Edith VanNess, also known as Edie Allen, passed away peacefully in her sleep in Puyallup, Washington on January 24th, 2023.

Edie was born on April 27th, 1940, to Paul and Elsie in North Dakota. They moved to central Oregon when she was young and she went to school in Seneca, Oregon. After she graduated from Seneca High School, Edie moved to Seattle and worked at Boeing as a key punch operator. She met her husband, Bruce Allen, and they moved to Vashon Island in 1970.

In 1978 she opened Noah’s Ark Daycare on Vashon Island and she was a second mother to many children. It gave her joy that some of the children stayed in touch with her as they grew into adults, sharing their own children with her.

She was very creative and made clothes, costumes, and incredibly painted ceramics that were and still are popular. She volunteered at Granny’s Attic thrift store in the late 70’s & early 80’s.

After she retired from her daycare business in 1999, she moved to Marysville and lived with her son and grandchildren. Years later she lived in a retirement community in Seattle where she worked as the building’s housekeeper. Many of the residents became her friends and they say she worked so hard to keep things clean there. In 2016 she moved to Puyallup with her daughter and son-in-law.

Edie could work circles around us all, her energy was amazing and inspiring.

She is survived by her sister Dorothy, her 3 children Mark Allen, Steven Allen and Charity Craft, 3 grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, nieces, nephews, and Sophie, a 15 year old Pomeranian.

A Celebration of Life will take place in 2024 in Puyallup. Please contact Edie’s family for details.

Donations can be made to Granny’s Attic on Vashon Island or to Rabbit Haven in Gig Harbor in lieu of sending flowers.

May she peacefully rest in God’s arms.