Obituary of Dolores Mabel Lee

“Love appears everyday for one who offers love. That wisdom is enough.” ~Hadewihch of Antwerp This saying was on Dolores’s refrigerator amongst many photos of family and friends. It is a perfect description of how she led her life, as she readily offered unconditional love to all those around her. She was a kind, gentle, and generous spirit; a wonderful mother, wife and friend. Dolores Mabel St. Amand was born August 2, 1931 in Tacoma, Washington. Shortly after her birth, the St. Amand family, parents Cyrias & Mabel, brothers Pierre, Loren and Claude moved to Fairbanks, Alaska. The richness of the Alaskan wilderness instilled in Dolores a love of nature that was a core value throughout her life. She enjoyed telling stories of Alaska and her family. Despite being poor, the family had a richness of character and depth. Her mother, Mabel Berg, “fancy lady” from Chicago married Cyrias St. Amand and took up in the wilds of Alaska. Her father or “Frenchy” as he was nicknamed was well known in town for his remarkable clairvoyance or ESP. Pierre, her oldest brother, a young engineer and scientist at heart, built a plane at 18 that was featured in Popular Mechanics. He is now a world known geophysisist. The stories were rich and varied. One of her favorites was of how before she was born; her parents built and ran a trading post on the Yukon River. The trading post was a log cabin with a dirt floor. Her mother had some nice dishes that she had brought with her from Chicago. Dolores’s father built a plate rail on the wall so she could display them. She delighted in her mother’s recounting of how she could sit at the table with a 22 rifle and shoot the rats as they ran behind the plates but never broke a plate! Truly an Alaska pioneer. Dolores returned to Tacoma in her early teen years. She attended Stadium High School, where she followed in her mother’s footsteps by being one of a few women to earn the expert marksman award on the rifle team. One of her first jobs in Tacoma was at Point Defiance Park where she first met her husband William Lee, who she married in 1950. A year later, their daughter, Nancy, was born. Dolores was a wonderful mother. She showered Nancy with unconditional love and taught her the values regarding kindness, love, and respect for all living things. Her daughter will be eternally grateful for these life lessons from her mother. Dolores created a beautiful garden in Tacoma that was a haven for wildlife. She fed the birds and squirrels daily and was delighted by her year round hummingbirds. Some of her favorite squirrels would even take peanuts from her hand. These small birds and animals were a tremendous source of joy to her. Her summer garden was always full of flowers, vegetables and herbs. Tomatoes were always planted early in the season, frequently growing over five feet tall! She delighted in buying the near dead and struggling flowering plants from Lowes at a deep discount and then nursing them back to health, giving them second life. She readily shared her garden not only with small creatures, but also with all her friends, giving vegetables, herbs, or starts of plants to any who wanted them. Dolores had many other hobbies. She loved being active and out-of-doors. She joined the Mountaineers and loved hiking at Mount Rainier. Mushrooming was a passion of hers. She loved Puget sound and went boating/fishing/clamming with friends. The Arizona desert in winter was a favorite place of hers. Dolores was an excellent photographer capturing the beauty around her. She always believed in the goodness and the spirit of people. Warm and outgoing, she met many good friends in all that she did. The relationships she made were long and lasting. An example is her first grade friend from Alaska who is now living in Oregon. Ann sent her a card with a lovely handwritten message every day of the three months that she was in the Tacoma Lutheran Home prior to her death. These are the types of people and the types of relationships she cultivated. She felt blessed and thankful to have so many wonderful people in her life. Family and friends were what mattered most to her. Dolores passed peacefully on April 19th. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Grossenbacher of Portland, Oregon; her husband, William Lee; her brother Pierre St. Amand of China Lake, California. She was also proud of the fact that she was the grand niece of Thea Foss as she was more commonly known, Tugboat Annie. At her request she will be cremated and her ashes strewn on Mount Rainier. She did not wish to have a memorial service. Remembrances to the local Audubon Society. Arrangments by Edwards Memorial Center 253-566-1008