Mary Ellen Geppert

Mary Ellen Geppert (Getchman) passed away peacefully in her Adult Family Home in Graham, WA on Tuesday June 29th, 2021 at the age of 73. She was born October 13th, 1947 to Lawrence Edwin Getchman and Mary Ann Getchman (Sanguinetti) in Seward, Alaska. She is survived by son Jason (wife Crystal) with grandsons Chase and Beau, and daughter Jami with grandson Avery. She is preceded in death by both of her parents and all four of her siblings Don, Donna, Pete and Betty Lou. She also leaves behind nieces, nephews and many dear friends that she gained along her journey. Mary Ellen grew up in South Tacoma graduating from Mount Tahoma High School class of '65, and was a member of Hope Lutheran Church in her youth. During her early married years she lived in California, but returned to the Northwest where she lived the remainder of her life primarily in North Tacoma. Mary Ellen's primary career was with US West for almost 25 years, starting out as a telephone operator and ending her career as a Telecommunications Manager based in Seattle, WA. As a business woman she traveled extensively around the U.S., and enjoyed vacationing in international destinations such as Bora Bora and Mexico. Her favorite memories she would talk about included; family time at the family cabin on Anderson Island, vacationing in Maui, hosting a German exchange student during her children's teen years, traveling to Disneyland with her son and family, traveling to Cancun with her daughter, and any opportunity she was given to care for or spend time with her grandchildren. Mary Ellen loved to dance and enjoyed music including pop rock from the 50's to classic rock of the 70's. She was a great cook and leaves behind a legacy of recipes including her famous “taco pie”. Mary was a animal lover, but had a special heart for cats. She truly embraced talking and visiting with friends. When Mary Ellen was unable to work, for several years she volunteered at St. Leo's food bank serving the greater Tacoma community. Helping others gave her great joy. In remembrance of Mary Ellen, the family recommends in lieu of flowers or cards to make even a small donation to St. Leo's Food Bank honoring Mary Ellen's commitment to serve others. You can give by visiting this link. https://foodconnection.org/giving/ The family extends heartfelt gratitude and blessings to those who were a positive connection in her life. A special appreciation to her good friend Sharol who was always there to talk with her, and to the entire staff of Heavenly Acres who provided amazing care with love and compassion in her final days. Your caring hearts are forever embedded in ours.