Jacque Hambly Lysons, October 30, 1947 - December 13, 2023.
Jacque Hambly Lysons died at home on December 13, 2023, while preparing a guest room for the arrival of her granddaughter for the Christmas holiday. Despite the severe rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and polyneuropathy that would have left most people bedridden, to the very end she remained active, independent, and in the house she had lived in for 47 years.
She was born Jacque Alice Hambly on October 30, 1946, in Spokane. Her father spent long months at sea as a sailor with the Merchant Marine and her mother, who had lupus, was sometimes too sick to keep house. So, Jacque learned to cook, clean, and sew from a young age. When she began babysitting, parents would call the next day thanking her for also cleaning and organizing their houses but wondering where she'd put a few things. She ran a tight ship, as her father would say.
She graduated with an art degree from Berkeley in 1968 and was a gifted painter, gardener, and craftsperson with a keen eye for good design. In her sixties (despite the chronic pain associated with the aforementioned conditions) she took up carpentry, designing and building the beautiful hardwood table that still adorns her dining room.
Jacque was a kind and generous friend who also loved good food and good wine, qualities that naturally made her a great host. Her children took it for granted that the large, immaculately prepared and executed dinner parties and wine tastings thrown by Jacque and her husband Donald were normal events (until they themselves reached adulthood and appreciated the daunting amount of skill and effort involved).
It is difficult to succinctly express what a fierce and loving mother Jacque was; lioness was the zoomorphism that often occurred to her children while growing up, and still does. But her loving, nurturing nature extended well beyond her own progeny. Jacque was a dedicated and passionate teacher who worked for many years at Phantom Lake Elementary in Bellevue, whence she was awarded the Washington State teacher of the year. She loved animals, especially dogs, who, aside from offering faithful companionship, by turns intrigued her and cracked her up with their behavior. Late in life she lived, literally, for her grandchildren and grand nephews and nieces. No medical treatment was half as effective at easing her chronic pain as a day spent in the company of children at play.
She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Donald Lysons, her sister Judith Martinez, her children, Joshua Large, Sarah Lysons, and James Lysons, and Jessica Lysons, their spouses, Catalina Isaza, Ximena González, Jason Blundell, and Miles Finley, and her grandchildren, Clara Large, John Blundell, Alice Blundell, Tilda Finley, and Nathaniel Finley.
A celebration of her life will be held at her house in the Hilltop neighborhood of Bellevue on July 6, 2024.
