Viola Penhallick Cole Swanson
June 1, 1919 - May 20, 2013
Obituary
Viola was the fifth born daughter of Martin and Olive Penhallick. She and her six sisters were raised in Moses Lake, WA.
She married Cy Cole and moved to Spokane, WA, where their children, Billy, Charyl, and Charlene were born. They lived there until Northwest Airlines transferred the family to Seattle. A home was built in Normandy Park, WA where they raised their family.
Eventually Vi, as she liked to be called, remarried Darwin Swanson in 1975 where his career took him to Medford, OR, Austin, TX, Anaheim, CA, and Klamath Falls, OR. When Vi and Dar finally moved back to Seattle, Vi was ecstatic.
They lived with Vi’s sister, Penny Rogers, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle and started working at a nearby dress shop, “Maladys”. She really enjoyed working again. In 1980, Vi and Dar bought a home in Federal Way, WA and spent 20 wonderful and happy years there.
Vi and Dar’s life was their family. They went out of their way to attend special occasions with their families. Christmas was spent in Alaska with her daughter, Charyl, or in San Diego, with her other daughter, Charlene. One time, the whole family ended up in San Diego and was that a party! Summers in Seattle brought Dar’s daughter, Karen, out from Georgia every August for a cool down visit. Tracy, Dar’s other daughter, would make the summer visit when she could.
The union of Vi and Dar proudly brought together two families. Together, they have seven children, 13 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, and more may be on the way!
Our mom loved to bake and we loved eating it. Her cinnamon rolls were beyond wonderful. She always made sure we got some on our visits.
We lovingly call our mom “Mrs. Glitz” as she is known for her gold tennis shoes, gold handbags, her infamous red and gold sunglasses, and blonde hair. Strangers would always stop her on the street to comment on her gold shoes. She truly was a fashion plate who loved to shop and it showed.
We are so fortunate to have had our mom for 70 years. Our family would like to extend a special thanks to caregivers John and Sorina and staff at Soundview Adult Family Home in Federal Way, where they gave her 2 years of love and comfort.
Mom, you are our angel, our soul mate, our best friend, and we wish you peace and endless comfort throughout eternity. We love you! Goodnight, mom.
Aunt Vi was one of the many dear aunts I was blessed with and who was very motherly to me when my Mom couldn’t due to chronic health. She certainly was a good cook, a loving aunt and very supportive. I do recall her being at our very first church service when I started as a church planter and we started out with a handful of people on Sept. 7, 1980. If I recall there were three of my aunts there in place of my mother who had already gone on to be with her Savior, Jesus. Nancy and I appreciated their support so much on that milepost day.
Mark Suko,
Pastor,
http://www.DiscoveryBaptist.org
Forever a beautiful lady with a twinkle in her eye. Pat
I recall the early days when I was a child playing with Charlie and Cherry and seeing Aunt Vi & uncle Cy! It was such happy times we had together, always happy and always filled with fun!! Gary
Our condolences on your loss. We were glad Aunt Vi was able to attend our wedding in 2005. Wish we could be there in person to give our support. Our prayers are with you during this time of loss. She will be missed.
i just wanted you to know i didn’t know your mom but i know the pain of loosing a mom i am sorry for your loss
I met Via through her good friend June Lottes who we said good bye to last year. It makes me smile to know the two ladies are united again.
To the family you have our sincere condolences on your loss. We will keep you in our thoughts.
Carol and Chris
Via was a very classy lady with her gold shoe, red frame glass. She also was a very wonderful neighbor for 23 years and a true friend to my mom June. Via and June would meet for their weekly lunches at Black Angus. I would love it when it was on a day I was off and able to join them. They seemed to always have a wait staff who knew them by name and took very good care of them, After lunch they head off shopping they became frequent flyer at Lamont’s where some of the clerks all knew who Charyl, and Charlene and I were long before we every got to know them. So THANK YOU Via for being a very special friend to my mom, you will be missed. Via Please give “June Tunie” a big hug for me when you see her.
I will miss Via you even though I didn’t have the pleasure of know you for very long. I will remember the conversation about her having a sweet tooth and we both said the Charlene don’t need to know, So we had our coffee, sandwiches and maybe a “little” something sweet to chase the coffee down. Now you and June can have all the sweet’s you want.
Gail