Longtime Coupeville resident, Colleen Parhaniemi, peacefully passed away on Tuesday, August 21, surrounded by loved ones after a brief hospitalization.
Colleen lived a colorful life marked by unexpected twists and turns. She was an independent spirit who spent much of her life creating homes and gardens full of charm and nostalgia. She will be remembered as a deeply loyal friend, and champion to those undergoing tough times.
Colleen was the daughter of William and Hazel Brown. She was an outgoing child growing up next to the University of Washington Arboretum in Seattle. She loved animals and was often seen pulling her pets in a little red wagon.
Colleen attended Garfield High School where she was a popular student. After graduation, she enrolled at Washington State University and became a member of the Alpha Phi Sorority. But she missed Seattle and returned to begin work as a payroll specialist in the University of Washington President’s Office.
In 1962, Colleen married her high school sweetheart, Loring McAllaster, a Captain in the US Air Force and later an engineer at the Boeing Company. They moved to Morocco where he was stationed for two years. Upon their return, they settled in Kirkland where sons Mark and Jay were born. When the family outgrew their small home, they purchased a neglected, historic farmhouse in Juanita, sparking the beginning of Colleen’s lifelong passion for old homes.
The couple soon began searching for a weekend getaway on Whidbey which led them to a small cottage on Snakelum Point. A few years later, they sold the home to acquire a neighboring property in significant disrepair. Colleen, undaunted, set out transforming the site into Hollyhock Haven, a whimsical cottage with spectacular views of the surrounding Saratoga Passage.
Colleen and Loring later divorced but remained friends until his passing. She met her second husband, Bernard Granger, through friends. When that marriage ended, it opened the door to meeting the love of her life, Rudy Parhaniemi, whom she soon married. Colleen and Rudy shared many interests including vintage cars, friends and travel.
The discovery of a rundown home for sale in Coupeville led them to tackle another restoration and they decided to move to the island fulltime. During their 28 years together, they enjoyed bicycling, snowshoeing and trips in their motorhome.
Colleen and Rudy were active members in the Coupeville Lions Club, participating in many community service projects and the Whidbey Cruisers car club, Colleen was also a member of the Kirkland Women’s Club. In recent years, she enjoyed gardening alongside her beloved chow dog Dolly.
Colleen was predeceased by her son Mark McAllaster and sister Billie Lou Titland. She is survived by her husband Rudy, son Jay McAllaster, sister Dixie Jones Wynn, step-daughter Cindy (Mike) Robinson, grandsons Kyle McAllaster, Nathan Wiggins, Thomas and Stuart Robinson, nieces Kellie Tormey (Chris), Tracy Jones and Danielle Titland and nephew Colby (Pam) Titland. In lieu of flowers the family requests remembrances be made to the Union Gospel Mission in Seattle or the Whidbey Hospital Foundation in Coupeville.
Per her request a small private gathering was held on Friday September 6th on Snakelum Point in Coupeville, WA.
