Mary Adelle Denend

Mary Adelle Denend, a trailblazing mentor, artist, wife and mother, died April 1 in Tacoma after a decades-long battle with heart disease. She was 80.

Born Jan 25, 1944, she grew up in Alder, Wash., helping on the family farm as the eldest daughter of Ambrose and Mary Potts. She was big sister in a family of nine children and five
foster children, and graduated Eatonville High in 1962. She was nursing assistant at Children’s Orthopedic Hospital in Seattle, foreshadowing a lifelong dedication of care for others.
In 1970, she married Douglas X Roeder, and became one of the first women allowed into the Coast Guard Auxiliary. While raising three children, she developed Water and Kids, a safety
curriculum taught to millions of children nationwide, which included a coloring book she crafted. Her passion for art delivered handcrafted watercolors, oil paintings and sculptures.
Widowed in 1996, she turned grief into growth by graduating Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington at Tacoma. In 2002, she married William ‘Denny’ Denend. They
traveled the world and became pillars of Mason Methodist Church while caring for those in need.

Her creativity, sarcastic wit and caring are unforgettable. Mary showed us how to conquer adversity and suffering with humor and hope.

She is survived by her husband Denny; brothers Richard Potts of Vacaville, Calif., Elmer Potts of Eatonville, Ted Potts of Port Orchard; sisters Carol Mack of Burnt Ranch, Calif., and Sally
Purkett of Tacoma; children, Jonathan Roeder of Bellingham, Nancy Benedict of Temecula, Calif., and Thomas X Roeder of Colorado Springs, Colo.; stepchildren, Dawn Allen, San Tan
Valley, Ariz., Myrna Denend, Houston, Tex., William L Denend III, El Paso, Tex., grandchildren Sara Godfrey of Portland, Ore., George Godfrey of Columbia Falls, Mont., Laura and William
Roeder of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Lorelei Roeder of Bellingham, Wash.; and step-grandchildren Kazia Smith, Darlene Denend, LaNee Sanchez, and Thomas Alexander of San Antonio, Tex., Steven Alexander of De Funiak Springs, Flor., and Diego Denend of El Paso, Tex.

A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Mason United Methodist Church, 2710 N. Madison St, Tacoma.

A celebration of life is planned for Saturday, April 13. Location TBD.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the United Methodist Committee on Relief:
https://umcmission.org/umcor/.

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