Mary Enell died recently, a few months short of her 87th birthday. She lived her last five years in Coupeville.

She was born in 1916 in Idaho. Her father was a red-haired Irish gentleman who followed numerous business careers before settling into a bakery enterprise. Mary’s mother, of German descent, tended to the Catholic upbringing of five children within an agricultural area that came to be dominated by a robust atomic science industry after World War II.

This war brought considerable change to Mrs. Enell’s life. Her boyfriend joined the Army and was stationed in Fort Lewis, Wash. She married Elmer a few days before he shipped out for overseas duty, and she settled in for a four-year stint in Tacoma awaiting the end of the war. Upon her husband’s return from the war in 1946, Mrs. Enell relinquished her war-effort job and began the process of raising a family, a task to which she devoted herself for the ensuing 20-plus years. The couple raised two boys, both of whom received engineering degrees from the University of Washington and pursued related careers. Gary is a vice president of a Bellingham firm while Dean is in software development and lives on South Whidbey Island.

The couple was married for 41 years until Elmer’s death in 1987.

One of Mrs. Enell’s joys in life was flowers, which she exercised by turning her yard into a wonderful dahlia nursery. She also enjoyed creative metal sculpture and delved into genealogy. She was always active in a local church which she attended on a nearly daily basis.

She is survived by two sons; six grandchildren, Jessie, Lisa and Marie Enell on South Whidbey, Greg Enell in Kirkland and Christi Enell in Bellingham; and a great-grandchild, Allison Enell.

The family suggests that remembrances be sent to any organization that opposes U.S. aggression in Iraq.