June 08, 1942 – May 27, 2023
Maxine Dion
Maxine never let you forget that she was an Irish American who dearly loved Jesus, daily praying her rosary.
Born to Frank and Mary Wade in Peoria, IL, she was the second of five children. She attended St. Bernard’s grade school before relocating to Springfield, IL and finished grade school at Blessed Sacrament Academy. The family moved to Seattle in 1956 where she attended Holy Angels high school in Ballard, graduating in June 1960.
She met Ron Dion at the local family grocery store where he worked. They were married on November 5th, 1960, at St. John Catholic Church in north Seattle. After Ron spent 6 months in the army, they began their life together with Maxine working as a dental assistant and Ron at Boeing. Maxine was very persuasive that Ron finished his education as an engineer at the UW. After graduation, Boeing relocated Ron to work on missile sites in North Dakota for a few months. Returning to Seattle in December 1963, they purchased their first home near Northgate shopping center where Maxine often took their three children, Ron Jr., Dan, and Chérie shopping while Ron was at work.
In 1967 they built their new home near Bothell, where Maxine gave birth to their last two children, Jeanette, and Timothy. Her career raising five children was the most fun she ever had. She often reminisced about the fun she had with these children, including the many challenges. She had a technique when she went shopping – the five of them held hands while Maxine shopped to avoid getting lost or separated!
Once all five children were in school, Maxine volunteered at the school, frequently attending their classes to hear what was being taught! If she didn’t like what was happening in the classroom, she would have a private discussion with the teacher. Maxine kept in touch with her children’s assignments, often helping them get them done on time. Maxine loved being involved with her children.
In the summer, when Ron couldn’t get off work and they had a scheduled camping trip, Ron would set them up on the weekend and Maxine would camp with her five children all week long until Ron returned the next weekend. Often summers included family traveling with a trailer to different national parks in the USA and Canada. After Ron’s retirement in 1995, they traded their trailer for a motor home and traveled extensively around the US and across Canada.
For 27 years Maxine went to Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) and was a member of a Catholic weekly woman’s prayer group. Through these groups she developed many friends who prayed for all the rest of us. She also knitted many prayer shawls, for family, or the prayer shawl ministry while praying for the person that would receive the shawl when it was finished. She also volunteered at the Evergreen Hospital Information desk, helping people find their way and discharging patients.
She will be remembered as a unique loving wife and loving mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. She dearly loved being near young children and was sorry to see so many friends come to life’s end. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Ron, sons Ron Jr., Dan, and Timothy (married to Natalie); daughters Chérie (married to Todd Chapman) and Jeanette, her sister Molly (married to Hunt Holden), 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her parents Frank Wade and Mary (Broderick) Wade, and her brothers Frank, Bob and Don.
Maxine died peacefully with family present on May 27th, 2023, at Evergreen Health Hospice Care Center in Kirkland, WA. Special thank you to all the nurses and doctors there for their caring of Maxine.
A funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 12th at 11:00 am, preceded by the Holy Rosary at 10:00, at in Bothell, WA, reception following. In lieu of flowers, recommend donations be made online to EvergreenHealth Hospice Center or mail to: EvergreenHealth Foundation, MS-5, 12040 NE 128th St, Kirkland, WA 98034
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