Marjorie Helen Carignan

Olympia, WA

November 25, 1925—March 5, 2013

Marjorie was born to Max and Josephine Schroeder on November 25, 1925 at the old St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma, WA. She grew up in a big, tight-knit family—she was the fifth of seven children and remained close with her sisters and brother throughout her life. While she was a student at St. Leo’s High School, she attended a school mixer with students from Bellarmine High School at King Roller Rink. It was there that she first caught Bill Carignan’s eye. She graduated in 1944, and when Bill returned from the South Pacific in 1945, they got married. For more than 67 years, they lived happily in Tacoma, Olympia, and Mesa, AZ.

Marge’s life revolved around her family and friends, and especially around her six children. In 1962, Marge and Bill moved from Tacoma to the family cabin on Johnson’s Point in Olympia. It was a great place to raise a family, with swimming and waterskiing and catching fish for dinner. She and Bill were members of the Lacey Daisy Square Dance Club, even serving for a time as club presidents. They were once named Olympia Yacht Club boaters of the year, and they decorated their boat, the “Willie”, every winter for the parade of lighted ships at Christmastime.

After Bill’s retirement in 1988, Marge and Bill became snowbirds, spending their winters in Mesa, Arizona. They found a wonderful community at Val Vista Village and Marge enjoyed her early morning water aerobics, Tuesday night bingo, and Wednesday night friendship dinners. She joined their drill team, the Drillettes, and learned to do paper tole, intricate three-dimensional paper artwork. She eventually became so good at her paper tole that she taught classes on it and won a blue ribbon at the Puyallup Fair for one of her pieces.

For sixteen years, their summer months were spent at the Pleasant Forest Camping Club in Olympia. Her time there was filled with family barbeques, keeping the squirrels out of her birdfeeders, and growing her tomatoes and cucumbers and flowers. And for Marge, the highlight of every summer was the Schroeder Cousin Campout, a weeklong family reunion filled with card games and food, stories and laughter.

Marge loved to knit and to bake, to poke at campfires and to win at a good game of cards. Even when she didn’t catch anything, she loved to go fishing because it was the perfect excuse to be on the water and in the sunshine. She made Santa cookies with her grandchildren every winter and gathered the family together to watch the Lakefair fireworks every summer. She loved parades and parties; Sunday drives and ice cream sundaes. She was talented, and she was loving, and she will be greatly missed.

Marge is survived by her husband, Bill; by her children Ron (Linda), Mike (Kit), Rick (Tedde), Sally (Andy) James, and Virginia (Patrick) Baker; by her sisters Ruth Dzivak, Lorraine Stock, Virginia Opgenorth, and Geri Marchand; by her 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her son, James Leo Carignan; her parents, Max and Josephine Schroeder; her sister, Maxine Warren; and her brother, Walter Schroeder.

Marge passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of March 5, 2013 after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She spent her last days surrounded by her friends, and most importantly, by her family.

A rosary service will be held at 11:15 am and the funeral mass will be held Monday, March 11 at 12:00pm. Funeral arrangements will be provided by Mills and Mills.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to St. Vincent de Paul or to Providence SoundHomeCare Hospice.

The family would like to extend its thanks to Hospice for their loving care, and to Colonial Inn for their love, support and milkshakes.