Arlene Ann Schade passed away peacefully with family on May

4, 2023, at 91 years old.

Arlene was born in Los Angeles, CA, growing up on her family’s

orange orchards, riding her horses and enjoying good friends.

After her husband passed at an early age she built a new life for

herself and her three young sons. She went back to college to

earn her teaching credentials and became a primary school

teacher in northern California. While living in Ft. Bragg, CA,

Arlene and her new husband restored the historic Weller House

and was proud to have it entered in the National Historic

Registry. She was a lifelong singer and sang professionally at

community events and churches. You can hear her on YouTube

by typing her name into Google or You Tube. Arlene moved to

Vashon Island, WA, 26 years ago to be nearer her oldest son.

She was active in the Senior Center, Red Hats, and a local

writing club. Arlene loved to write. She wrote many short

stories, mostly humorous, because that was her nature. Some

of her stories can be read in the book “Where We Came From:

A Collection of the Bookshop Memoir Group”.

Arlene is preceded in death by her husbands James West and

Andre Schade, and by her son Kief West. She is survived by her

sons, Mark and Scott West, and grand children, Amelia and Sam

West.

Arlene will be missed.

The last family owned funeral home in Thurston County.

Woodlawn Funeral Home Obituaries