December 8, 1951 - September 20, 2024
Eleanor Edith Hasner (Tarbox), 72, of Spokane, WA, passed away on Friday, the 20th of September in her home surrounded by her family. Eleanor was born in Watertown, South Dakota on December 8, 1951 to Lenard Edwin Tarbox and Dena Alice Tarbox (Brown). Eleanor was raised in Bradley, South Dakota and graduated from Bradley High School in 1970. She met Steven Eugene Hasner in a chance encounter in a gas station café during her junior year in high school. She and Steven attended South Dakota State University and were married May 19, 1973. Eleanor earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Arts and Science, graduating with high honor in 1974. They built a life together travelling to Europe and all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Beyond being a homemaker and mother, she taught physical education classes, prepared taxes for H&R Block, collected information for the Census Bureau, took nutrition classes, and worked as a radiology technician while volunteering for Meals on Wheels and within the AWANA program. Wherever she went, she left a trail of chocolate chip cookies, Rice Krispie masonry, Jalapeño jam, and raspberry jam from raspberries picked in the backyard by her family (but mostly by Steve). Eleanor never accepted the status quo. She valued traditions for what they meant rather than for tradition’s sake and was willing to dissect and reassemble systems that weren’t working. This led to radical honesty, assertive family meetings, selling soda to her own children, decorating the Christmas wagon, a new birthday song (it isn’t very long), ending every game with Championship of the World (or Championship of the Universe if she didn’t win), and celebrating holidays and birthdays whenever we’re together, calendar be damned. She’s the reason Jason changes the rules to board games. She’s the reason Justin writes Augustmas letters. She’s the reason Jaime buys slapping tortillas for family gatherings. Eleanor was always prepared and left no stone unturned. The only thing she loved more than a plan was a new plan. She was either on an adventure, turning the ordinary into an adventure, planning an adventure, or looking for an adventure (and often all four at once). She wanted to make sure you had what you needed, and, if you didn’t, she had one just in case. She’s the reason you can’t take Jason hiking and expect him to stay on the trail. She’s the reason Justin looks at life through a lens of chaos. She’s the reason Jaime shows up to parties with a Roomba, a knife, and bag of ballons. Eleanor was drawn to authentic people, and she sought them out off the beaten path in the nooks and crannies of life. She was energized by the stories and work of kind people. She made best friends, and she made her best friends into best friends. As she drew out and amplified the passion in others, she fed off their energy. She was at home at a Brandon Sanderson conference without ever reading a word of his writing. She liked museums, but she loved the people who liked the stuff inside them. She loved a good joke, even if she didn’t get it. She was the party’s bard and swore the ideals of a Bondsmith without knowing what either of those things mean. She will be remembered for the energy she brought to a room, her intentional gift giving (always with curled ribbon), and her adventurous spirit. She will be missed but never forgotten. She is preceded in death by her mother, father, and sister, Phyllis. She is survived by: Steven, her husband of 51 years; three children, Jason Hasner (Bobbi) of Ammon, ID, Justin Hasner (Kristen) of Rosemount, MN, and Jaime Garness (Andy) of Wenatchee, WA; and eight grandchildren, Clairisse Hasner, Chloe Hasner, Elaina Hasner, Lillith Hasner, Nyla Hasner, Benton Garness, Aurora Garness, and Berlynn Garness. A memorial service will be held for Eleanor on the 13th October at 2 pm at Spokane Valley United Methodist Church. Flowers can be sent to the church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Eleanor’s name to Venessa Behan Crisis Nursery, NAOMI Community, and Helping Captives.
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