Leora Virginia Mullan

Obituary Leora Mullan Leora Virginia Mullan, 92, passed away on November 19, 2009. She was the youngest child of early Tacoma pioneers Frank and Margaret Berry. Leora was born June 26, 1917 at home on North 28th Street and was a life-long resident of Tacoma. She was proud of her Croatian heritage and early Tacoma roots. Leora attended St. Patrick's Grade School and graduated from Aquinas academy in 1934. On July 20, 1940, she married Philip Charles Mullan. They had three children: Phillis, Kathy and Nick. Lee attended Tacoma Secretarial School and worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for different accounting firms. After retirement, she worked in the office at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Leora's Catholic faith was important to her; she was active in her church and served as a Eucharistic minister. In her younger days, she loved to play tennis and participated in city tournaments. She was a member of the Slavonian American Benevolent Society (SABS) and also belonged to a group of ladies "The Old Town Gals", who grew up together and met regularly for lunch reminiscing the early days of Tacoma and their Old Town Croatian family ties. Leora also loved to travel. She enjoyed gambling in Reno and traveling in Europe including special trips to the wedding of her grandson, Tom and wife Maria in Spain and to visit her parents' home town on the island of Hvar, Croatia. Leora enjoyed playing bridge and continued to play using special lights and enlarged cards when macular degeneration claimed most of her sight. When her vision failed, Leora, an avid reader, switched to listening to book on tape which became her main source of recreation. Leora was preceded in death by her husband, Phil, in 1977, daughter, Phillis, in 1985, her brothers Tony and Mitchell Berry and sister Margaret DePolo. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Kathleen and Larry Buzzard, Lynnwood and son and daughter-in-law Nick and Mary Jane Mullan, Gig Harbor. Leora's grandchildren are; Tom (Maria) Mulledy, Madrid; LeeAnn (Chris) Kooley, Gig Harbor; Jeannie (Neil) Gorrell, Olympia; Shannon (John) Smith, Snohomish; Katie (Gary) Talcott, Burien; Nick (Debbie) Mullan, Gig Harbor; Rob Mullan, Seattle and Colleen (Drew) Wilson, North Carolina. She is also survived by thirteen great grandchildren: Lola and Tom Mulledy; Amanda and Tanner Kooley; Will Wilson; Sarah, Emma, Andy and Ben Gorrell; Anika Smith; Ashley Talcott; Alyssa and Connor Mullan. She is also survived by sisters-in-law Florence Berry of Bellevue and Kathryn Polky of Tacoma and many nieces and nephews. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 11:00 am at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Family suggests donations be made to the Sisters of Saint Dominic who taught Leora, Phil and their children at St. Patrick and at Aquinas: Friends of the Tacoma Dominicans 935 Fawcett Ave. S., Tacoma, WA 98402. Please leave online condolences at www.GaffneyCares.com. Arrangements by Gaffney Funeral Home, 253-572-6003.