Merilyn Jean Brosseau Obituary (2010

Merilyn Jean "Lynn" Brosseau, of Bremerton, WA, passed away May 22, 2010 at the age of 85. Lynn was born April 7, 1925, in Seattle, WA, to Dr. Merle S. and Mrs. Alice M. (Nielsen) Harmon. Lynn had a sister, Francys, and a brother, Richard. Lynn was Valedictorian of her 1942 class at Port Townsend High School. She then earned a degree in Social Work at the University of Washington. Lynn moved to southern California where she was a social worker for the Veterans Administration. She met William Joseph "Bill" West, whom she married in 1947. They moved to Kailua, HI where Bill was a Lt. Colonel in the Hawaiian National Guard. They had two children, Deborah and William. Sadly, Bill died of polio in 1955. Lynn took a job managing a physician's office and enjoyed support from friends and family. She was introduced to Oswald Joseph "Buzz" Brosseau, a career U.S. Naval officer. After a short courtship they married in 1957 and had a daughter, Jo Ann. Buzz also had a daughter by his first marriage, Kathryn Walker. His naval career took the family to Coronado, CA; Norfolk, VA; London, England; and Boston, MA. When Buzz retired from the Navy in 1972, he, Lynn, and Jo Ann moved to Colorado Springs, CO. Some years later, Lynn and Buzz moved to Green Valley, AZ. When Buzz died in 2001, Lynn remained in Green Valley until June 2007, when she moved to Bremerton, WA to be with her companion, Frederick Olson. They shared the care of Zloty, their Golden Retriever, and enjoyed day outings around the area to visit friends and family. Lynn had a giving spirit and spent many years volunteering with Navy Relief, serving as a docent at the Zoo in Colorado Springs, and playing piano at nursing homes and hospice. She is survived by her daughters, Jo Ann Hilker of Centreville, VA, Deborah B. McGuire of Baltimore, MD, and Kate Walker of Vancouver, BC; son, William H. Brosseau of Greeley, CO; sister-in-law, Mary Ann Harmon of San Juan Capistrano, CA; nieces, Sherry Lipsky, Susan Harmon, and Meredith Prock; nephew, W. Lael Prock; and six grandchildren. Interment will be at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, CA at a date to be determined in the near future. Memorial donations may be made to Casa de Esperanza, 780 South Park Centre Ave, Green Valley, AZ 85614 or Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mt Zoo Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.