Georgine Moritz Fagerlund
September 28, 1927 - October 23, 2016
Obituary
Georgine M. Fagerlund, born in East Orange, NJ, September 28, 1927 met her Lord and Savior Sunday, October 23, 2016.
The only child of George and Irma Moritz, who both predeceased her, Georgine led an active life which included dance; sports, education, music (she was an accomplished violin, viola and mandolin player); yearly summer camp and spending time with friends and relatives. She graduated from Douglas College, a division of Rutgers University, with a degree in Music and Education.
Married to Kenneth Fagerlund (who predeceased her in 2008) for 30 years, she and their 3 sons moved from NJ to Midway, WA in the early 1960’s where Ken was employed by The Boeing Company. In 1962 the family, with newly adopted daughter, Wendy, moved to Federal Way, WA where Georgine would reside for over 40 years.
Georgine participated in the various activities of her children including Cub & Boy Scouts, Blue Bird and Camp Fire, sports, music lessons, dance classes and recitals. She volunteered at the Federal Way Family counseling center; taught music at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and also gave private music lessons in her home.
Second only to her family, Georgine’s passion in life was playing Duplicate Bridge, a game her father taught her at an early age and one she excelled at.
In the 1970’s Georgine began running bridge games on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the living room of the family home. The games quickly grew in popularity and in 1976, The Evergreen Bridge Club was born.
An A.C.B.L. (American Contract Bridge League) sanctioned bridge club, Georgine studied and became a Certified Director. She moved the games to the basement of her home and increased from 2 games per week to 5 with each game having anywhere from 3 tables to as many as 14.
She ran the club for 30 years, teaching over 100 people how to play the game, until August, 2006, when she retired and moved to University Place to live with her daughter, Wendy, and son-in-law Ralph.
On October 4, 2016 Georgine was admitted to St. Joseph’s hospital in Tacoma and diagnosed with pneumonia. Complications ensued and on Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 10:10 pm she took the Lord’s hand and moved on to Heaven where she is now at peace, and playing bridge, with family and friends who passed before her.
Georgine is survived by her 4 children: Nils, of Puyallup, WA; Ray (wife Karin, of Anderson Island, WA); Wayne (wife Tammie, of Olympia, WA) and Wendy (husband Ralph Schein, of University Place, WA); 5 grandchildren: Joe, Nick, Chris, Katie, and Jonathon; 2 step-grandchildren, Bill Schein and Teri Power and one great-grandchild, Milo.
A Celebration of Life is being held Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at 3:00 pm at Bonney-Watson Funeral Home located at 1535 SW Dash Point Road, Federal Way.
My mom was the greatest person I have even known. Always smiling; never spoke a negative word about anyone; generous and thoughtful – God truly did “break the mold” with my mom. Not a day has, or will, pass when she isn’t thought of in our house. Happy that she is at peace and once again with family and friends who passed before her – the wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend she was while in this world will forever be missed. Until we meet again mom! I love you!!!
Our late parents, Ed and Betty Winskill of Tacoma, met Georgine and Ken in about 1961 as both our families were camping at adjacent sites at Saltwater State Park. The Fagerlunds had just moved out from back east for Ken’s Boeing job and were camping while looking for a house.
A close friendship of many decades ensued, and my siblings and I have many happy memories indeed of family gatherings from those days.
I last spoke to Georgine some years ago in the wake of my parents’ deaths. She was an extraordinary woman in so many ways.
Many blessings to her family from the Winskills. May her memory be eternal.
My mom, Dorothy Bogdan has been a dear friend of Georgine’s for 50yrs. We all send our very best to you, she was truly special and will be greatly missed!
Please give mom a call when you feel up to it.
Patti