Obituary: Cassidy, Harriette E. (Collin)
Age 94
She was born April 11, 1920 to John E. Collin and Hazel (Jones) Collin and into two pioneer Spokane families.
Her grandfather, Rolla Jones was a horticulturist and civil engineer.
He built the original upriver dam and water works.
He was Spokane water commissioner at the time of the great Spokane fire of 1889.
He developed and operated the Riverside Nursery on Upriver Drive - at one time, the oldest nursery in Washington.
Her grandfather, George Collin, was very active in local politics and was a long-time county commissioner.
Her mother, Hazel Collin, was born on Canada Island (then Crystal Island) in a tent where the family took refuge after the fire of 1889.
Harriette grew up in NE Spokane and primarily at the Riverside Nursery on Upriver Drive.
She attended Cooper Elementary School and Rogers High School where she was on the tennis team and was a “Big Sister” to new students.
She belonged to the French club and the Journalism club.
She was selected for the National Honor Society and was president of the Girls’ League.
She graduated in 1938.
After the graduation ceremony, a group went to dance at Newman Lake where she walked through some road oil and got it on her gown which her grandmother had made for her.
Her grandmother commented, “You might as well dress up that bull calf out there.”
In 1998, she was inducted into the Rogers Walk of Fame for her life of service.
She then attended Eastern Washington University where she met her husband-to-be, John Cassidy on their first day of college.
She was inducted into the Tawanka service honorary.
She remained active in its alumni group for the rest of her life.
She received a Junior Diploma in 1941 and took a job teaching 5th and 6th grades at Washtucna, WA.
She attended summer schools and received her B Ed in 1943.
She took a job teaching at Bancroft school in Spokane in 1943.
She taught 6th grade, and boys’ and girls’ PE.
She also coached the baseball, basketball and football teams.
Because she received pay for coaching (a whole $25) she was classified as a professional by the AAU.
The children told their friends that their mom had been a football professional!
She married John on October 19, 1945 two weeks after he got home from more than 3 years overseas.
They had been engaged for nearly five years.
They bought their first home on Adams in 1948.
They built the family home on Maple Street and lived and raised their family there for 48 years.
They moved to Riverview Terrace Retirement Home in 2001.
Harriette had been a member of Messiah Lutheran Church since 1959 and served in many ways there - in Sunday School, church womens’ circle, and coordinator of senior group activities among others.
She was awarded the Golden Acorn award from PTA, served in Meals on Wheels, was a supporter of Hope House, was long-time chairman of her high school reunion committee.
She was an adult member of Camp Fire since 1959 and was awarded a life membership and received the Hiateni award for service.
She was very active in gardening and was a member of “Dirt Daubers” garden Club, Federated Garden Clubs and Associated Garden Clubs and Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane.
She loved gardening, flowers, birds and nature.
She enjoyed meeting people, camping and traveling.
She spent many happy summers camping with the family at Priest Lake in Idaho at Reeder Bay, Luby Bay and after the family bought a boat, on Kalispell Island.
She enjoyed traveling with the family.
They saw all of the Western States and much of the rest of the country.
After retirement, she and John went to Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Alaska, seven times to the British Isles and all of the countries of Western Europe.
She and John cruised the Caribbean, to Alaska and through the Panama Canal from San Diego to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Harriette was raised at Riverside Nursery where she learned to love all nature, especially flowers and birds.
She loved her faith friends and her many close friends.
She loved people!!
Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the love of her life.
They were all a blessing and an inspiration to her.
The friends she made were all so precious and caring.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, John; her parents; her brothers, Don Collin and John Collin of Spokane; and her sister, Mary Lou (Collin) Jones of Phoenix, AZ.
She is survived by her four children: Tom (Gayle) Cassidy of Deer Park, Lynne (George) LeBret of Spokane, Steve (Karin) Cassidy of Seiad Valley, CA, Margaret (Bruce Warren) Cassidy of Eau Claire, WI; Eleven grandchildren: Heather (James) Armstrong of Seatac, WA, Jason Cassidy of Spokane Valley, WA, Kammy (Paul) Thompson of Mead, WA, Loree (Chad) Hoisington of Spokane, WA, Nathan (Jennifer) LeBret of Spokane, Jeff (Breena) LeBret of San Diego, CA, Joel (Betsy) LeBret of Boise, ID, Kari LeBret-Harris of San Antonio, TX, Ehrich (Serenity) Schmidt of Big Lake, AK, Dani (Sean) Webb of Queensland, Australia and Sian Thomas of Great Yarmouth, England; 27 great-grandchildren; three sisters-in-law, Jo Collin, Betty Collin, and Barbara Cassidy; and two brothers-in-law, Dan Cassidy and John Campbell; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial Services will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church 4202 N. Belt on Saturday, April 19th at 2 pm.
Memorials may be given to: Messiah Lutheran Church, Camp Fire Boys and Girls, Hope House, Salvation Army or Meals on Wheels.
To view Harriette’s online memorial, please visit www.hennesseyfuneralhomes.com.