Flavia Elizabeth Roach's Obituary
Flavia Elizabeth Roach passed away on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at her home in DuPont, Washington with family members by her side. She was 85.
Mrs. Roach was born on December 28, 1932 in Seattle, Washington to Elsa Christensen and Russell Gierin. She grew up in Seattle and Sequim, Washington and graduated from Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma. She attended Whitman College and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco.
She met her husband, Francis L. Roach, in San Francisco in 1954. She was working at the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company and he was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. They married in 1955 and had five children.
A Roman Catholic with a deep interest in her faith and helping others, Mrs. Roach was an active member of every parish in which she and her husband lived. She also volunteered for the Navy Relief Society during her husband’s naval career, devoting thousands of hours to assisting Navy families.
After her husband’s retirement, the couple moved to Sequim, where they were active in church ministries and local civic, charity and youth organizations, including the Sequim-Yamasaki Sister City Association and the Boys and Girls Club of Clallam County.
While pursuing a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Seattle University, which she earned in 1997, Mrs. Roach became a volunteer chaplain for several Seattle hospitals, including Harborview Medical Center. She learned Spanish and Japanese to more effectively offer grace, compassion and spiritual support to the patients she visited.
A survivor of breast, skin and thyroid cancers, she served as a facilitator for several cancer support groups. She was known for her insight, sense of humor, empathy and her abiding example of grace, faith and tenacity.
Mrs. Roach was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years. She is survived by her children: Cathy Grimes; Russell Roach and his wife Jo; Richard Roach and his wife Diane; Eric Roach and his wife Leane; and John Roach and his wife Gail. She also is survived by eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Her family is comforted by knowing the Lord greeted her with open arms.
Mountain View Funeral Home is handling funeral arrangements. At her request, services will be private. Burial will at Dungeness Cemetery in Sequim.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that people make donations to their local Boys and Girls Clubs or food bank
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