Pauline S. Carnes
Published June 22, 2012
Pauline Shirley Hitchcock Carnes, age 86
Pauline Shirley Hitchcock Carnes died June 22 at Martha & Mary Skilled Nursing Home in Poulsbo, WA after complications from a serious fall and a stroke.
Pauline was born in 1925 in Shelton, WA. Her parents, John and Beulah Hitchcock were farmers on Harstine Island. She attended the island one-room school through 8th grade; then began making the long daily commute to Shelton where she finished high school.
She met her husband Mel Carnes, a sailor in the US Navy who had just returned from the South Pacific, at a picnic hosted by her parents on Harstine. They married and began their life in Olympia, WA. They had three children, Marvin, Randall, and Melanie. The family relocated to Des Moines, WA for Mel’s work and Pauline soon began working in the Federal Way School District as a secretary. She retired in the early 80’s after 30 years in the schools, most of them at Totem Junior High.
She always loved to travel, and was an avid camper even up into her 80’s! She loved music, played the piano, reading, films, and gardening.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother, sister-in-law and her son Marvin. She is survived by son Randall of Buckley, daughter Melanie (Allan) Solonsky of Bainbridge Island, grand-daughter Laska Carnes of Wyoming, grand-sons Evan and Glen Carnes of Snohomish and two great-grand-children Haley and Mason Sandefer of Wyoming.
As she requested, there will be no memorial service. Family plans are to bury her ashes later this summer next to son Marvin on Harstine Island.