Lois Mae Streubel

Bellingham, Washington Lois Mae Streubel, of Bellingham, WA passed away peacefully Monday, October 14, 2013. She was 84, born in Bellingham to John and Inez (Richardson) Atkinson. She graduated from Meridian High School on May 28, 1947 and married Laverne Geleynse on September 19, 1947. She later married Leonard Streubel on December 23, 1974. Lois was a Licensed Practical Nurse and had worked in both hospital and rest home nursing. She was very proud of her accomplishment of going through training and becoming an LPN. She worked for many years at St. Joseph’s hospital and then at Bellingham Villa Care Nursing Home. She enjoyed traveling and made several trips to Hawaii and Mexico. Her Panama Canal cruise was a highlight. She loved to cook and especially loved to bake. She was an avid reader and she really loved forensic mystery books. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her children, grandchildren and her group of cousins, and many friends. She wanted everyone to get along and went out of her way to make this happen. She had a big heart and would give others “the shirt off her back”. She enjoyed having everyone over to her house for a meal and game playing which sometimes wore her out but also made her so very happy. She loved playing games like Uno, Pictionary, pinochle and cribbage. She liked having a good game of “Go Fish” with one or more of the grandkids. She also loved being with her group of cousins – Lorraine, Lynn, Lou, Doug and Sandy, and others – who grew up together in Whatcom County and then later in life got together regularly for their cousins lunches. Her good friends Karen and Cathy and their girls’ weekends which often included a trip to a casino. She wasn’t much of a gambler but loved the atmosphere and having fun. She enjoyed many meaningful friendships over the years, including Joanie, Tillie, Bernice, Verna, Lola. She spent time regularly talking with friends on the phone and as the years went by would forget who she had told what to so sometimes repeated the details. Lois was preceded in death by her husband Leonard Streubel, brother John Atkinson and sister Jeri Kornelis. She is survived by daughters, Colleen (Warren) Martin, Kathryn (Jim) Brady, Anita Geleynse; son, Dennis (Sandi) Geleynse; grandchildren, Craig Martin, Aaron Brand, and Amy Brady; sisters, Joan Lake-Ommen and Linda Hammond; brother Alan Atkinson and many nieces and nephews. Step daughters include Leslie Pinkston and Maureen Thompson. Step sons include Marvin Streubel and Stan Streubel. Lois also had many step-granchildren. The family would also like to aknowledge Dwayne Canfield as a special person in Lois’s life. Farewell Tribute Information Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m., Monday, October 21st, in the chapel at Greenacres followed by burial at Greenacres Memorial Park. Donations Information Memorials may be made to Whatcom Hospice House.

Lois Mae Streubel

August 8, 1929 - October 14, 2013