07/09/1924 – 11/15/2011
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden loss of our dear Mother, Charlotte Marie Boettiger, age 87. She died on November 15, 2011, at Evergreen Hospice Care Center in Kirkland WA. The Boettiger/Davila family express their deepest appreciation to the nurses and staff at Evergreen Hospice in their care of Charlotte.
Born in Seattle WA to Clifford and Marion Rowe, Charlotte graduated from Garfield High School, worked for Boeing (Rosie the Riveter) and Langendorf Bakeries (PBX Operator) where she met and married Donald Lee Boettiger in February 1946. They lived in Washington and Oregon (Maple Valley, Tacoma, Seattle and Portland). Together they raised four children and settled in Bellevue, Washington in 1962.
Charlotte was a fun person that enjoyed her many adventures with family and friends. Not only did she take care of the family and fill the house with freshly cut flowers, we remember how busy she always was: a cub scout den mother, sewing dolls for the Ryther Bazaar, on a ladies bowling team and square dancing with Dad. Exercising in front of the TV with Jack LaLane. She loved music and loved to dance. She had spunk, no driver’s license but as teenagers we were able to convince her to drive us anyway. We camped, we had picnics and BBQ’s and our friends were always welcome to join in (a few even lived with Mom and Dad).
Mom was a widow at 59 and reinvented herself with a ten year career with the Bellevue School District. She was the Childcare Coordinator for Woodridge Elementary and later joined a pilot program for infant care at Spiritridge Elementary, taking care of 4 infants at age 70! Children loved Charlotte and so did their parents. We have photo after photo from her many vacation adventures: California, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, and the Caribbean. Charlotte was sweet and had great spirit, if the children could not take her somewhere (she did not drive) she found a way to go (walking, buses, or taxi). She signed up for community center trips on her own to attend the World’s Fair in Canada, tour lavender and tulip fields, and trips to the ocean.
Seattle Visit in 2010
An unfortunate accident in 1996, resulted in several bone replacements and breast cancer but she always “pulled myself up by my bootstraps”. Mother was “healthy as a horse”, took no medications but she was very frail and the last year was difficult.
Charlotte was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Boettiger in June 1983 and youngest son, Steven Boettiger in October 2010. She was tired and her heart just broke. She leaves behind her loving family; sons Donald (Jim) Boettiger, Richard Boettiger, daughter-in-law Eileen Boettiger, daughter Gail Davila, son-in-law Frederick Davila, granddaughters Charlotte Boettiger-Cooney, Jennifer Boettiger, Jessica Boettiger, great-granddaughter Fiona Cooney, great-grandson Avery Cooney, her sisters and brother, nieces and nephews and lifelong friends of all ages.
A celebration of Charlotte’s life will be held December 11, 2011 @2pm at Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th ST, Bellevue, Washington.