Marcella Irene Pountain
1935-2011
She was born
Marcella Irene Bryan on December 23 1935, to William and Dollie Bryan, in Juneau, Alaska. Preceded in death by both parents and all 4 siblings; 2 brothers; William & Kenneth Bryan and 2 sisters; Dorothy (Hodgson) & Rosellen (Geddis), Marcella missed her family deeply. She was peacefully reunited with them on June 11th, 2011 at 10:20 PM, as her 3 children sat by her side.
The Bryan family left Alaska and settled in Edmonds, where the children grew up and attended school.
Marcella(her older friends and family still call her that) graduated from Edmonds High School in 1954. She worked at the Princess Theater in downtown Edmonds, where she met and became engaged to a sailor shipping off to the Korean War. It was a typical long distance love affair, letters were exchanged, and upon his return she married James Pountain in 1955. They would divorce 20 years later, but not before having 3 children; Penny, Mark and Jeff.
Family has always been so very important; that strong Irish heritage. She was so proud of all of her children and grandchildren, and just so pleased to be blessed with family. She loved her grandchildren and was so proud of them; Megan, Jody, Emma, and Ryan. Her son-in-law Mark Talbot, and daughter-in-law Shelly have a special place in her heart. Marcella also cherished Christopher and Christina Talbot, and especially their 3 young children Madalyn, Emmett, and Amelia. She devoted her life to raising and caring for her children with all her heart and soul. She truly was one of those struggling single parents who scrimped, saved, and sacrificed in order for her children to have a better life. It was a constant struggle to put food on the table, to pay the mortgage and the taxes, and to keep a roof over our heads. She went back to school as a displaced housewife and learned a trade, and quickly began to build a new life.
Her years at The United Way and then Children’s Hospital were the best years of her life. Marcie (all her new friends call her that) was devoted and dedicated to her work. That pride and strong work ethic is something she has instilled in those around her. The independence and the freedom of taking the bus downtown, making her own decisions, and being successful, all gave her a sense of accomplishment, and we were so proud of her. She was able to explore her other interests such as gardening, and yes, the once a chore, then a passion…mowing. You never saw a woman who secretly loved to mow like she did…there was a time she would take her mower to the neighbors just for the exercise. Just days before her passing, Marcie heard the roar of a mower right outside her open window…her eyes popped open and we swear she would have jumped off the bed if she could… there was nothing wrong with her hearing. For such a skinny thing that rarely ate, she loved to cook and bake those cakes, pies and cookies; there was always some kind of food to make you feel all better. Its some of those things that we got her to eat during the tough times…pumpkin pie, angel food cake, cheesecake, egg custard and of course she loved that ice cream.
Thanks to having friends with boats, planes and automobiles, cabins and extra room for a tiny thing like her, she was able to do some traveling, which she adored. She saw the Grand Canyon, The White House and she flew back to her beloved Alaska and was thrilled to see the glaciers and the land of her birth. She learned to relax and enjoy life, and that was an amazing thing to see.
One of the wonderful things about this kind and generous woman, is how she touched the lives of so many people. She opened her arms and took you in (and made you eat). When they coined the phrase Best Friend Forever, they must have been talking about Mom. Each and every friend she ever made was forever. Her friends from grade school have been with her all these years and are like sisters, each one having a special place in her heart. The work friends from years and years ago…still call and email. And of course her dear friends and co-workers from The United Way and Children’s. If a person’s worth was measured by the number of genuine friends acquired in their lifetime, Mom would consider herself a very wealthy woman, indeed.
We will miss her, the active, busy, vital, proud fighter that she was to the end. Alzheimer’s is a vicious and cruel disease that robs our loved ones of their dignity, their memory, and their independence. Remember her as she was, with a smile, a warm hug, and all those words of wisdom. She would listen, give advice, and do whatever she could to help anyone in need. She was our Best Friend Forever, and the best Mom we could have had.
We Love You, Mom.
In honor of her dedication and years of service, Marcie would greatly appreciate if memorial donations were directed to Children’s Hospital in lieu of flowers.
Memorial will be June 25th @ 2:00 pm
NW Stream Center @ McCollum Park
600 128th St SE, Everett 98208
Marcie and I met as Navy wives in Oak Harbor, WA.in 1954. Young and very much in love, hopeful and excited for our future lives and expected families. We all lived on a “shoe string” budget and collected beer bottles and sold them for a penny each to get the .10 apiece, needed for the four of us to go on base for a movie. Marcie frequently had cravings for licorice ice cream and the only place to purchase it was in Anacortes, so when we felt expecially “wealthy” we would drive to Anacortes with lots of newspaper and paper bags, buy a quart of licorice, wrap it in many laters of paper, several heavy bags and then drive like deamons back to Oak Harbor, in hope that it would not melt in transit. Marcie would ration herself each day to a limited amount, in order to make it last as long as possible. Fun and “high spirits” were our constant companions in those “innocent” days. She was a wonderful friend.
I am so sorry for your loss and regret not having known the Mother, Grandmother and Friend she became to
so many others.
Blessings, Luana
Mark, I am really sorry to hear about your mom, I remember when we would be at your house when we were young and she always had home made cookies ,breads, and pies and ect. Again i sorry about your loss. please give me a call 206 359 5535 Wes Livingston
To the whole family– I was able to get to know your Mom while I was her letter-carrier for a time. We stayed in touch and exchanged gifts at Christmas even after this. She did bake wonderful goodies that is for sure. My favorite memory is of her on her ROOF. At times I would threaten to tell you boys if I caught her up there again. She was always smiling and just to see this photo of her again puts her in a hugs reach for me. She spoke of each of you often and loved to show me new pictures of the grandkids. My heart aches for this moment you are feeling her abscence. God Bless each of you. Loretta