MarLe Anell Thomas

On July 26, 1943 in Seattle, Washington, Herb and Eva Borth welcomed MarLe Anell into their family. Younger sister to Derald and later, older sister to Dennis. MarLe's family was immensely important to her, and she loved her brothers, her parents, aunts, uncles and later, nephews and nieces throughout her entire life. MarLe spent her younger years adventuring around north Seattle. A fondly remembered pastime was catching pollywogs in the "swamp" near their home which contributed to her lifelong obsession with frogs. She enjoyed playing ball with the neighborhood kids and held a lifelong love of baseball and softball. She listened to Elvis, the Beach Boys, and Johnny Cash, but her favorite was Ricky Nelson. MarLe also had fond memories of hanging out at the fire station or spending a day on the dump trucks with her dad at the business they owned. During her high school years, while visiting family in Cosmopolis, WA, MarLe was introduced to John Thomas by her cousin, Don Henry. John and MarLe had their first date at the fair in Elma, WA. It would be the first of many dates and the beginning of a love affair that would span six decades. Cities they called home included: Aberdeen, WA, Santa Rosa, CA, Bremerton, WA, Dayton, OH and Vancouver, WA. Upon graduating from Ingraham High School in 1962 MarLe Borth became MarLe Thomas on September 29th when she married the love of her life and became John's wife. John and MarLe shared many adventures together exploring the nooks and crannies of western Washington, floating down the river, picking blackberries and collecting every white rock she could pocket at the beach. They also enjoyed visiting her in-laws and spending evenings playing pinocle with John's brother, Gary and sister-in-law, Rosemarie. MarLe added a new role to her life in 1965 when she added "Mom" to her resume with the addition of John Daniel to the family. Christina Lynn arrived in 1968, Patricia MarLe in 1970 and finally, Timothy Matthew joined the crew in 1972. MarLe loved being a mom. And she was good at it! She was involved in many activities with her children, driving them from one event to another, helping with scout troops and logging countless hours at band concerts. Rain or shine, she could be found at sporting events, frequently as a spectator and very often as coach. She was an avid Mariners and Seahawks fan since their inception, but nothing compared to her dedication to her kids' teams. Even through their adulthood she was in the bleachers faithfully cheering them on. If MarLe thrived at being a great mom, she excelled even more at being a grandma. Grandchildren Danni, Mitchell, Andrea, Jody, Kyan, David and Joey and great grandchildren William and Ben-Reilly were the pinnacle of joy in her life. Dozens of photo albums are a testament to her love of her grandkids, and she rarely missed any event that involved them. To Danni, Mitch and Andrea she became more than just "Gramma." when, without hesitation she embraced a mothering role again with the passing of daughter, Patsy, in 2002. Holidays and birthdays were never a small affair. One of her trademarks was a quarter for each year of life taped to birthday presents. That was a lot of quarters over the years! If a celebration was to be done - it was to be overdone. Whether it was helping the kids DIY Halloween costumes, loading a giant cooler full of lunch for Pumpkin Patch Day or mountains of cookies and gifts at Christmas, she left nothing out; she was prepared for everything. She was diligent about getting everything just right and accommodating the preferences of each individual. There was always too much food and too many gifts, but that never stopped MarLe from asking, "What else can I do?" She wanted everything to be perfect. MarLe was a giver, and her generosity knew no bounds. When she was shopping (and she did a lot of that) she was always on the lookout for trinkets and tokens of affection to give to somebody, anybody. Another way she expressed her love was through creating. Sewing, knitting, crafting, coloring, embroidering; she was constantly looking for the next project. She got great joy from doing things for, and with, other people. While she didn't maintain a large circle of friends, the few friends she had, she held dear to her heart. Each one of them was special to her and she let them know up until the very end. That's just how she was. MarLe could readily acknowledge that she wasn't perfect. She was stubborn. She was opinionated. She was always right. However, she was also the most thoughtful, caring, generous and loving person anyone could hope to meet. She would come to the rescue at any time and she consistently, selflessly, put the needs of her family ahead of her own. She was the sun of our family and our orbits revolved around her. Surrounded by her loving family, MarLe's earthly adventures came to an end on January 15th, 2023, at the age of 79. Her passing leaves a huge hole in our lives. By those who knew her, she will be deeply missed. If MarLe touched your life, we would be honored to have you join us in celebrating her life. Services to be held at: Evergreen Memorial Gardens1101 NE 112th Ave,Vancouver, WA 98684Saturday February 11th 3:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony. Please feel free to share memories or pictures on the website:https://www.evergreenmemorialgardens.com/obituaries/MarLe-Anell-Thomas?obId=27077261#/celebrationWall

MarLe Anell Thomas

July 26, 1943 - January 15, 2023