Obituary: Mallicoat, Myrna Joyce (Lee)
Age 87
After surviving breast cancer at age 80, battling Alzheimer’s disease for 7 years, she succumbed to melanoma cancer.
She was 87.
Myrna was born to Lennie Davis Parks and Jennie Florence Blom on November 11, 1926 in Leonard, Minnesota.
She moved to Spokane, WA at the age of 17 to live with and help her older sister Marion.
On June 5, 1947 she married Alton Lee, they were married for 33 years.
In March 1985 she married James (Jim) Mallicoat who died in 2000.
She earned the Macedonian Award for her long years of service to the Union Gospel Mission, and an award of recognition from the Governor for her years of service in the Home Day Care industry.
As a young woman Myrna worked at the Desert Hotel, the Post 9 Legion Hall then opened a business of a Home Day Care which lasted over 40 years.
All the kids she cared for were ‘her’ children.
Even after retiring from day care, she worked from time to time with the Head Start program to still be around kids.
But, she considered her own children and grandchildren her greatest achievements!
She bought a lake cabin at Newman Lake in the late 60’s and enjoyed spending time at the beach with her family and friends.
She loved the outdoors, and her dogs!
She always had a canine companion by her side until her health no longer allowed it.
Myrna was an active member of Mission Avenue Presbyterian Church for many years.
While there she used her station wagon as a bus to pick up neighborhood kids to come to ‘youth choir’ each week for years.
In later years she attended and was very active at Westminster Presbyterian.
She held many leadership positions at both churches.
She was also a member of the Old Time Fiddler’s in Spokane.
She was very active in the establishment of Anna Ogden Hall, a women’s recovery program in Spokane.
She later moved in with her daughter Jennie in Burbank, Washington for three years.
She spent the last two and a half years living at LaDow Court in Garfield, WA attending Garfield Christian Fellowship Church.
Myrna loved to volunteer at the schools as her children were growing up.
She loved giving service in her community.
She loved music, and spent many years going to nursing homes, the Union Gospel Mission and other facilities with her husband Jim and friends to sing as she knew many older people enjoyed hearing the music as much as she enjoyed providing it.
Her favorites were the old time gospel songs.
She loved sharing her faith in God and in her Savior Jesus Christ through music.
Recently, she enjoyed the music that others shared with her in the assisted living home she resided in.
Myrna is survived by her children Sharon O’Brien (Toby) of Granite Falls Washington, Gary Lee (Jennifer) of Reno, Nevada, and Jennifer Tevlin (Neal) of Palouse, Washington.
Grandchildren Travis, Juliane, Joel, Erin, Shane, Peter, Andrew, Jacob, Brandi, Ryan, and Steven.
And her great-grandchildren Brayden, Kaylee, and Emilia.
She was predeceased by Alton Lee, and James Mallicoat, her grandchild David Tevlin, and her siblings, Francis, Marian (Moss), Don, Lindsey, Vernon, Merrill and Helen (Beilas) Parks.
A Memorial Service will be held on January 25th at 2:00 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church on 2705 West Boone, Spokane, WA.
Longtime friend, Pastor Sandy Brockway will officiate.
There will be a lunch reception at the church following the service that all are welcome to attend.
Ashes will be interred at a later date.
Kramer’s Funeral Home of Palouse, WA is in charge of arrangements and cremation.
Memorial donations may be made to Anna Ogden Hall, www.uniongospelmission.org/legacy/gifts/.
A huge thank you to the amazing staff at Gentiva Hospice of Pullman, WA and the warm and caring staff at LaDow Court in Garfield, WA, who became part of her family and where she received such great care toward the end of her life.