Merrie "Mimi" LaBelle's Obituary
Merrie “Mimi” LaBelle lost her five year battle to Alzheimer’s Thursday, March 25, 2021 peacefully at her residence in Lakewood, Washington.
She was born an identical twin to sister Gay on May 27, 1947, in Tacoma, WA, daughters of the late Robert ‘Bob’ and Joyce ‘Mockie’ Light LaBelle.
Raised on the North End, Mimi was a Tacoma gal, through and through. She graduated from Wilson High School in 1965 where she met her life’s love and father to her four sons, Phillip Zantua.
As a single mother, Mimi worked tirelessly to create a life for her sons Robbie and Jonny LaBelle. She was a successful Realtor at Century 21 and Loan Specialist at Countrywide and Bank of America. Mimi’s colleagues grew to love and respect her work ethic and joyful, caring management style. She was able to build her dream home in the heart of Steilacoom, WA with her twin sister and their late mother.
In 2015 Merrie was reconnected with her two older sons, Lee Whitmore and Matt Lorenz. She spent every chance she had with her sons and grandchildren...and her late dog ‘Kobe’. Merrie had an affinity for jewelry and shoes and could often be found on her iPad happily searching the web, estate sales and thrift stores for new things to add to her collections. She felt most joyful with her family and friends steaming fresh clams and drinking gin fizzes at the family cabin on Hood Canal.
Mimi is survived by her twin sister Gay and brother-in-law Tom Barnum, in addition to her four sons Lee Allen Whitmore, Matthew Lee Lorenz, Robert Thomas LaBelle, and Jonathan Charles LaBelle. She also leaves her twelve grandchildren, her childhood best friend Patty Harris, her half-sister Martha Bernatz, and many other family and friends who will sorely miss her.
Memorial services will be held 11AM - 1 PM, Saturday, April 3 at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood, WA. Please join us in toasting to the heavens and sending Mimi off into the light.
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