Elaine Mabel Tackett, 82, Westport resident and wife of Don ‘Mr. T’ Tackett, passed away on Friday morning, Oct. 18, 2019, nine days following her husband, at Summit Pacific Medical Center in Elma, Washington.

Elaine was born on Aug. 9, 1937, in Renton, Washinton, to Roy and Mabel (Palmer) Proctor. She grew up in Renton and graduated from Renton High School in 1955. On June 13, 1955, she went to work for City of Renton Parks and Recreation Department and met fellow employee Don Tackett. Five months later the two got engaged and on Feb. 4, 1956, Donald married Elaine Proctor in Renton, Washington. They moved to Bellingham, where Don was going to school at Western Washington State College. Soon after their second child, Don dropped out of school and went to work for the Boy Scouts, while Elaine raised the kids.

Once the kids were in school, Elaine went to work in the medical profession, serving as an admitting clerk and office administrator for emergency room services in Ellensburg and then at Riverton Hospital in Seattle when Don was teaching school in Federal Way. When Don got the job at Hoquiam High School, Elaine went to work for Dr. Korvel in Aberdeen for five years and then at St. Joseph’s Hospital for seven years until her retirement in 1987.

When Don retired in 1993, they had a home built on the lower Hump River where they lived for the next five years. Elaine loved the area and she enjoyed working outside making the property a pristine park-like area with trails and gardens around the property.

In 1998, they took their fifth wheel and explored North America for the next two years. When they returned, they built a home in Westport behind their son’s home and settled down.

Elaine kept busy in her retirement. She enjoyed writing, especially journaling and volunteering for several organizations in Grays Harbor, including Meals on Wheels, PAWS and the Westport South Beach Food Bank.

Elaine is survived by her son, Lon (Margo) Tackett of Westport; three daughters, Laura Tackett of Aberdeen, Peri (Ray) Shapansky of Westport and Jennifer (Jon) Henderson of Montrose, Colorado; 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Donald “Mr. T” Tackett and a former son-in-law Ryan Redifer.

A celebration of Elaine and Don’s life will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m. in the 7th Street Theatre in Hoquiam.

Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, Washington.