Juanita M. Dahl, 81, a resident of Burlington, passed away on Thursday July 27, 2006 after a short illness at Creekside Retirement Community with family at her side.
She was born in Bow, WA on September 15, 1924, to Oscar and Marie Denis Dahl, the third of nine children. She graduated from Edison High School as Valedictorian of the class of 1942, and from Griffin Business College in Seattle.
Miss Dahl worked in Seattle from 1944 to 1948 for Judge Evangeline Starr, one of the first woman judges in Washington. She then worked at Burlington-Edison High School prior to beginning work for the Dept. of Defense for the Dept. of the Army. She worked for two years in Yokohama, Japan and on her return to the U.S. she worked for Gov. Arthur B. Langlie and the 35th Washington State Legislative Session, being the Executive Secretary for the Annual Governor’s Conference held in Seattle in 1953. She then returned to work for the Dept. of Defense for two years in Salzburg, Austria before working in Germany for many of the top Generals in the Dept. of the Army for the next 26 years.
While in Munich, Germany she became Section Chief of the European Division of the National Ski Patrol System, attending the Austrian School for Ski Instructors at St. Christoph. She taught skiing in Austria and Germany for many years. As a Red Cross First Aid Instructor she taught first aid to the members of the military personnel assigned to Garmish, Berchgtesgaden, and the Chiemsse Recreation Ski Patrol areas. In 1963 she was offered a job as secretary to President Johnson in the White House, but declined because she wasn’t ready to leave Europe. Miss Dahl traveled extensively in Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East and while in Japan she climbed Mt. Fuji. In her lifetime she traveled around the globe at least five times.
After returning to Skagit County in 1981 she worked at the Skagit County Senior Information and Assistance, Senior Services.
She was a member of the Skagit County Historical Society, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees NARFE and was a member of the Catholic Church.
She is survived by her sister, Geneva Peth Sasnett; brothers, Loren Joan Dahl, Ernie Janet Dahl and Norm Pat Dahl all of Bow. Also surviving is a brother-in-law, Tom Oswold and numerous nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her mother and father, her brother, Vernon Bud Dahl and sisters, Dorothy Oswold and her twin sister, Doris age 3 and Ione Taylor. She was also preceded by her aunt, Kay Brandstrom who was like a sister and nephews, Tracey Oswold and Thad Dahl.
The family would like to thank Skagit Hospice for making her last days more comfortable. Memorials may be made to the Skagit County Historical Society, the Thad Dahl Scholarship Fund 17661 Allen Rd. Bow, WA 98232 or a charity of your choice.
A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2006 at 11:00 AM at St. Charles Catholic Church in Burlington.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.