BELLEVUE, Washington – Elizabeth LaVerne (Bette) Currie, formerly of Farmington, Maine, passed away in Bellevue, Washington on Friday, July 29, 2016, after a short illness.
Bette was born on Dec. 15, 1929, to John and Rose (Sabol) Tatarka a few minutes before her twin brother, Robert “Bob,” who predeceased her in Bozeman, Montana in 2015. Bette grew up in Montana and graduated from Rosary High School in Bozeman and received a nursing diploma from the Columbus Hospital School of Nursing in Great Falls launching a long career in nursing.
In 1951 Bette married Edmund (Ed) Currie in Bozeman. They started their family of six children in Montana, moving to Farmington, Maine, in 1969, where Ed was a professor at the University of Maine Farmington and Bette worked at Franklin Memorial Hospital. Among her many accomplishments at Franklin Memorial, Bette was instrumental in opening the first cardiac monitoring unit and was also a nursing supervisor. After Ed passed in 1988, Bette moved to the Seattle area to be closer to her children and enjoy her grandchildren.
She is predeceased by her parents, her husband Edmund Currie; her sisters Rose Van Hoorn and Joanna Stanley and her brothers Anthony Tatarka, John Tatarka, Robert Tatarka, and Raymond Tatarka.
She is survived by her siblings Mary Tiano of Gardnerville, Nevada, William Tatarka of Bozeman, Montana and Ronnie Vaught of Henderson, Nevada; her children Bobbie Brooks and husband Charlie of Bellevue, Washington, Bonnie Currie-Anderson of Issaquah, Washington, Kevin of Elizabeth, Colorado, John and his wife Paula Harrington of Portland, Maine, Tracy and his wife Venita of Evergreen, Colorado and Kelly and his wife Tara Sher of Brooklyn, New York.
She is also survived by 14 grandchildren, three great-granddaughters and many nieces and nephews.
A vigil will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 31 followed by a funeral mass and burial on Sept. 1 in Bozeman, Montana. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
To the family of “Bette”, I remember her as a very sharp, good sense of humor type of person. I know her from her volunteer day at FMH. As a new employee there in the 1990’s, I always looked up to her and enjoyed our occasional encounters. May she rest in peace.
Audrey Brown
Bette was an energetic mother who was a gracious entertainer of a good number of her 6 kids friends. I was one of them along with some of my sisters and brothers. We have fond memories of hanging out at the Currie home. Rest in peace, Mrs. Currie and my sympathies to the Currie children for their loss of a strong and caring parent.
Cheryl Rice Hasenfus
My sincere condolences to her family. I worked many years with Bette at Farmington. She was a really great teacher and friend and was admired by most of the staff throughout her career there.
To Bette’s family, my heartfelt condolences. She was a proud and wonderful mother, good friend , neighbor and mentor to me. Rest in piece , Mother Currie , you have done an outstanding job down here.