Thelma Mabel Sacklin

Thelma M. Sacklin was born September 21, 1928, in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada to Lawrence and Lavina (MacKenzie) Boyer. She passed away August 12, 2021, in Walla Walla, Washington at the age of 92. Thelma was the second of four children and grew up on a farm in Golden Valley, south of Lloydminster. She and her siblings often rode horses to the Golden Valley School. Upon graduation from high school in Lloydminster in 1946, she moved to the United States to be with her dad’s relatives in the Philomath, Oregon area. Although she lived in the United States for 76 years, she was always a Canadian at heart.

Thelma worked in food service at Oregon State College and later at Sunnybrook Restaurant in Corvallis. While in Corvallis, she met her future husband, John Sacklin, who was going to Oregon State after World War II. They married in 1950 and children, Darcy, and John, were born in Corvallis. The family moved to Puyallup, Washington in 1955 for her husband’s work. In 1960, Thelma began working for the school lunch program in the Puyallup School District on a part time basis, and steadily rose through the ranks, opening the new Rogers High School kitchen in 1968. She became a Central Kitchen Manager at Aylen Junior High, and then the District Kitchen Manager. Her food service work extended beyond the school kitchens. She helped with community events, such as the Puyallup Rotary Club Oyster Stew Feed, and Friday nights would find her working at the concessions stand at Sparks Stadium. In 2005 during its 150 ^th Anniversary Celebration, the Puyallup School District recognized her as one of 150 individuals honored for their accomplishments and contributions.

Although she retired in 1993, Thelma had already begun new phases of life. She had always loved to go charter fishing off Westport, play bridge, and had taken up golf. She joined Kiwanis soon after they allowed women to be members and was part of the Puyallup Sunrisers on South Hill. She was club president and then the first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor in her Kiwanis District. Thelma spearheaded the club’s Terrific Kids Program in elementary schools and helped with the Washington State Fair Shuttle, among lots of other Kiwanis activities. She was on the Board of Directors of the Salvation Army in Puyallup, and many a Christmas season would find her helping with bell ringing.

Thelma was a strong Democrat and served as Precinct Committeewoman for years. She also caught the travel bug, and she and her husband John did many trips. Thelma visited all seven continents with tour guides Lowell and Joanne Baird, reaching Antarctica in 2002. Her husband passed away in 2011, and in 2019, she moved from the home in Puyallup where she had lived for 64 years to Walla Walla to be closer to her daughter.

She is survived by her sister Shirley Wilson (Jim), her children, Darcy Henry (John) and John Sacklin (Mary Hektner), her grandchildren Stephen Henry (Beth), Jennifer Sacklin (Cims Gillespie), and John David Sacklin, and her great grandson, Alexander Henry (along with numerous nieces and nephews).

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Richard and David, and her husband.

Her ashes will be interred with her husbands at the Tahoma National Cemetery later this fall.

In lieu of flowers family requests donations be made to The Nature Conservancy of Washington or the Kiwanis International Foundation through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder, Walla Walla, WA 99362.

Arrangements are being handled by Herring Groseclose Funeral Home in Walla Walla.

Friends and Family are invited to sign the online guest book at: www.herringgroseclose.com