Obituary of Hazelann Cole

Hazelann Cole was born in 1935 in Worcester, MA and died peacefully at home on Friday, January 20th, 2012 in Tacoma, Washington as a result of COPD, congestive heart failure and kidney failure. As a child she lived in Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine. Hazelann attended the 8th grade in a one room school house in Burke Hollow, VT. She graduated from Mary E. Wells High School in Southbridge, MA and received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She married John Towse in 1957 and moved to central and southern California where their three children were born. She taught elementary school in the Kern County school district. After visiting the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962 they moved the family to the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle from 1964 until 1986. During her time in Seattle, she taught elementary and special education for Seattle Public Schools. In 1986 she moved to Grafton, VT and married John “Jack” Cole. They returned to the Northwest to be closer to family and settled in Astoria, OR in 1987. In Astoria she taught preschool and eventually became director of the Astoria Community Child Center until her retirement in 2008. In 2009 she left Astoria and moved to the Seattle area to live near her children. Hazelann very much enjoyed traveling, hot air balloon rides and growing African violets. She was an animal lover and an avid reader. She enjoyed digital scrapbooking and appreciated perfect penmanship. She was independent and strong willed throughout her life. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Cole; brothers, Wayne and Neil Undergraves; and her parents, Basil Undergraves and Gladys Thayer. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Laura Towse and Roger M. Oedewaldt; Virginia Gleason and Tag; and Dan Towse and Barb; her grandchildren, Rachel McDonald and Antonio; Nate Towse; Natalie Towse; and Sydney Gleason; and by her adored twin great granddaughters, Alana and Rayana McDonald. She is also survived by her sister Jean Undergraves of California, her children Dale and Tami, and extended family across the county. She leaves behind many good friends in Astoria including Trude McLane and especially Mark, Shannon and Erik Paulson who were much more than great neighbors. She was loved and respected by many and will be missed by all. At her request, there will be no services. Interment will be at Tahoma National Cemetery. Please consider a contribution in her memory to one of the following organizations: The American Lung Association http://www.lungusa.org/donate/; The Northwest Kidney Center http://www.nwkidney.org/donate/index.html ; Clatsop County Animal Services http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/default.asp?pageid=274&deptid=10001; or Tacoma/Pierce County Humane Society http://www.thehumanesociety.org/get_involved_donate.php She lived a good life, thank you for being a part of it.