Nov. 30, 1926-Nov. 12, 2004

HERMISTON – The funeral for Mary K. Radcliffe will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, in the chapel at Burns Mortuary of Hermiston with burial to follow at the Hermiston Cemetery.

Mrs. Radcliffe, 77, of Hermiston, died Friday, Nov. 12, 2004, at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.

She was born Nov. 30, 1926 at Watsonville, Calif., to Fred and Mary Hopp Sprankle. She grew up and attended schools at Huntley, Mont., and Billings, Mont. When she was 16, she moved to Vancouver, Wash., where she worked in the shipyards as a painter during World War II. She still had pictures of all the aircraft carriers she worked on and was always proud that she helped her country during the war.

She later moved to California with her two best friends and worked as a carhop before returning to Billings, Mont.

On March 5, 1946, she married Fred Lofing. They lived in Billings, Mont., and later Park City, Mont. The couple were parents of two children, son, Dennis, and daughter, Sandy. They later divorced and Mrs. Radcliffe went to work at Eastern Montana College in the book store. She met Wally Radcliffe and the couple moved to Prosser, Wash., in 1965 she went to work as a waitress at the Town House Cafe in Prosser. On Feb. 11, 1966, the couple were married at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In 1971, they moved to Umatilla, and a few years later, moved to Hermiston. Mrs. Radcliffe worked at Crossroads Cafe in Umatilla as a waitress from 1971 until 1986 when she retired.

She enjoyed flowers, her animals, gardening, dancing, and playing pinochle. She loved to cook and hold family gatherings.

Survivors include her husband, Wally Radcliffe, of Hermiston; son, Dennis Lofing of Hermiston; daughter, Sandy Hunter and husband, Steve, of Hermiston; sisters, Molly Lynch of Billings, Mont., and Eva Ostermiller of Roundup, Mont.; several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, by brothers, Fred Sprankle and Alec Sprankle, by two infant brothers, Henry Sprankle and Victor Sprankle, and by a sister, Annie Felde.

Memorial contributions may be made to Pet Rescue in Hermiston or the Salvation Army in Pendleton through Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, P.O. Box 289, Hermiston, OR 97838.