Birth date: Apr 10, 1917 Death date: May 25, 2007
Cleo L. Hunter was born in Puyallup, WA, on April 10, 1917 and passed away in Tacoma, WA, on May 25, 2007.Cleo is survived by her four children, Hazel (Gary) Pitre, James (Sharyn) Sellers, Patricia (Dennis) Firth, Claudia (Michael Read Obituary
When I think of Cleo a "Tender Heart" comes to mind. She was such a precious person. My mom, Aunt Pat Provo, loved her very much as we all did. It's wonderful to know that absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Love, Danielle, Maralyn, Lillian, Doug and Linda (Provo, Pearson, Smith, Buxton)##imported-begin##Danielle Smith##imported-end##
It seems that I ought to be able to find a way to share what a strong presence Grandma Cleo was in my life... what an influence she was... and what a treasure she was to me and to all of us who knew her. I just don't think there are words that can tell you how she touched my life and what an amazing and wonderful woman she was. What I CAN tell you is that I feel SO lucky and so blessed to have had her for my Grandmother. No, words alone are not enough to communicate what a beacon of faith and love and light Grandma Cleo was. I think you just had to experience Grandma and the warmth and love that just exuded from her.
She was so proud of each and every member of her family and she never failed to let you know it. She made such a fuss over us any chance she got, to anyone who would listen. Whether she was introducing us to someone at church, one of the ladies on her bowling league, a co-worker at the Elks… even the waitress at a restaurant, there was such pride in her voice. She had a way of making you feel SO incredibly special –and the thing with Grandma was that she really thought you were.
There are a few things that come to mind over and over again when I think of her.
MORNINGS AT GRANDMA'SÂ… I often woke up to the sound of Grandma making breakfast, the smell of coffee in the air, and when I'd make it to the kitchen there would be Grandma, in her bathrobe, with a cup of coffee -wearing lipstick, of course.
TOASTÂ… Maybe it was the toaster-oven she used, maybe it was the Blue-Bonnet margarineÂ… or maybe somehow she managed to squeeze all of her love into every piece of toast she made, because let me tell you, toast never tasted so good as it did at Grandma CleoÂ’s. Now, everyone whoÂ’s eaten breakfast at Grandma CleoÂ’s knows that I wasnÂ’t the only one who loved GrandmaÂ’s toastÂ… it was a favorite of the four-legged family members as well. She always buttered a couple extra pieces which she would tear up and feed to the anxiously awaiting dogs (and sometimes cats) gathered under the table.
ANIMALSÂ… She LOVED animalsÂ… there wasnÂ’t a stray Grandma wouldnÂ’t take in. If you were a dog walking down the side of the road and you looked the slightest bit hungry or even a little lost, you were going home with Grandma Cleo.
LIPSTICK... Grandma always wore bright red lipstick, and many, well most, of us probably wore that lipstick around on our cheeks on more than one occasionÂ… lasting impressions of Grandma CleoÂ’s kisses.
ICE CREAMÂ… Grandma always had a freezer (or two) full of vanilla ice cream and her pantry was always stocked with HersheyÂ’s chocolate syrup and crushed walnuts. As a kid I loved eating at GrandmaÂ’s because there was ALWAYS dessert. And as an adult I donÂ’t think there was ever an occasion that I stopped in for a visit that we didnÂ’t sit and have ice cream together.
There are countless memories of and so many ways we were blessed by Grandma Cleo. She was remarkableÂ… the picture of a good Christian woman. She set an amazing example for all of us to live byÂ… she was someone to look up to and to aspire to be like. In her last days here I tried telling her how lucky we all feel to have her for our Grandma, and she told me sheÂ’s the lucky one to have all of us love her so much. Grandma Cleo is the kind of woman that it is impossible to imagine living in the world without, but she gave us so much while she was here that I know WE truly are the ones that are blessed. IÂ’ll miss her lipstick kisses, that twinkle in her eye, and hearing her say “I love you to piecesÂâ€Ã‚… but IÂ’m so glad she is with Jesus now and that she is being showered with all of the love that she never failed to show each one of us.##imported-begin##Lisa Zimmerman##imported-end##
Just a few of the ways I remember grandma:
Being 4 years old at grandma & grandpa's (Bud) house in Tacoma and getting away with everything as the only grandchild;
dinners after church each Sunday with the whole family;
chaotic but wonderful Christmas days each year in a warm & loving home;
sneaking cookies from the cookie jar next door that was always kept full;
always an opinion on my short skirts & long hair, but with a smile;
how sad she was when grandpa "Bud" died - we were roommates for a while;
how she introduced me after "this is my daughter Hazel, and Linda" to keep her age a secret - we always laughed;
our get togethers on holidays and birthdays as years passed;
taking a day during the Christmas holiday to have coffee, cookies and fudge together and just visit -she made the best fudge!
showing her my braces on her 90th birthday across the table - she smiled and winked.
What a wonderful and unique grandma
she was...she will be missed.##imported-begin##Linda Robinson##imported-end##
So many memories come to mind when remembering Grandma who was such a light in my life as well as the life of my kids. Here are few random things that come to mind (that can't begin to justify all that she was to so many people)and I am sure many of you can equate to Grandma as well:
Dignified and sophisticated, wearing suits and blouses or sometimes her short, shorts. Her physical appearance always at perfection, high- heel shoes no matter how much her feet hurt, her lavender bedroom, her pink bathroom, how sparkling clean her home always was (Grandma Cleo Clean), lip-stick kisses, vanilla ice cream with chocolate and nuts on top, the best gravy in the world, her laugh, her bellowing MERRY CHRISTMAS and then HAPPY NEW YEAR when she answered the phone on those days, the love for her dogs throughout the years, her love for her cat Tommy, I know I always joked that in my next life I wanted to come back as one of her pets, her ability to worry and her stubbornness (if only I could have inherited an ounce of her sophistication instead of the worry and stubborness part) what a warm and safe haven her homes provided and her love and prayers for all of usÂ…
It is all of those things and so much more that I will cherish and miss!
What a blessing and honor it was to have her for a grandma. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.##imported-begin##Renee Quinn##imported-end##
My sympathies to Cleo's family, I know she will be missed. I met her when she was part of Roy's life and was always impressed with her energy and compassion. They were great companions; she was a very caring and giving person.##imported-begin##Linda Hibbard McRea##imported-end##
I am grieved to hear of Cleo's passing. We all loved Cleo. Whenever I saw her, she was in a pleasant mood and so nice to be around. Cleo was quite a lady. Our family will always remember her fondly because of how she loved and cared for Grandpa Roy. We will miss her.
Sincerely,
Vicki Alsalman##imported-begin##Vicki Alsalman##imported-end##
NULL##imported-begin##Don & Sharon Firth##imported-end##
Cleo was a wonderful person with a terrific attitude about life. I remember the evenings she would spend with dad, Roy Hibbard, often both would be sleeping in front of the TV, what a pair they made. They never acted there age, like to joke and laugh. I will always remember her, she will be missed.
Mel Hibbard##imported-begin##Mel Hibbard##imported-end##
