Maxine Lower Moergeli

Maxine Lower Moergeli passed away peacefully on April 28, 2022, exactly one year to the day after the death of her husband. Born in Snohomish, WA on November 8, 1927, Maxine and her twin brother Max were the only children of Robert and Lillian (Shaw) Weed. Although Max was the first born, she laid claim to being the lively, vivacious one – in every photo she’s laughing, head tilted back, and clearly the life of any event.

She graduated from Snohomish High School in June 1946 and attended Central Washington State College in Ellensburg. It was at Central where she met George Moergeli, Jr. of Enumclaw. They married in March 1949, then moved to Auburn in August where George started his first job teaching sixth grade.

Maxine and George soon started a family with the birth of Katherine in December 1949, followed by Keith in July 1952, and Dean in October 1953. They raised their family on a small farm in Auburn where they grew vegetables, fruit trees, dahlias, and rabbits and ducks. Maxine spent the early years of her marriage tending to her family – she was a prolific knitter, talented seamstress, gifted pianist, gardener, and wonderful cook. Her sweaters were magnificent, keeping each of us warm during the long winter months. We loved when she played the piano – Tea for Two was her favorite. Each meal was a tasty delight, and somehow, she always made enough for the frequent visitors and guests that dropped in unannounced for dinner. Weekend nights with mom were special – a big bowl of popcorn, nestled on the couch, watching a movie – nothing better!

Once her children were in school, Maxine put her artistic talents to work at Cugini Florist where she spent over 30 years as a designer and buyer. She was gracious, warm, and always offered a welcoming smile to customers, but she also was respected as a good businesswoman who didn’t put up with nonsense. One of our favorite stories is when a thief ran from the store with stolen items – Maxine ran after him and held him at ‘pen point’ under a car until the police arrived. She was fearless in defense of what was right and fair. She taught us how to be kind to people yet stand our ground when necessary.

While Maxine was truly a glamorous woman who enjoyed getting ‘dolled up’ and entertaining people, she also loved the rugged outdoors, including digging clams, fishing for salmon in Alaska, picking huckleberries in the mountains, skiing, and camping. She had a thrill for adventure and lived a confident life that was contagious in love, laughter, and fun.

Maxine and George moved to their beach property at Rocky Bay in 2004. She oversaw the renovation of the house, taking it from a small rustic cabin to a contemporary beach cottage that she decorated with fine art and a touch of whimsy. Maxine continued to enjoy spending time with family, friends, and neighbors at their new home – she had the knack of making each person she met feel special. She enjoyed nothing more than sitting on the deck with a glass of wine, telling stories with family and friends, laughing, and watching sunsets. When saying goodbye to her, we love her oft-quoted ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do’ because she always said it with a twinkle in her eye. That phrase remains our motto to this day.

Maxine is survived by her children Katherine (Moergeli) and Randy Hanna of Puyallup, WA; Keith Moergeli of Gig Harbor; and Dean and Cookie (Roberts) Moergeli of Gig Harbor; four grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

A private family service will be held later this year. 

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