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Mary Jane (Malsbary) Adair, 84, beloved sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away from pancreatic cancer on October 24th. She died at home, with her husband Frederick holding her hand, surrounded by her loving family and supported by the services of Providence Hospice Care. Mary Jane was the eldest of four children born to Dale and Ann Malsbary in Romney, Indiana. She grew up on a farm where she was frequently in charge of the chickens and new calves and helped plant the corn. She began her studies at Purdue University and later graduated from George Washington University with a degree in Psychology. On June 25th, 1955, she married young Naval Officer Frederick Adair, whom she met on a blind date. Over the course of their first twenty years together, they had three children, Katherine, John and Elisabeth, and moved 15 times, criss-crossing the country in an old VW bus. During those years she volunteered in her children's schools and for Navy Relief, League of Women Voters and American Association of University Women. When Fred took a job with the Washington State government, they relocated to Olympia, Washington where she worked as an educational assistant at Olympia High School and an administrator at St. John's Episcopal Church. An avid reader who was interested in the world, she hosted exchange students and visiting scholars and kept up with them for decades afterwards with her prolific letter writing. She loved music, both participating in her church choir and in Masterworks Choral Ensemble and delighting in local musical offerings. She was a frequent volunteer including Busy Bees at St. John's and neighborhood and school functions. She loved being a member of the women's group, Enotai. In later life, she developed a strong loyalty to the Mariners baseball team, rooting them on at every chance. She loved gardening, cooking, bird-watching, sailing and most of all, connecting with people. Her devotion to her children and grandchildren was powerful. She had a sharp wit, keeping us laughing until her final days. We will very much miss her great capacity for love and her incredible vitality. Mary Jane was pre-deceased by her brother David Malsbary. She is survived by her husband Frederick Adair, brother Samuel Malsbary of Overland Park, Kansas, sister Margaret Christiansen of Red Bluff, California, daughter Katherine Howe (Daniel) of Seattle, Washington, son John Adair (Lisa) of Ojai, California, daughter Elisabeth Jaffe (Howard) of Mill Valley, California, grandchildren Eleanor, William, Caroline, Benjamin, Peter and Matthew and great-grandson Aspen. A memorial service will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church in Olympia at 11:00 a.m. on November 8th. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to a favorite project of hers, the National Women's History Museum (https://www.womenshistory.org/about-us).

Published in The Olympian on Nov. 4, 2018