Venetta Lee Hildebrand's Obituary
Venetta (Kunschak) Hildebrand died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on April 15, 2024 in Spanaway, Washington. She was born in Tacoma, Washington on February 12, 1934. She attended Collins School and Puyallup High School. Venetta married Edward Hildebrand on June 13, 1953. They were married for over 50 years. They had two sons, Steve and Mark. In May of 1958, Edward and Venetta moved their young family to Fairbanks, Alaska. This began a long residence in Alaska, with the longest time being spent in Douglas, where the family moved in 1961, before their return to the Tacoma area.
Venetta stayed home to be a full time mom for her sons when they were younger. She was very active in all of their activities, including being a Cub Scout Den Mother. She loved having people in her home and was the consummate hostess. She had a tablecloth with matching napkins, tableware and decorations for every occasion. When the boys got older, Venetta began her professional career. She was a member of the National Secretaries Association. She was part of a challenging time when offices were making the transition from secretaries sitting at their bosses’ desks taking shorthand notes to using the first computers. During that time she worked for the law offices of Robertson, Monagle, Eastaugh & Bradley. She was always interested in politics. She worked for the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce and was very proud to have served as the head of the secretarial pool for Governor Jay Hammond. She and Edward were active in the Alaska Convention and Visitors, promoting tourism in Juneau and events such as Juneau’s 100th birthday party.
Venetta and Edward were loyal Douglasites and participated in many events in Douglas such as the Douglas Fourth of July celebration. The family was part of the Alaska boat culture, which included spending weekends out on the boat. They would find a peaceful harbor to moor the boat overnight, sometimes having other friends on their boats join them so they could get together and visit in the evenings. Even the boat was made homey with curtains and there are fond remembrances of the smell of coffee and bacon cooking in the morning for breakfast.
Venetta supported many cultural events and the arts, including the Alaska Museum in Juneau. She supported the March of Dimes, serving as the Advisor for volunteers for the entire state for 12 years, and received a commendation from the Governor in 1980 for her fund raising efforts. She was passionate about doing her part to promote healthy babies. She was also proud to have been involved in the Douglas Island Pink and Chum fish hatchery and its Ladd Macaulay Visitors Center. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi, holding many positions of honor and hosting wonderful gatherings for her sorority sisters. She enjoyed keeping in touch with her school mates from grade school and high school and, while she was able, hosted reunions and attended their gatherings such as monthly breakfasts.
Venetta was preceded in death by her parents Reinhold and Ivy Kunschak, her sister Ivy Hanson and her husband Edward Hildebrand. She is survived by her sons Steve (Chris) and Mark (Vanessa), sister Rena Hallam (Don) and brother Reinhold (JR) Kunschak, Jr., 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Venetta was cremated and her ashes interred at Mountain View Cemetery in Lakewood, Washington, where she was buried with her parents. No memorial service is currently planned.
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