Karen McInnis

Karen Gail McInnis (Ewbank) passed away peacefully at home on the morning of January, 18, 2016. Karen was born on December 24th,1937 in Elma, Washington the daughter of William (Ard) and Beulah Ewbank, brother to William (Bill) Ewbank. She grew up on the family farm in McCleary, Washington where her father worked at the Simpson Lumber Mill in Shelton, WA. She helped her father and brother on the farm with livestock and crops as well as her mother with canning fruits and vegetables. She graduated with honors from Elma High School in 1956 and was accepted into the School of Nursing at the University of Washington and as an Alpha Chi Omega sorority member. She met and married her husband of 56 years, Raymond George McInnis after transferring to the University of British Columbia with the intent of finishing her study of Nursing.

They were married in Vancouver B.C. on June 27,1958 and Karen gave birth to their first child Michael Scott McInnis. The family then moved to Seattle so that Raymond could complete his master’s degree in Library Science at the University of Washington. In Seattle, Karen gave birth to their second child, Erin Michelle McInnis. The family made a series of moves as Raymond advanced his career. Friday Harbor, Montesano, and finally Bellingham, Washington where Karen and Ray lived together for the next 57 years.

Karen devoted her early years in Bellingham to raising Michael and Erin while Raymond worked at Western Washington State College (now Western Washington University). Karen had a very inquisitive mind and explored an endless series of arts and skills. She was a phenomenal piano player and accomplished vocalist who sang until the last days of her life. She knit and sewed, learned macrame and delved into an extensive study of weaving running from shearing, carding, spinning and dyeing the wool to the purchase and use of her own loom. She wove a considerable number of very beautiful rugs including a gorgeous blue rug with a black ‘Celtic’ pattern in it.

She was a first rate cook who could quickly master any type of regional cooking style, including Szechuan, Chinese. Karen spent quite a bit of time learning to forage for mushrooms with her family and if you have ever smelled chanterelles sautéed in butter in an iron skillet, you know what that was all about. In addition, she always had time to attend to the gardens in the yard ensuring that there were plenty of flowers blooming throughout spring and summer.

As the kids were entering Sehome High School, Karen decided to restart her professional career and enrolled in a nursing program at Skagit Valley Community College. This turned out to be a lifesaving decision due to a required medical examination in which the discovery of a cancer condition was made and successfully treated. She went on to complete her studies in short order and went immediately into nursing at St. Luke’s/St. Joseph’s Hospitals in Bellingham (7/7/1975). Karen enjoyed working at St. Luke’s Hospital very much and decided to specialize in Enterostomal Therapy receiving her certification in February 1982. She helped patients with care for their ostomies for the rest of her career until her retirement.

After living on Bellingham’s South Hill (14th Street) for 20 years, Karen and Ray moved to their final home off of Samish Way on Taylor Ave. This was a very distinctive brick home in the English tradition with nearly an acre of land they landscaped and gardened for the next 20 years. Karen and Raymond enjoyed their years at the Taylor home entertaining students, neighbors, family and friends.

Karen’s kindness toward strangers and the less fortunate along with her loving support of her husband and children will be dearly missed. The family would especially like to thank the kindness of Karen’s caregiving friends.

Karen is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, Raymond George. Also survived by son Michael Scott of Seattle, Washington and his wife, Donna McInnis, and grandchildren, Ian and Maya; daughter, Erin Michelle Douglas (McInnis) of Sedro-Woolley and her husband, Stephen Douglas, and granddaughter, Marie Casey Douglas; her brother, William Ewbank, of Port Townsend, Washington and his wife, Joan Ewbank, cousins, Dorothy (Ewbank) Anderson, of Edmonds, Washington and her husband, Brian Anderson and Michael McFaul of Laramie, Wyoming, and his wife, Eva McFaul.

A celebration of Karen’s life will be on February, 6, 2016 at 1:00 PM at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. Memorials can be made in Karen’s name to:

Bellingham Meals On Wheels (360) 733-4030 (Ext 1025).