Alma Gertrude Keithley's Obituary
Alma Gertrude Keithley, a Tacoma resident for over 70 years, was born in Centralia, Washington on December 24, 1906 and died in Tacoma on October 7, 2004. She was preceded in death by her husband of 35 years, Perry G. Keithley, her sister Dorothy Cassidy of Tacoma, and her parents, Stanley and Estelle Stewart of Centralia. She is survived by her son, Perry G. Keithley Jr. and his wife Judy of Olympia, their sons Todd (Meredith) of New York City and Blair (Lisa) of Seattle, and by her niece Susan McArthur and grand nephews Sean (Christel) McArthur and Jeff (Sunny) McArthur and their families, all of Richmond Beach, WA.Alma graduated from Centralia High School in 1925. She received a Normal School Elementary Diploma and a Life Teaching Diploma from the Washington State Normal School in Bellingham and attended the University of Washington where she was a member of Phi Omega Pi sorority.In addition to being a wonderful mother and grandmother, Alma was a career elementary school teacher. She first taught two years (1928-1930) at the Meadows School on Michigan Hill, a two-room school in southern Thurston County. She then taught from 1930 to 1933 in Centralia at Edison and Lincoln Elementary schools. She began teaching in the Tacoma area in 1941 at Harvard Primary School in the Midland School District, now part of the Franklin Pierce district, then moved to the Tacoma School District where she taught at McKinley, Whitman, Stanley, and Park Avenue elementary schools. She retired in 1970 with over 34 years of teaching.Alma belonged to her local, state and national education associations and was a life member of the Washington Congress of Parents and Teachers from which she received the Golden Acorn Award. She also was a 34-year member of the Washington State Retired Teachers Association and a 79-year member of Centralia Chapter 14, Order of Eastern Star.For nearly 17 years, Alma lived at Tahoma Terrace, a Tacoma retirement home on Union Avenue with many special people who were generous in their assistance in her later years there. Among her favorite activities were visiting with family and friends, listening to books on tape and playing cards, especially bridge.The family wishes to thank the staff of Heartwood Extended Heath Care for their outstanding care during her brief stay there.Private graveside services were held at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood on October 13, 2004 with arrangements under the direction of Mountain View Funeral Home.The family suggests memorials to a favorite charitable or educational organization.
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