Edith "Sue" Dalen

Sue Dalen, age 96, passed away peacefully at home in Bellingham on August 26, 2016, one week and a day before her 97th birthday. Born and raised in Vancouver, WA, she graduated at the top of her class at Fort Vancouver High School and had straight A's in three years of Latin.

Upon receiving a scholarship to college, she went to work at a farmers' co-op cannery to earn money for her room and board. She chose to spend her savings and forego college, continuing to work, to help out in a family emergency. She took night classes in bookkeeping and accounting which eventually lead to a promotion to the cannery's accounting office and eventual a promotion to cannery controller. After WWII, she met Rodger Dalen at church and they were married three months later in August of 1946. They remained married until Rodger's death in 2004.

Sue attended Hillcrest Church of the Nazarene in Vancouver, WA, where she sang in the choir and served on the church board. She also volunteered as a reading tutor at Sacajawea Elementary School. She loved singing, listening to music, reading novels, and doing crossword puzzles. She loved going to the beach and to their little lake hide-away where she had fun feeding the squirrels. Sue was well loved by her family and friends. She was quick to laugh and to offer a kind word. Her strength and love touched many lives, and she is a hero to her one and only daughter.

Sue was preceded in death by her siblings, Marge Welch and Roy “Mac” Corson, her husband, Rodger Dalen, her grandson, Stephen Tsiorvas, and her great-granddaughter, Dannikah Grandberg-Kiddle. Sue is survived by her daughter, Katherine Dalen, of Bellingham; her grandchildren, Brendon and Emily Kiddle, and George and Andrew Tsiorvas, her step-grandchildren, Akilah Williams-Cariker and Taj Williams; eight great-grandchildren; her niece, Chris Gering, and two great-nieces of Vancouver, WA.

Services in Bellingham, WA will be held at Westford Funeral Home; Visitation from 2-5 pm on Friday, September 2nd. Funeral Service at 11 AM on her birthday, Saturday, September 3rd. Reception following.

Services in Vancouver, WA will be held at Evergreen Memorial Gardens; Funeral Service 12:30 pm on Wednesday, September 7th. Committal and reception following.

Memorials may be made to the Brigid Collins Family Support Center or Northwest Youth Services.

Sue, rest in peace and remember our love as we will remember yours.