Mary Kay Vance Strate Obituary (2025)

Mary Vance Strate passed away peacefully on September 29, 2025. Mary was born in Pierre, South Dakota on January 7, 1932 to Russell Vance and Lucille (Conway) Vance. Mary's family, which now included her younger brother Bobby, lived in many different towns throughout South Dakota. In 1944, the family moved to Ellensburg, Washington and in 1950 Mary graduated from Ellensburg High School. Mary then attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington and in 1954 graduated with degrees in both Biology and Chemistry, becoming a Medical Technologist. She worked in various medical facilities in Washington State and Montana. Mary then moved to Colusa, California where she worked at Colusa County Hospital. Shortly after, she married J. Roger Strate, and they remained married until 1981. Their daughters Dana and Sara were born in Colusa. Soon, new jobs led them to Selah, Washington. Shortly after moving, Mary began teaching children with learning disabilities and took great satisfaction in helping them. In the early 1970's, there was a shortage of teachers in Washington State and due to her extensive background in science, Mary was tapped to teach science at St. Joseph's School in Yakima. She then went on to teach science at Wapato Junior High School where she was known as a tough but fair teacher that educated her students far above a junior high grade level. She retired from teaching in 1996. Mary was a highly social person and made many friends through her years of schooling and work and maintained those friendships throughout her life. Mary was a very creative and witty person and had many different interests throughout her life including oil painting, gardening, hiking, pottery, golfing with friends, and reading. She also loved birding, taking many trips to see different kinds of birds and was a member of the Yakima Audubon Society. Mary adored taking her family on summer vacations to Seaside and Cannon Beach, Oregon and had great fun riding sand bikes with her grandsons on the beach. Mary was preceded in death by her father, her mother, and her brother. She is survived by her daughters, Dana (Gerard) Diemer, her daughter Sara (Mike) Blankenbaker, grandsons Morgan (Mica) Diemer and Carson Diemer and great grandchildren Lumen and Remington. Many thanks to the staff at Fieldstone Memory Care and MultiCare Hospice for their outstanding and kind care in the last months of Mary's life. A Catholic Funeral Mass will be planned for a later date.