Mary Melinda Hubbard Freudenthal passed away January 21, 2007 at Whidbey General Hospital from heart failure at age 61. She had juvenile onset diabetes which she managed carefully throughout her lifetime.

Mary was born May 31, 1945 as the second and last child of John Maitland and Laura Lee Hubbard in Spokane Wash. She grew up in Moscow, Id., Portland, Ore., Spokane, Wash., and Beaverton, Ore. Mary graduated from Sunset High School in 1963. Five years after her sister, Mary, also joined the Pi Beta Phi Sorority at the University of Idaho and graduated in 1967. Both met their spouses at the University of Idaho which was also their father’s Alma Mater.

Mary graduated with a degree in food and nutrition and completed a one-year internship at the University of Oregon Medical School to become a registered dietician with the American Dietetic Association. Mary wed Paul Freudenthal at the Catholic Chapel at the University of Idaho June 3, 1968. After a short honeymoon in Couer d’Alene, Idaho, Mary returned to Portland to complete the last month of her internship, and Paul proceeded to Pensacola, Fla. to start Naval Pilot Training. They were rejoined in Aug 1968. After completing Advanced Flight Training Corpus Christi, Texas in July 1969, they returned to Pensacola, Fla. where Paul served as a primary flight instructor. While in Pensacola, Mary gave birth to their daughter Karen on November 6, 1970.

During their Navy life, Mary enjoyed the camaraderie of the wives clubs and served a challenging one-year term as president of the large combined command wives club on Okinawa. She enjoyed hosting many family member visits to Hawaii. Mary, Paul and sometimes Karen visited Bangkok, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and most of Japan’s main island Honshu. Mary also insured Karen’s religious education through to Confirmation. During a tour on Whidbey Island they built a waterfront retirement home at Mariners Cove.

After retirement, they returned in June 1988. In July 1988 they bought their sailboat in Florida and moved it partly by land and partly sea to Mariners Cove. Paul drove school busses during the school year and this allowed Mary and Paul to travel extensively to British Columbia and southeast Alaska in summer. In about 1990 Mary started working for Frontier Chevrolet. After vesting herself in the Social Security Retirement System in 1998, Mary returned to full-time homemaker. She has maintained the friendships she made there. She enjoyed reading, watching classic movies and sewing. Mary also enjoyed soft jazz and mellow, female country western. Mary liked socializing with neighbors through help with facilitating the events of the Gourmet Club, Annual Picnic, Garage Sale, and Garden Club.

Mary is the nexus of two large family groups. The Genepool is based on Mary’s mother and four sisters, their eight children, and children’s children. Mary hosted the first of four Genepool reunions at her home at Mariners Cove and attended the other three. She is also a member of the Freudenthal Siblings based on Paul’s eight brothers, sisters, and their spouses. Mary had the ablity to organize and make either family’s events fun.

Mary’s last project was helping Karen prepare for her March 10 wedding at Port Gamble. Mary will very much be present at her daughter’s ceremony.

Mary is survived by her husband Paul, daughter Karen, and sister Nancy Swearengen. She was preceded in death by both parents.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 27, 2006, at Burley Funeral Chapel in Oak Harbor.