Elaine Doris Cornell's Obituary
Elaine Cornell died on October 16th 2022. She was preceded in death by her parents, August and Albertine Stebner, and her brother Donald Stebner. She is survived by her longtime companion Dean Stargel, her son Greg, daughter Julie, her grandson Dustin, as well as her sisters Corinne Brown and Yvonne Kujawa.
Elaine was born in Yakima, Washington, in 1937. She grew up in Tacoma, where she graduated from Stadium high school in 1955, and went to work in her father’s furniture store. She married James Cornell in 1957 and moved to Waterloo, Ontario Canada with him in 1964 where she was a homemaker and devoted Mother to their two children.
She returned to Tacoma with her children after her divorce in 1976. She bought a house in North Tacoma and began working as a secretary/administrative assistant. She met and began dating Dean Stargel who remained her devoted companion for the rest of her life. They dined and danced and greatly enjoyed each other’s company until her passing.
Elaine cherished her family and loved spending time in their company. She never let a birthday or holiday go by without a card, or a phone call. She particularly loved helping host birthday parties for her grandson at her daughter’s house in Snoqualmie.
Elaine will be missed by family, friends and neighbors alike. She will be remembered as a kind hearted, generous and fun loving woman who did the best she knew how to make a life for herself and her children.
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