Roxanne (Clark) Diss of Snohomish, Washington lost her battle with cancer on September 27, 2018. Roxanne was born in Lowell, Washington on January 14, 1945 to Hazel and Roxor Clark. She graduated from Everett High with honors in 1963.
She was the proud mother of her two children, Vanoy Welch and Tracy (Stover) Minke, Pastor of Outreach Missions at CrossRoads Church in Red Deer, Alberta. She had a successful career at Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD), retiring after 27 years. While at PUD she was a key employee of the conservation department and was celebrated as the October 1994 Employee of the Month.
Roxanne enjoyed competitive roller skating in her youth. This translated into a deep appreciation for figure skating. Starting in 1987 Roxanne and Tracy embarked in an annual tradition of attending the US Figure Skating Championships. Roxanne never missed a year, going to Nationals a total of 32 years. During those events she made life-long friends in both fans and skaters and could often be spotted wearing her US flag jacket in the front row along with dear friends. This next January, Tracy will be attending one last time, using her mom's ticket.
She loved animals and was a longtime member and supporter of the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. She loved taking family and friends to the zoo. She always had beloved pets at home, the most common were her kitties and the most unusual were her pet skunks she enjoyed as a young married woman.
Roxanne was an avid sports fan, especially of the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, Everett Silvertips and the Everett Aquasox (which is where she met her current husband Frank).
Before retiring, she started cruising, which began with a simple cruise to Alaska (following a tradition set by her mother and grandfather). Soon a new passion was sparked and she eventually went on 26 cruises which took her to all 7 continents and countless countries enjoying adventures with many of her loved ones.
Christmas was by far Roxanne's favorite holiday and she will be well remembered for a number of Christmas traditions such as hosting fantastic holiday parties, attending the Nutcracker ballet in Seattle and then collecting over 100 Nutcrackers, and finally the cookies. We will all miss the cookies! Every Christmas for over 40 years she made hundreds of cookies which were given away to friends and family. Last year she made 147 dozen of those delicious treats!
More than anything she will be remembered as a woman who generously loved the people around her. She deeply valued her family and friends which was confirmed through the constant stream of visitors and cards received during the last months of her life.
She leaves behind her husband Frank and her son Sean (Nikki); her daughter Tracy (Adam); son Vanoy (Kelley) and step-daughters Sharon (Dan) and Marie. She was a loved grandma to Makena, Jessica, Dan, Andy, Dakota and Sloane and a loved great grandma to Dan, Kayla, Matthew, Hunter and Wesley. She will be greatly missed by her family and many dear friends.
A celebration of life has taken place in Everett with all her family together.
Tracy is a Licensed Minister with the EMCC serving at CrossRoads Church as Pastor of Outreach Missions.
