Thursday, April 25, 2024
Marina Haley
November 7, 1945 - January 27, 2023
Marina Haley, a cherished mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, known and respected for the compassion and care she showed as a home health and hospice nurse, died Friday, January 27 after a brief illness. She was 77.
She was born Marina Gale Meyers in Bend, Oregon on November 7, 1945, to Lou and Ila Meyers. The 1964 queen of the Bend Water Pageant during high school, Marina went on to graduate from Emanuel Hospital School of Nursing in Portland in 1967.
After stops in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Beaverton, Oregon, Marina moved to Leavenworth in 1977 and enjoyed getting involved in the Upper Valley community. She joined a friend group that remained close until her death more than 45 years later. She served on the Leavenworth City Council for many years and started youth soccer and recreation programs in town to help keep the local kids (including her own) busy with healthy activities.
In commemoration of her years of service, “Marina Haley Field” in Enchantment Park opened in 1992 and she threw the ceremonial first pitch. It was fortunate she wasn’t on the receiving end of that pitch because she was known to close her eyes when balls came her way. Many kids, including daughter Megan and her friends, played on that field over the next 30 years.
Also in 1992, Marina built her home off Ski Hill Drive in Leavenworth, where she lived for the rest of her life. In the spring and summer, she loved to read on the deck, care for her garden, take walks at Ski Hill to look at wildflowers, and was a regular in the summer water exercise class at the Leavenworth City Pool. When the weather kept her inside, Marina enjoyed watching home improvement shows and crime dramas, spending time with family and friends, keeping up with the latest neighborhood, city, and national political happenings, and spoiling her dogs, Binky and then Cooper.
Marina retired in 2010 after decades as a home health and hospice nurse for Central Washington Hospital. She touched the lives of so many with her calm, knowledgeable and comforting approach, continuing to help families through difficult times long after her retirement. She treasured the lifelong friendships she maintained with her nursing school classmates, co-workers, and families of her patients.
Marina is survived by her sister Gayna (Terry) Miles, son Justin (Christina) Haley, daughter Megan Haley (Chris) Nelson, daughter-in-law Stephanie Haley, and three beautiful granddaughters that she adored, Madeleine, Abby, and Kate. She was preceded in death by her father and mother. Marina was passionate about death with dignity and donations in her memory can be made to End of Life Washington (https://endoflifewa.org). Arrangements assisted by Jones & Jones – Betts Funeral Home. The family is planning a service in the spring, when her life can be celebrated with sunshine and wildflowers.
