Mary Frances Ring Van Eaton

Mary Ring Van Eaton passed away peacefully at Brookdale Assisted Living Center in Yakima, Washington on April 29, 2017. Her daughters Nancy and Christine and granddaughter Anne were with her at the end.

Mary was born April 5, 1926 in Hot Springs, Arkansas to Roscoe and Zelma Brown. She spent most of her school years in Hot Springs until her father was hired by Dupont to work at the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington State. The whole family packed up and moved West. Because of the huge influx of Hanford workers, housing was scarce but they found a home in Grandview. The family settled in and Mary finished her schooling and graduated from Grandview High School. Mary met Albert Ring and they were married October 25, 1946, just days before he set sail with the Merchant Marine. Upon his return, Al and Mary moved to Yakima and Al began working as a meat cutter for Safeway. They had two children, Ray and Nancy, and Mary was pregnant with Christine when Al contracted polio, the first person in Yakima County. Al spent the next two years in the hospital, much of that time in an iron lung. Al worked as a bookkeeper at the Yakima Airport and retired from there. Mary was hired at the newly formed Yakima City and County Employees Credit Union (now Solarity Credit Union) as a loan officer and retired from there. The Rings were very active in the fight for better handicapped accessibility. Al passed away December 7, 1980.

Howard Van Eaton began courting Mary and they were married in 1985. After Howard retired, he and Mary moved to The Dalles, Oregon. They renovated and moved into a small house on Art and Pat Van Eaton’s ranch (Howard’s son). While in The Dalles, Mary became active in quilting. Many of her quilts adorn the beds and walls of friends and family. After Howard’s death in 2000 Mary returned to Yakima residing at Living Care Retirement Community. After her health declined, she moved to the Brookdale facility.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Dorothy, a brother, Earl, and husbands Albert Ring and Howard Van Eaton. She is survived by a sister, Jean Michaels of Grandview, son Ray (Sheila) Ring of Mt. Lake Terrace, daughter Nancy (Darrel) Dochow of Sammamish, and daughter Christine (Chris) Perks of Yakima. She is also survived by five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held at Terrace Heights Memorial Park on May 21st at 1:00 pm. Thanks to all who helped care for her at Brookdale and especially Heartlinks Hospice.