Schobinger, Gwendolyn Gwendolyn Schobinger was born on April 9, 1920, in Seattle, WA. She was the fifth child from parents Charles Edgar and Anna Mathilda Hammond. Gwendolyn passed away peacefully on September 5, 2015, at the age of 95, with her three daughters by her side, holding her hands and loving her to the end. As she headed to the light, she was surely greeted by her beloved husband, Gene (Eugene Schobinger), who called out, “Red Love, or Gwennie, I love you”, and, her father Charles, who passed when she was only eleven. Gwen would always recall with joy how much she loved taking lunch to her father as he ran the streetcars up and down Alki Avenue. It was painful to lose her father when she was so young. It was challenging for her mother Anna to raise her children alone during the depression. Gwen described how much her elderly mother enjoyed having her hair brushed by her as they shared a quiet loving bond. Growing up had been difficult without the father. Mom loved her four brothers so much - they had each encouraged her to confidently find her place in the world. She loved her little sister too and the memory of holding her hand as they collected rocks for protection while walking together to the movies in Seattle was often joyfully recalled. Siblings, Chuck, Walt, James, Jack, and Anita were certainly there in the light to welcome her as well! Gwen grew up in a small house on Alki Beach where she played in the sand and enjoyed collecting shells and picking up seaweed and driftwood. After graduating from West Seattle High School she enrolled at General Hospital of Everett - School of Nursing and became a registered nurse in 1944. Thereafter, she joined the U. S. Army Nurse Corps and became a Second Lieutenant. She met Norman (Meadows), her first husband of 37 years, while trying to convince him that she should get a refund for an unused meal ticket. He noticed her beautiful green eyes and tenacious personality and they later married. After leaving the army she worked at Stanford Hospital as a head nurse. She and Norman had three daughters - Carol, Linda and Norma, and the family lived a happy family life in Palo Alto, CA. They were wonderful parents and the family enjoyed frequent family hugs. Family dinners, having theme parties and listening to music on weekends were all important parts of our family life. Eventually though, they divorced and each remarried. Gwen was an excellent seamstress and she loved to sew - making pretty dresses for special occasions for her daughters. She was a Girl Scout leader and she also cooked delicious Thanksgiving dinners. Gwen was a committed and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and aunt. She was artistic and expressed her creativity in home décor, collecting art, doing stain glasswork and in many other ways. She was a strong and intelligent woman and a leader. We will always see her in our memories with fluffy red curly hair and colorful outfits but most of all we will remember how much she loved us and always made sure we knew it. Her touch was soft and she was a generous person who cared deeply for her family, friends, children, animals, and plants. She loved to dance and to eat lots of tomatoes; her favorite flower was an iris! We daughters learned so much about being independent and loving women from her. Gwen volunteered for several years at the Bargain Box in Palo Alto for the Children’s Health Council. Jane (aka the Boss) and Gwen became life long friends. Gwen and Gene met in 1988 at the Bargain Box and their love for each other grew quickly. They married a few years later. Gene was an excellent writer and he wrote beautiful love letters and poems to his “Red Love” and “Gwennie”, throughout their lives together. They travelled to far away places and he always made sure to buckle her in and keep her safe and happy. She loved to cook for him and they would play cards together in the evening. They lived in Port Angeles, WA, and enjoyed a very happy marriage for many years! He preceded her in death on December 29, 2013. Over the last three years Gwen lived at a board and care home in Rocklin where she was in the loving and professional care of Cathy, Diane, Jelly, Tess, Alan and Emily. We thank them eternally for their commitment to our mother’s health and well-being and for giving so much of themselves to make mom’s days bright! Gwen was charming and liked to laugh and she knew how to make people feel comfortable right away. We will remember her kind and strong (in the most positive ways) personality. She leaves behind to cherish her memory in their hearts forever: daughters and son-in-law (Carol, Linda, Norma and Tony); grandchildren (Kelly, Adrian, Jamey, Molly, Sam, Olivia, Tony Ray and Keyshon); great grandchildren (Chynna, Lola, Salvador and James); many nieces and nephews and Gene’s children (Sally/Mike, Nancy/Alan and Steve/Cherie). Per our mother’s wishes we will take her ashes to Alki Beach where, she said, “I lived and played in my childhood”.