Thelma Farrelly

Obituary Thelma Graham Farrelly was born February 28th, 1909 and left us on April 22, 2005. She was born in Thorp, WA and was a citizen of the state of Washington all her life and was proud of it. Her father worked for the Northern Pacific RR and moved from one small town in Washington to another. The family lived in Woodland where her sister, Gene, was born and then to Lakeview now Lakewood. Her family moved to Tacoma in 1917 and became a member of Mason United Methodist Church. She attended Washington Grade School, Stadium High School and one and a half years at the College of Puget Sound (UPS). She graduated from Washington State College in 1932 with a Bachelors degree in Sociology and Education. She was one of only 1,500 women in the country who graduated from college that year. She taught high school in Palouse, Walla Walla and grade school in Newport, Washington. Thelma married Bertram C. Farrelly of Latah, Washington in 1934 when they were teaching in Palouse. They moved to Newport in 1944 and raised their family there. Mr. Farrelly died in 1970 and Thelma after living in Newport for 39 years moved back to Tacoma in 1983. Her passions in life were teaching, traveling and learning. She was dedicated to her students and innovative in her teaching. Many of her students remained in contact with her until her death and through them she has touched the lives of thousands. She loved to learn new things and her insatiable curiosity brought her to travel as one of the ways she could develop her mind - traveling to China, Africa, Europe, the Holy Lands and England were a joy to her. Never one to waste a moment she read constantly, researched and wrote the only complete history of Snake Lake and the Nature Center (her original papers and writings are permanently located in the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma), e-mailed her many friends on her own computer, worked in reading programs for children until her hearing failed and walked many blocks a day until several months before she died. She was a member of the Mason United Methodist Church, Chapter F.J. of P.E.O., on the board of several volunteer organizations, and the Snake Lake Nature Center Foundation, a passionate volunteer at Christmas House for ten years, tutored at Trinity Church and worked as a volunteer at the Washington State Historical Museum. She was forward in her thinking, a democrat and an unabashed liberal. Thelma is survived by her son Robert Farrelly, her daughter Sharon Wilson, her son-in-law Rogers Wilson, niece Jackie Welsh of Spokane, nephew Graham Johnson of Langley, Washington and god-daughters Sidnie Reed of Puyallup and Linda Bull of Issaquah as well as many grand nieces, nephews and many friends. Services will be held Saturday, April 30, 2005 at 1:00pm at the Mason United Methodist Church, 2710 North Madison, Tacoma and a graveside service will be held in Spokane on Friday, May 6. Thelma's wish was that rather than flowers a donation may be made to - Teen Outreach, 3555 McKinley, Tacoma, WA 98404. For more information please contact the Gaffney Funeral Home at 253-572-6003. Please leave online condolences at www. gaffneyfuneralhome.com