Robert Leo Mortensen's Obituary
Robert, (Bob, Dad, Grandpa, Morty, Mr. Mort) Mortensen passed away peacefully June 3 in Olympia, WA. He was 88 and lived a great life! He had struggling over the past several months from two strokes and several seizures that weakened his cognitive and writing abilities, a major part of his life. Each time a stroke hit, he did everything possible in therapy to overcome the obstacles while sneaking in a laugh or joke to lighten the moment for all around him. His personality never left. Dad loved to teach and to talk! He told his nurse that he was at peace and was ready to go a moment before he breathed his last breath and passed peacefully. Bob was born Iron Mountain, Michigan on June 10, 1930 to Leo and Eva Mortensen. He had a sister Olive, who passed away suddenly during his childhood. Bob was a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame in 1952. He served in the military at the end of the Korea War and while stationed in Hawaii, met Janet Staatz who he later married on April 7, 1956 in Sumner, Washington. After 58 years of marriage, Jan preceded Bob in death on May 9, 2014. Bob entered banking and finance in both Seattle and Tacoma, but his passion was in teaching. In 1974 he joined Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma where he managed school finances, coached boys’ and girls’ basketball and taught middle school English. He retired from Charles Wright in 1994, but he never stopped teaching. He was one of the founders of the Charles Wright Elders group, he was a reader at his Catholic church, he was a contributing writer to the Notre Dame Alumni Magazine, he wrote often to his local newspapers and he and Jan were volunteers in Hospice for more than 20 years before he suffered his first stroke in the fall of 2018. He was a member of Holy Wisdom Inclusive Catholic Community in Lacey, Washington. Bob assumed there was a reason God kept him living these past few weeks as his functions were shutting down. All who knew him know that it was to show him, and all of us how much love surrounded him. We were all blessed! Bob is survived by son Paul (wife Rhonda and Griffin, Jack and Amy) in Silver Spring, Maryland, son Bill (wife Susan and Luke and wife Ali) in McDonald, Pennsylvania and his daughter Nancy Mortensen in Olympia, Washington. Rest in peace Bob and say hello to Jan!
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