Sunny Geraldine (Paradis) LaRosee

September 5, 1942 — May 27, 2022

The curfew tolls the knell of the parting day, The lowering herd wind slowly o'er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me. — Thomas Gray

Sunny LaRosee, surrounded by her loving family, passed away on May 27, 2022, after a short but courageous battle with cancer.

If we could ask Mom what her life's accomplishments are, we believe she would quickly say, family – her kids Lori, Kelly, Jerry and Patty and her life with her forever husband, Frank. Mom and Dad had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They spent a lifetime together enjoying adventures, travels and creating many great memories with the family and friends she loved.

In thinking back about the time spent with Mom, telling family stories, sharing some of life's lessons or a little wisdom, Mom's advice would always be "get back in the saddle, don't let a fall stop you, it only hurts for a while and will be forgotten if you just get back in the saddle." Added to that, having a little fun and enjoying time with family and friends were her top priorities.

Sunny was born Sept. 5, 1942, west of Yakima, Washington near Cowiche. Her father believed she was an angel – and never changed his opinion. Her early life was all about ranching, especially horses. We are still amazed to see a photo of Mom taken at the Washington State Fair in 1946 as she captured the hearts of all those in attendance, winning a ribbon, the first of numerous trophies and ribbons. Mom was a top-rated equestrian in her day. One of the highlights of her young life was being a part of the Appleland Cowgirls Drill Team and meeting Gene Autry. In 1956, she and her family became residents of the Columbia Basin, 20 miles from Othello, breaking ground on a farm in the Royal City area.

In 1962, our family unit began forming, following the marriage to our dad, Frank.

In the succeeding years, "Frank and Sunny" as they were known, nurtured our growing family through a simple but rich rural lifestyle, with extended family close by. Our roots grew deeper around the Columbia Basin with each move, to Moses Lake, Othello, Tri-Cities and then Basin City, forming lasting friendships in all the places we called home. Finally, in 1995 our parents settled in Warden where they enjoyed the good life with a close-knit circle of friends at the Sage Hills Golf Club

Where did all the years go - now so quickly?

Sunny is preceded in death by her parents Jerry and Lottie Paradis, sister and brother-in-law Patricia and Gary Brindle and grandson, Cody Anderson.

Sunny is survived by her husband Frank; her children Kelly, Lori (Mark Passmore), Patty (Bill Braden) and Jerry (Angie LaRosee); grandchildren Ryan Bradfield, Tyann Jones, Dustin Anderson, Zach Overton, Jared LaRosee and Connor LaRosee, seven great-grandchildren and her brother, Mike Paradis, as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins and many dear friends.

We all miss Mom, now and for all of our years to come.

A celebration of Sunny's life will be held at a later date.