls. She always looked forward to traveling to visit her family, and her girls’ golf getaway in Palm Springs was an annual romp. Laughter was Bette’s second language, and she shared it freely, but what her friends will remember most is her generous friendship, love, understanding and compassion as they all moved on through life.
Bette’s siblings, Mary (Pete) Beckman, Katherine (Arthur) Dickson, Margaret (Ken) Koehler, Joseph (Josephine) Hynes and Father John Hynes have all predeceased her. Her sister-in-law, Betty Eberharter of Seattle, joins countless nieces, nephews, and close friends who will miss Bette’s humor and warmth.
The Stevenson family invites you to join them in celebrating Bette’s life at 11 am on Wednesday August 18, 2021, at St. Louise de Marillac Catholic Church located at 156th Ave. S.E. in Bellevue. A celebration of life will follow at Robinswood House 1-4:30pm.
Bette was a big supporter of the SE Network SafetyNet Program through the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. In lieu of flowers, her family asks donations to be made toward this program in honor of her memory: https://positiveplace.org/safetynet/, select the green “Donate” button on the top right corner and select “SE Network/Safe Passage” to direct your donation directly to this program.
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