Mary Zoe (Motteler) Neubecker

Longtime Stanwood area resident Mary Zoe Neubecker, 79, passed away at her home on April 9, 2014.

Mary Zoe was born in Leavenworth, WA, on August 2, 1934, to Deryl and Margaret (Rutherford) Motteler.  After graduating from Leavenworth High School in 1952, she attended the University of Washington in Seattle, where she was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and graduated in 1956 with a B.A. in Radio-Television.   Even though she had hosted a local TV show called 'The Mary Zoe Scrapbook' in Wenatchee, WA, at that time the broadcast stations in Seattle would only hire women for clerical jobs, so she joined Honey Hansen Travel Agency in Seattle.

She married Delbert E. Neubecker, Jr., of Marysville, WA, on December 18, 1959 in Seattle.  They had two children and lived in Monroe, WA, and Sumas, WA, before finally settling in Stanwood in 1969, where Mary Zoe restarted her career as a travel agent at Stan-Isle Travel, eventually becoming its co-owner as well as opening Arlington Travel in Arlington, WA.  She traveled extensively, touring cities and backroads across six continents; she also served as a National Director of the American Society of Travel Agents and on the Domestic Travel Advisory Council for Walt Disney Attractions.

She was a great hostess and loved to cook (always from scratch and often with vegetables grown in her garden), play bridge and mahjong with friends, and participate in lively discussions with her book club.  In recent years, she enjoyed spending winters as a "snowbird" at the Chase Hotel in Palm Springs, CA.

Mary Zoe is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Lauren and Paul Edlund, of Seattle; her son, David, of Los Angeles, CA; several nieces and their families; many close friends; and her significant other for the past year and a half, Rod Connor of Marysville.  She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Del; her parents; and her brother, Frank R. Motteler.

At her request, there will be no service.  Family and friends will gather at a future date to remember and celebrate her life.  Memorials may be made to the Camano Senior Center, 606 Arrowhead Road, Camano Island, WA 98292 or the Upper Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 2189, Leavenworth, WA 98826.