V. Erlene Poole

Erlene Poole, age 86, passed away September 18, 2022 in Bellingham, WA. Erlene was born August 14, 1936 the youngest of eight children of Arthur and Ethel Lidzy. Her family homesteaded in the Territory of New Mexico in the early 1900’s. From those peanut and pinto bean farm beginnings, Erlene moved to Pasadena, CA where she attended college, got married, and began raising her children.

After moving to Bellingham in 1967, in addition to family responsibilities, she continued her education and worked fulltime at WWU. Over the course of her 25-year career she worked in the office of Business and Financial Affairs as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President, and as the Benefits Manager of the Department of Faculty and Staff Benefits. She was a Lifetime/Sapphire member of the WWU Alumni Association.

Erlene loved travel of all kinds. She traversed the USA by rail and car and traveled internationally. She visited her grandchildren often. Erlene was also a talented artist and used her early childhood experiences as inspiration. At a young age, Erlene was assigned the chore of peanut gleaning following the main harvest. From this she developed a fascination with the various shapes and sizes of peanuts. She combined this with her love of drawing and created a world of peanut caricatures depicting all walks of life. She participated in and supported local art shows and competitions. Her peanut caricatures were featured at Village Books in Fairhaven and at the Annual Peanut Festival in Georgia. She exhibited her pen and ink drawings of pueblo life at art festivals in the Southwest. She was a member of the Allied Arts of Whatcom County.

She is survived by her four children, Stephanie Johnson, Marca Babcock, Mark Kidwell and Kimberly Dollarhide, and their spouses, her grandchildren Grace, Allison, Scott, James, Karen, Lisl, Sharon, Susan, Madilyn, Monica, Bailey, Quinnton, Austin and Marina, and many great-grandchildren, relatives and friends. Erlene was preceded in death by her husband Wendell Poole, infant son Stephen Kidwell, son Shawn Kidwell, former husband Paul Kidwell, and her seven siblings.

A celebration of life service will be held on her 87th birthday, Monday, August 14, 2023, at 2 PM at the Squalicum Boathouse, 2600 S. Harbor Loop Dr. in Bellingham. A reception will follow.