MarJean Fairok Obituary (1924

MarJean (Andrews) Fairbrook, 92, of Yakima died Sunday, May 28, 2017 in Yakima. She was born December 18, 1924 to LaMar Burton Andrews and Lucille Wynn (Evans) Andrews. Her trademark and delight in life was the flaming and curly red hair she had as a young child and young adult. She had nicknames such as 'Red' and 'Torch'. MarJean attended McKinley Elementary School, Franklin Junior High and graduated from Yakima High School in 1942. She graduated from Yakima Junior College in 1944. MarJean earned a B.A. in History from the University of Washington in 1946 and was a member of the Alpha Phi Sorority. While attending Yakima Junior College, she met John Fairbrook. It was the day she and a group of her friends were sipping sodas at the local Hazel's Chocolate Shop when John Fairbrook and a friend walked into the shop. They admired the girls and tossed a coin to see who was going to take whom to the dance. John's toss earned him a date with the pretty redhead, MarJean. MarJean and John were married at the St. Michael's Church in Yakima, June 5, 1948. They lived their whole lives in Yakima and raised three children. MarJean was a fashionable woman. She had an eye for fine fabric and clothing styles. She was an excellent seamstress, sewing clothes for her and her daughter. She loved to peruse through clothing catalogues to learn about the latest vogue. She would visit her favorite clothing shop, Gretchen's, at Westpark Shopping Center, after a becoming hairstyle by Debbie at Salon Nouveau next door. Also, she beautifully decorated the interiors of many of her family homes. Besides fashion, she appreciated art and music. Whether it was a painting, photograph, sculpture, a woodcarving or colorful blown glass there was always room for it in her home. Many of these art pieces were purchased from local artists and from their yearly trips to Cannon Beach and Lincoln City, Oregon. Where's the best place to watch a Capital Theater performance You could always find MarJean and John in the front row. MarJean was a fabulous cook. Especially everyone loved her pizza with her homemade pesto and her homegrown tomatoes. Her children remember the Emily Post Etiquette book on the book shelf above the kitchen table. She taught us how to be polite and have proper manners, the instruction coming straight from the book. 'Sit up straight, elbows off the table when you are eating, stop jiggling your leg, chew with your mouth closed, eat all your food' are just a few of her pearls of wisdom. She made sure her children towed the line in practicing their piano and completing Saturday chores before they played outside. For example, she oversaw the minutes on the timer for piano practice making sure they didn't tamper with the dial. As for the chores, one was dusting the many inside louvered doors once a week and another was to iron the pillow cases. Vocabulary and using proper grammar was important to MarJean. She studied the 'Word Power' section of every Reader's Digest that arrived at the home. She insisted on her children using words in sentences correctly. Politics was a favorite topic of discussion. She was an informed individual and enjoyed the stimulation of different opinions. MarJean loved to learn. She took vocabulary and drawing classes at Yakima Valley Community College. She learned how to macram and knit. The family has many examples of her projects. MarJean was an active individual. She played bridge with a group of longtime friends regularly for years. She jogged, bicycled and danced a fine fox trot with John. MarJean loved to hike. Paradise at Mt. Rainier was her favorite site to hike. She hiked with family and a weekly women's hiking group on many trails in the Cascades. MarJean climbed Mt. Adams twice at ages 45 and 47 respectively. MarJean and John were charter members of the Yakima Tennis Club. She played tennis with passion and skill. That ability carried over to table tennis, too. She enjoyed a rigorous game in both sports with family and friends. Her husband, John, loved to cruise their boat in the San Juan Islands so she became his reliable and skilled first mate, cooking in the galley, dropping anchor and tying up at the dock. She even tried successful rides on water skis encouraged by her then teenage children. MarJean was truly an elegant and engaging woman. She is loved by many people who have been in her company. We thank her two wonderful caregivers, Amanda and Belinda, who lovingly cared for MarJean when her mobility and health were compromised. She and her family are grateful for their compassion and support. MarJean is survived by a sister, Joy Tremper, three children, Rick (Gay) Fairbrook, Susan (Raymond) Paolella and Rob (Darlene) Fairbrook, grandchildren, Sarah (Rainey Johnson) Fairbrook, Scott Fairbrook, Louis (Brooke Hallett) Paolella, David Paolella, Emily (Brad) Shuel and Laura (Keith) Barrack. She is predeceased by her husband, John, grandson Joseph Paolella and daughter-in-law, Sandra Fairbrook. A Celebration of Life Service will be held Friday, June 9, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church. Memorials may be made to the YMCA, Grace of Christ Church or the favorite charity of the donor, c/o Brookside Funeral Home & Crematory, PO Box 1267, Moxee, WA 98936.