Sally Sue (Peterson) Shunn

Our mother Sally “Deeda” Sue (Peterson) Shunn, passed away on Sept 6, 2022, at
the youthful age of 76 after a sudden and brief battle with (Acute Myeloid)
Leukemia at St. Michaels Hospital in Silverdale, WA.
She was born on March 3, 1946, in Alta, IA, to Warren and Edith Peterson. The
family moved to the Bremerton, WA, area where she graduated from South
Kitsap High School in 1964, earned a Certificate in Nursing – LPN from Olympic
Community College, Bremerton, WA in 1968, and as a single parent earned her
RN degree from Peninsula Community College, Port Angeles, WA in 1989. She
was licensed to practice in both Washington and Montana. Her career spanned
some 40 years and covered several area convalescent/rehabilitation centers,
three hospitals and a private practitioner. Her career culminated after
approximately 15 years at the Retsil, Washington Veterans Home where she had
served as the Quality Control/Infection Control Nurse and Acting/Interim Director
of Nursing Services before retiring in 2010. She loved her nursing career for the
patients she could comfort and the friendships with coworkers she valued over
the years. But she hated the shift work, long hours, and sore feet. Childhood
memories recall her coming and going dressed in her white uniform. For years
there was always a white nursing cap drying (stuck) on the fridge, white stockings
hanging on the shower rod, and freshly polished white shoes waiting for the next
shift. Once the nursing field modernized, she was always dressed stylishly on and
off the job. If you knew her, you knew she had quite the collection of earrings
and other accessories….and shoes! Once she retired her accessories became
rain/sun hats, garden gloves and matching Soggs (garden shoes).
She was a role model of women and motherhood of her day. She married and
divorced three men (Myron Gunderson, Ronald Osterman and Jim Shunn), had a
career, raised 5 children, and purchased her own home. Her hobbies included
gardening, moving furniture around, supervising and directing her kids home
improvement projects, making holidays extra special and being with her family.
She was always baking and making life a celebration! If she thought you needed
something, you’d get it…even if you didn’t want it. She made the little things
special, complete with ribbons and bows. If she was hosting a luncheon, birthday,
shower, etc., she’d always have a theme and full scheme at the ready. Her earlier
years included building a home by hand with her husband and Dad in Gig Harbor
where the family quickly integrated into a middle-class lifestyle. The family

attended St. Nicholas Catholic Church and were pillars in the community,
organizing and attending several social events from coffee and donuts after
Sunday services to family campouts and teaching CCD classes (Sunday School).
After retirement she moved back to Port Angeles. She enrolled in the Washington
State University Master Gardener Program and earned her certificate. She
volunteered over 500 hours in the program and was frequently found at the
Woodcock Rose Garden and apple orchard. She also joined the Port Angeles
Garden Club serving as secretary of the club and the Olympic Peninsula District
and followed that by serving as the club’s Vice President for two years and then
leading as President for three years! She was always bubbly and ready for the
next garden event. She was often found at the floral barn during the County fair,
taking wreaths, flowers and flags to lay at the Blue Star Memorial in Port Angeles
and playing Santa’s Elf during the clubs’ holiday wreath making fundraiser. She
was always beautifying things and life anyway she could. When she wasn’t
gardening, she spent her days visiting with her kids and grandkids, altering prom
dresses and our short friends’ pants, making last minute snacks after school or a
casserole dish for the PTA. She loved attending the grandkids school
activities/functions/concerts, being drug along to sit all weekend on a bleacher,
traveling for graduations, retirements and vacations with and for her kids. She
was especially popular for dressing up to hand out the BIG candy bars on
Halloween. Holidays were always a family time to gather and usually involved
football or movies and FOOD! Some of her favorite movies included Christmas
Vacation, Elf, The Grinch (Suess and Carey edition), White Christmas, Masters of
“Disguisy” (Disguise) and the many other cartoons and movies of the season. I
can still hear her Margo and Todd rendition and favorite quotes; “Smiling is my
favorite” and “every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings”. Halloween
brought Hocus Pocus, her caramel corn and the starting of the Christmas baking
season with Aunt Bunny’s (nickname for Aunt Lissa) rum balls. Thanksgiving
included the Macy’s Parade and an overabundance of food, made complete with
her homemade sweet hot mustard. Her grandchildren were always spoiled with
champagne glasses filled with wine (sparkling cider), hot tub pool parties, sleep
overs and thoughtful gifts. She had many names over the years, but her most
loved were from her grandchildren who called her Deeda, Grandma, Grandma
Tootsie and Margo.

She was the best Mother to us and our friends over the years and touched so
many lives. She made herself available for whatever the need, births, heartaches,
broken bones, surgeries, retail therapy, painting or cleaning. We all knew and
loved her pumpkin soup and the chicken and dunkers (or rub-bah biscuits, as
some would call them). It was magical and cured all! She was the one you called
if you had an “owie”, a worthy opponent on Words with Friends, loved relaxing
with audio books and puzzles and gave the best hugs! She was our cheerleader
and best friend; also witty, funny, bossy, and judgmental but always from a
mother’s heart. She would end cards, text, emails, phone calls and saying
goodnight with “I love you, god bless you, good night” or for short ILYGBYGN.
And so, it seems befitting to end our tribute to her here with the sentiment she
always ended with - XOXO Mum.
She is survived by her brother, David Peterson (Carolyn) of Bremerton, WA,
sister, Jude French (Robert) of Hermiston, OR, her 5 children; Denise Enters
(Greg), Ketchikan, AK, Deana Riley (Robert), Ephrata, WA, Christie Tucker (John),
Jennifer Helgeson (Dan) and Matthew Osterman of Port Angeles, WA; 10
grandchildren; Jeff Enters (Jen), Patrick Enters (Samantha), Dan Helgeson Jr.
(Jesika), Joshua Helgeson (AJ), Seth Helgeson (Hannah), Taylor Thompson
(Kameron), Caleb Helgeson (Karma), Preston Tucker, Maizie Tucker, Ashlynn
Helgeson, and Mojo, who blessed her with 20 great grandchildren, numerous
nieces, nephews, and extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by
her sister, Melissa Rose (Peterson).
Her cremation prearrangements were handled through Linde Price Funeral
Services, Sequim, WA. The family request blood donations in honor of her last
needs and wishes.

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