Martha Helen Zinck Hannigan

On Friday, June 3, 2016, Martha Helen Zinck Hannigan died peacefully at the age of 88, surrounded by loving family members. Helen was born in Olympia, Washington on December 6, 1927. She was the second child of Fredrick Christian Zinck and Mary Eleanor Gordon Wright Zinck. Helen attended Roosevelt Elementary School, Washington Junior High and graduated from Olympia High School with the class of 1946. Helen attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, for one year after high school. Later as a young mother, she began taking BYU correspondence classes. She then attended The Evergreen State College part-time while working full time and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1977. Three years later, she began law school at The University of Puget Sound. She graduated with her Doctorate of Law in 1982 and passed the Washington State Bar exam that same year. Helen married Mark Earl Hannigan on December 24, 1948, in Olympia. They were sealed for time and eternity in the Manti Utah temple. She is survived by her four daughters: Mary Jane Bergener (Ron) of Los Lunas, New Mexico; Crystal Nielsen (Peter) of Shelton; Lucy Hannigan-Ewing (Al) of Olympia; JoAnn Alexander (Steven) of Olympia; foster daughter, Sandy Montgomery (Clarence) of North Salt Lake City, Utah. She is also survived by her older brother, John Zinck of Tumwater; and her sisters, Margaret Grimes of Cottage Grove, Oregon and Ina Bates of West Plains, Missouri. Helen was blessed with 17 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Helen was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She and her husband served a mission at the Olympia Employment Center for two years. She also served as Relief Society President and Primary President, as well as many other church callings. She faithfully wrote monthly letters to family, friends and Church missionaries from Olympia who were serving missions around the world and always included a $2 bill in the letter. As a teen, Helen was employed at Fort Lewis. She later worked as a clerk at Talcott Jewelers. She was a bookkeeper for M M Morris, a women’s dress shop in downtown Olympia. She worked at The Evergreen State College until she finished law school. Her first job as an attorney was with the Department of Social and Health Services, followed by a position with the Supreme Court, working in the office of Reporters of Judicial Decisions as an editor. She retired just last spring in 2015 (at the age of 87)! Helen enjoyed her time with Toastmasters and Zonta. She also volunteered many hours, teaching the AARP Driver Education course. Additionally, she and her husband volunteered at Capital Medical Center for many years. Helen loved to travel, which included visits to the homelands of her parents—Norway, where her father was born, and Ireland, her mother’s birthplace. She also traveled extensively across the United States and Canada. Since 2003, she traveled yearly with her daughters to conferences for the Association of Reporters of Judicial Decisions. Many happy memories were made on those trips. Helen was a marvelous seamstress. She not only sewed beautiful dresses for her daughters (including wedding dresses for two), she also sewed custom-made clothing for many women in Olympia and made costumes for numerous church plays. She kept her original Singer sewing machine humming until she fell ill in March. The family is grateful for the staff at The Sequoia and Providence Hospice for the kindness and gentle care provided to our mother. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Perpetual Education Fund. Please leave memories of Helen or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.