Lucille V. O'Leary Halpin

March 31, 1915 ~ March 5, 2013

A funeral service was held for Lucille V. O'Leary Halpin on March 16, 2013 at the Quinault Chapel at Panorama Retirement Community in Lacey, Washington. Lucille died peacefully on March 5, 2013, at Panorama Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center, surrounded by family, twenty-six days before her 98th birthday.

Lucille was born March 31, 1915 to Jeremiah Patrick O'Leary and Mary Margaret (Maude) McCrae O'Leary on the family farm near Glenburn, North Dakota. She was raised on the farm with her three siblings, and attended Glenburn schools, graduating high school in 1933 in the midst of the depression and the dust bowl. Nevertheless, she attended Minot State Teacher's College for two years, receiving her teaching certificate in 1936. After teaching two years in a one room school house in North Dakota, she returned to Minot State and received her Bachelor's Degree in 1940. During her second stint at college, she met and later married William F. Halpin on March 19, 1943, at Fort Lewis, Washington. Shortly after they were married, Bill shipped out for the European Theater of WWII. After the war, they migrated from North Dakota to Washington State, where they lived 17 years at Garfield, Washington and then 29 years in Royal City, Washington. After Bill's death, Lucille moved to Panorama Retirement Community in 1995, to be closer to her family.

At Garfield, Bill began as coach and math/science teacher, and eventually became Superintendant of Schools. At the same time, Lucille bore the latter five of her six sons in rapid succession. Housing became a problem, and after moving five times during their first six years in Garfield, Lucille and Bill fulfilled their dream of building their own house, suitable for raising their six sons, as well as accommodating their dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and Bill's large garden.

In 1965, the family left Garfield and Lucille's beloved house for Royal City, Washington, a relatively new town in the Columbia Basin where Bill was Superintendant of Schools until his retirement in 1975. Lucille returned to teaching, initiating the first kindergarten program at Royal City, and later taught 3rd grade at George, Washington, until her retirement in 1974. A tribute to her dedication, Lucille was inducted into Delta Kappa Gamma, the Honor Society for women educators. Lucille took great pride in giving personal attention to each one of her students and inspiring them to want to improve and be more responsible students and better people.

A devoted Irish Catholic, Lucille's faith and dedication to her church, along with her family, occupied the center of her life. She was a perennial member of the Alter Society in both Garfield and Royal City, a student of Bible history, and a frequent catechism teacher. She remained an active member of her congregation until her health prevented her from doing so.

Among family and friends, Lucille was admired for her boundless energy as she was able to participate fully in the lives of her six active sons, as well as substitute teach at both Garfield and Royal City, and maintain her active role in her church. She particularly enjoyed playing bridge with her friends, dancing, and discussing the issues of the day, particularly from her point of view as a committed Democrat. Her lively and effervescent sense of humor enabled her to enjoy even her in-laws' family reunions, which were often raucous affairs.

While at Panorama, she particularly looked forward to the Sunday morning visits of her bicycling sons, who began their weekly ride with a stop at her apartment for a cup of coffee and ended it with a glass of beer, also at her apartment, and a discussion of family issues and current events. She also encouraged and enjoyed her own family reunions, as well as attending her grandchildren's music and athletic activities, which enabled her to get off the Panorama campus and spend time with those she particularly loved.

Lucille is survived by her six sons and their spouses: William Halpin (Jean) Yakima; Roderick Halpin, Seattle; James Halpin (Julie), Puyallup; Dr. Patrick Halpin (Wendy), Olympia; Xavier Halpin, Seattle; Daniel Halpin (Kathi), Olympia; as well as eleven grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband, William Frederick Halpin; her parents, Jeremiah Patrick O'Leary and Mary Margaret (Maude) McCrae O'Leary; two sisters, Theresa Hanson and Josephine Williams; two brothers, Julian O'Leary who died in infancy and Colonel Robert O'Leary.

The family wishes to extend special thanks to Dr. Robert Vanderberg for his 18 years of caring for Lucille, and to nurses Stephany Golubski, Mary Winters, Roscela Tabil, and Roy Reinertsen, as well as attendants Lisa Smith and Dana Lostrie for their loving care during Lucille's time at Panorama Convalescent Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Catholic Family charities, or the charity of your choice.