Obituary of Margaret Ann Grabicki

Margaret Grabicki died on February 3, 2023 at the age of 99. She and her twin sister, Marie, were born on December 14, 1923 in Spokane, Washington to Mabel (Marrs) and Charles Edmund Spencer. She was the third of seven siblings.

Margaret grew up in Port Orchard, Washington during the Great Depression, and she lived through much adversity in her early life. Before she was 11, her father and older brother died, and the family’s house burned down. Everything was lost, and Margaret was sent to live with a neighbor until a new house could be built.

Despite the trauma of her young life, Margaret had a joyful, gracious, and loving spirit. She graduated with honors from Saint Joseph’s Academy in Sprague, Washington in the spring of 1941. She then moved to Bremerton, Washington where she worked as an operator at the telephone company.

In 1942, she met the love of her life, Joseph Grabicki. He was an Army soldier working on the Barrage Balloon program at Bremerton Naval Base. They married in June of 1942 and raised five children together.

Margaret adapted well to Army life. She loved adventure and had a wellspring of curiosity. She made friends easily and treasured them for life. After 11 moves in 16 years, she and Joe decided to leave the Army and set down permanent roots in the Seattle area. They continued to raise their children, and Margaret became very involved in church and school activities.

She returned to work outside the home in the late 1960’s and managed a temporary services agency in Seattle for many years. Later, she and Joe spent several summers in Alaska managing a housing complex for commercial fishermen and construction workers.

Those who had the honor of knowing Margaret remember her warmth, joy, and love. She was a brilliant Bridge and Scrabble player who could memorize which cards had been played and what tiles were still in the stack. She was an avid reader and an amazing cook.

Her favorite times were celebrating any gathering of family and friends. She remained close to all her siblings, and she adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will be deeply missed.

Margaret is survived by her children: Jim (Vicki), Tom (Cherryl), Steve (Kathy), and Elaine (Jan) Borjeson; her daughter-in-law Vickie Grabicki; her sister Rosemary Elliott; her grandchildren: Susan, Elaine, Joe, Teresa, Michael, Cheryl, Karen, Jenni, Cliff, and Matthew; nine great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 64 years, Joe, and her son Phil; as well as five siblings: Robert Spencer, Catherine Strub, Marie VanBerg, Martin Clark, and Bill Clark.

A Recitation of the Rosary will be held at St. Luke Catholic Church in Shoreline at 10:00 AM on Friday, February 10th followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. Interment to follow on Monday, February 13th at 11:00 AM at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery in Shoreline.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Greater Northwest Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, or Providence Hospice of Seattle.