Anna Marie Karabaich

Obituary Anna was born to Mary Kollar and Marko Domazet on August 8, 1922 in Ronald, WA. In the early hours of December 4, 2011 Anna left this life to join our Heavenly Father and her beloved husband John in eternal life. Anna was half Czechoslovakian on her mother's side, and half Croatian on her father's. She was raised on a dairy farm in Ronald, a small community located near Roslyn, and graduated from Cle Elum High School in 1940 with a perfect attendance record. After graduation, Anna moved to Seattle where she started her career as a bookkeeper, beginning at Central Pontiac. In the early 1940s she met John Karabaich of Tacoma, who would become her husband. Before they were married Anna had the opportunity to travel to Anchorage, Alaska to become a bookkeeper for Emard Packing Company. There she earned a trustworthy reputation for efficiency in an environment that at the time was quite rowdy. Following the marriage of John and Anna on January 12, 1946, they joined John's brother and wife, Anton and Verna Karabaich, to form the Ocean Fish Company in a building still seen at the foot of McCarver Street in Old Tacoma. John and Anna were sole owners of the business from 1953 to 1965 at which time they retired. The fish market served the local Croatian community along with various commercial accounts including the Top of the Ocean. Many customers became close friends. She and John were married at St. Patrick Catholic Church and remained longtime members. Anna and John were a team through their 60 years of marriage. When John passed Anna was heartbroken. Anna is remembered for her love of entertaining friends, playing bingo, and giving visitors care packages of food and beverages. Her surviving family will always miss her genuine kindness and wonderful stories of what she experienced during her lifetime. Anna is preceded in death by her parents, a brother Marko Jr., who died at the age of 2 years, and her husband, John Karabaich, in 2006. She is survived by numerous relatives and friends. A Rosary will be recited at 5 PM on Thursday, December 8th at Gaffney Funeral Home located at 1002 South Yakima Ave. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 AM on Friday, December 9th at St. Patrick Catholic Church located at 1001 North J Street. There will be a reception after the service in the church hall. Burial will be at the Calvary Cloisters following the reception. The family would like to thank the entire staff at The Weatherly Inn, who welcomed Anna as a friend during her stay. They would also like to thank the staff of Franciscan Hospice for their warm care and support. Donations may be made to Franciscan Hospice.