RUTH “BILLIE” TAYLOR SABIN

Billie 2011

 

Ruth “Billie” Taylor Sabin, age 101, passed away peacefully, October 13, 2012, at Rosewood Courte Memory Care in Edmonds, WA.

On April 2, 1911, Ruth was born to Richard and Lula Taylor, on a homestead farm near Big Valley, Alberta, Canada.  Her parents came by wagon from Missouri in 1902, immigrating to Canada in 1910. Eight years later they sold the farm and returned to the USA, settling in Lewis County in 1919, near Chehalis on a Riverside farm.

While attending grade school in Chehalis, Ruth earned the nickname “Billie” during a baseball game in which she substituted for the regular pitcher, Bill.  She liked it and it stuck.  Billie always loved baseball.

She graduated from Chehalis High School in 1931.  While deciding on a career, she

1937 Ruth Taylor Beauty School Owner Chehalis

 

worked as governess & swimming teacher for the McCurdy family in Port Townsend.  She then became a licensed cosmetologist and was owner/operator of the Twin City Beauty School in Chehalis from 1935 to 1941. As a successful business woman, she was ahead of her time.– In September 1941, she sold her business, married her

1941 Sept 13 Billie & Howard Married

 

long-time friend, Howard Sabin, and they settled in Chehalis. The attack on Pearl Harbor came two months later.  Howard was assigned, as a finish carpenter, at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard, so they moved to Kitsap County to a tiny cabin at Horseshoe Lake Resort.  When a child was on the way, they moved to a bigger cabin on Puget Sound near Port Orchard.  Billie fell in love with living on the salt water sound!

After WWII, in 1946, they relocated to Centralia, so their two children could grow up near grandparents.  While Howard worked as a union carpenter, Billie was an expert homemaker, loving mother and tender caregiver for elderly parents.  She worked hard with Howard remodeling their home, and they relaxed in nature by fishing on the Cowlitz River—great picnics! –In 1965, when their children were both off to college, Billie & Howard renewed their dream to again live on Puget Sound. They moved to a beach house west of Olympia on Totten Inlet near Steamboat Island, where they lived and worked together for over 30 years, tending the oyster and clam beds, fishing for salmon, and remodeling the home. Billie said living on the beach was like vacationing, but every September they took a road trip in their classic T-Bird, enjoying Nevada, exploring the Northwest, and visiting Big Valley, Alberta. One year they cruised to Alaska.

1984 Billie & Howard on Alaska cruise

In September 1996, Billie’s beloved Howard passed away.  She stayed active at the beach, then moved to a retirement apartment in Olympia, where she enjoyed new friends and activities.  Since 2006, Billie has lived in Sammamish near her children.  After her recent move to Edmonds, she had many happy days, as she never lost her sense of humor, her love of music, her memories of a happy childhood, and her positive attitude.

In her youth, Billie worked hard on the family farm, gardening, feeding animals, and riding horses. The Taylor home was filled with laughter and love. In high school and in church, she sang in the Twins Quartet -Ruth & Ruby Taylor and Howard & Jim Sabin. Billie was adventurous and athletic. In the 30’s she enjoyed hiking at Mt. St. Helens & Rainier.  She was a strong swimmer in the Chehalis River, Deep Lake, and the surf at Long Beach, which they reached by driving a Model T Ford over a road built of wood!

1979 Billie & Paula on the beach

 

Billie will be remembered as a terrific mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, helping kids explore the beach, nurturing everyone with her delicious fried chicken and world class fudge. Her family was her life.  She stayed close to all of her brothers and sisters:  Henry, Joseph (Elsie), Roy (Vivian), Noel, & Robert (Mildred) Taylor, Viola (John) McCarthy, and her dear twin, Ruby (William) Taylor. When the twins celebrated their 100th birthday together in 2011, Billie was greeted with all her names:  Ruth, Billie, Mom, Sis, Grandma Billie, Aunt Billie, and Aunt Bill.

Ruth is survived by two children: Darryl (Diane) Sabin, of Fall City; and Darcy (Fred) Frost, of Bothell; seven grandchildren: Kimberly Armstrong-Campbell, of Edmonds; Richard Sabin, of Dayton; Paula Dixon, of Lynnwood; Leah Graham, of Seattle ; Jason Frost, of Renton; Rebecca Cramer, of Orlando; and Jared Frost, of Tacoma; ten great-grandchildren: Gavin, Kelsey, Remi, Max, Jacob, Joshua, Ellie, Taylor, Isabella, and Ryan; and eight nieces and nephews.

A sincere thank you is sent to Billie’s loving caregivers at Angelic Care in Sammamish and Rosewood Courte in Edmonds.

To honor Billie, you are invited to a Celebration of Life to be held on Saturday, November 17 at 1:30 pm at Woodland Estates Retirement Center, 2100 Woodland Circle in Chehalis.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that you make a donation to Sight Life at www.SightLife.com or Providence Hospice of Snohomish Co