Bette Powers Vallee passed away peacefully on January 10, 2019 at Frye’s Care Home in Eureka at the age of 94.

Bette was born in Alhambra, California to Isaac and Martha Powers on July 23, 1924. She had three siblings, Robert, Nancy and Margie (“Sistie”). She graduated from El Monte High School in 1942 and married George Vallee four months later. Bette and George honeymooned on Balboa Island at Newport Beach. Bette loved the beach. They were married for 62 years before his death in 2004.

They moved from El Monte to Eureka in 1950 with their four children, and had seven more children in Eureka. Bette was most proud of being a mother to her eleven children. She was a great cook and also enjoyed spending her sparse free time creating ceramics. George and Bette built a houseboat in 1970 and launched it at Estrellita Marina on Trinity Lake in the spring of that year. They enjoyed 20 years of wonderful summers with their family on the lake.

Bette was an active member of the Eureka Woman’s Club and cherished the friends she made there, especially the “Anns” — Anne Corder and Ann Duffy — amongst many others. Bette and George also enjoyed occasional Sunday morning orange rolls with Gerry and Oriel Ayers and their family. 

Bette is survived by her children Lonnie (Ramona), Jon (Kathy), Georgianna, Tom (Jane), Nancy (Mike), Liz (Bruce), Gabriel, Chris (Deanna), Paul and Stephanie (Ed), her daughter-in-law Mary Jackson Vallee, her grandchildren and their spouses, her great-grandchildren and her sister Margie. 

Bette was preceded in death by her siblings Robert and Nancy, her husband George, her son Terry, her grandsons Matthew Chess and Preston Vallee and her son-in-law Tony Chess.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt and Frye’s care home for the kindness and care they extended to our mother at the very end. Also, a very special thanks to our brother Gabe for making his home with and caring for our mother for the nine years after her stroke in 2009. We know Bette greatly appreciated that too.

A celebration of Bette’s life will be held at Sacred Heart Church on February 16, 2019 at noon beginning with a mass, with a reception immediately following in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Hospice of Humboldt.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Bette Vallee’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.