Margaret "Maggie" Ann Cavaness

Mom was born on January 10, 1944, in Leitchfield, England, to Joseph Henry Zimmer and Barbara Dunne. She traveled to the U.S. with her mother on the Queen Mary from Southampton, England, to the New York Harbor in 1946. Mom grew up in a military family, which included her siblings Elaine, Kathy, Mary, and brother Joe. Her father served in the Army during World War II and later in the Air Force. Mom believed that her parents instilled a sense of pride in their family’s military service and identity. Mom valued the closeness of her family and cherished the time they spent in various states and countries during her childhood and throughout her life.

Mom met her future husband, Richard Cavaness, while he was serving in the Air Force at McCord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington. Their first date was at the Ice Caves at Mt. Rainier, and they fell in love quickly. They became engaged five months later and married on August 28, 1964, in a ceremony at McCord. Together, they kept their faith at the center of their marriage and had many adventures. They lived in various states, including Washington, Arizona, California, Oregon, and Idaho, where they created lovely homes for their family. They retired in Yakima, Washington, in 2001.

Mom and Dad welcomed Richard Joesph Cavaness on September 23, 1966, and Kerrie Marie Cavaness on March 6, 1969. We remember our mom always being there to support whatever endeavor we aspired to, from Boy Scout hikes in the Grand Canyon to baseball games and track meets, creating amazing holiday memories, teaching us about her faith, traveling to visit us wherever we were living, and without fail being our biggest cheerleader in life.

Mom was honored to have had a 23-year career as a paraeducator for special education, but being a mother was the most important and cherished role in Mom's life. Mom cherished the day she became a Grammy. Her love knew no bounds, evident in her relationships with her grandchildren. Sarah Kathleen Cavaness won her heart first on August 7, 1991, followed by Jonathan Andrew Cavaness on April 6, 1993. Their births brought immeasurable joy to Mom's life. Her heart and world expanded further with the arrival of Sophia Marie Rodriquez on March 23, 2001, and then Stevan Richard Rodriquez on March 31, 2003. Later in life, she welcomed bonus grandsons, Tyler and Parker Berman, into her heart. Great-granddaughters Emma and Lilly Lawson completed her heart, and as expected, she loved bonus great-grandchildren Paisley and Bridger Berman. Mom was a grandmother whose love could light up a room, and her legacy of love will continue to inspire us.

Over the past year, our family came together to help Mom fulfill her bucket list created during her cancer treatment. In November 2023, we gathered for a trip to the Oregon Coast, where Mom enjoyed the sunset with her loved ones. In January 2024, we celebrated her 80th birthday, highlighting her joy that night. In June, we visited friends in Phoenix, making lasting memories, and Mom had a fun trip to the beach with her sisters. Mom's bucket list concluded with her and Dad's 60th wedding anniversary in August, where their final dance together was genuinely emotional for everyone present.

Mom is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, our dad Richard Cavaness; her children, Rich and Libia Cavaness and Kerrie Cavaness and Greg Berman; Grandchildren Sarah and Chris Lawson, Jonathan Cavaness, Sophia Rodriquez, Stevan Rodriquez, Tyler Berman, and Parker Berman; Great-Grandchildren Emma and Lilly Lawson and Paisley and Bridger Berman; siblings Elaine Britts, Kathy Drahos, Mary Gross, Joe Zimmer, sister-in-law Darlene Landacre, and numerous nieces and nephews. Mom is proceeded in death by her parents, Joesph and Barbara Zimmer; Parent In-laws Walter and Helen Cavaness and Loretta Moore; Brother In-Laws, John Gross, Walter Cavaness, and Tom DeMello; Sister-In-Law Jane Zimmer; Son-In-Law Chico Rodriquez, and Nephew Darrell Cavaness.

Our family is deeply grateful for the way Mom was lovingly cared for during her journey with cancer by our dad, her sister Kathy, and the medical staff at Swedish Hospital, Swedish Cancer Center, and in Yakima by Dr. Midhuna Papazian from Yakima Family Medicine. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Heartlinks Hospice, specifically Nurse Mary, who cared for Mom and all of us and taught us how to care for her lovingly at home. The dedication and compassion of Hospice was a source of comfort for us all. Mom found comfort in the visits and prayers of her family and friends, and she was so grateful to have been loved so well.

Please join us in celebrating Mom’s life with a visitation on Thursday, December 19, 2024, from 10:30 am-12:00 pm at Langevin El Paraiso Funeral Home at 1010 W. Yakima Avenue, Yakima, WA 98902, followed by a Funeral Mass at 1:00 pm at St. Paul Cathedral Church at 15 South 12th Avenue Yakima, WA 98902 A private family burial is scheduled at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in honor of Maggie Cavaness to Heartlinks Hospice at www.heartlinkshospice.org or by mail to Heartlinks Hospice 204 West 2nd Street Grandview, WA 98930.