Mikki Rozell Obituary (1947

Our mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, dear friend and colleague Mikki Rozell passed away suddenly and peacefully Tuesday, January 31st at the University of Washington Medical Center. She succumbed to complications from kidney cancer diagnosed this past September. Mikki was born and raised in Boise, ID. She was given the name Bertha Marlene in honor of her grandmother, but was nicknamed Mikki by her father at birth and answered to this the rest of her life. Some of her fondest memories of her Boise youth were the time spent and comfort she found with her cousins, neighbors and close family friends. She was by default, a tomboy. She loved going to Johnson Creek to camp and fish with her dad and to play ball with her brothers and the boys. Mikki always excelled academically and this led her to Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. She majored in English Literature and would later teach English at her alma mater, Borah High School. In 1972 she married Tom Patrick, whom she would divorce 17 years later, but would still call her best friend until the day she died. Mikki moved to West Seattle in 1975, right before welcoming her first child, Kristie Alana, followed two and half years later by her son, Sean Thomas. Words will never do justice to the job Mikki did as a mother and later as a grandmother. Mikki served Seattle University for nearly 25 years and was a long standing and universally admired member of the Admissions staff. Seattle University became her second home and beloved family. Among her many contributions and accomplishments were her coordination of marketing, application processing, and programming for the Sullivan Leadership Program. She was recognized by the University in 2003 as the staff member of the year and received the Lee Thurber Distinguished Service Award. Mikki enjoyed many hobbies, including a deep love to see and know the world. One of her fondest memories was her month long trip to Italy with her mother and daughter to study Philosophy of Renaissance Art, a trip that would forever imprint the romance of Tuscany in her heart. She also had an unquenchable appetite for literature and always welcomed the opportunity for a good debate. Mikki was a kind, wise, generous, and loving woman with an unforgettable sense of humor. She is preceded in death by her father, Jack Rozell and survived by her mother, Connie Rozell; her daughter and son-in-law, Kristie and Joe Berg; her son and daughter-in-law, Sean Patrick and Angela Winter; her two granddaughters, Lily Winter and Avery Berg; her brothers, Rick and John Rozell; her sisters-in-law, Shelley and Theresa Rozell; her nephews, Sam and Josh Rozell; her niece, Sara Rozell and lastly, her dog and faithful companion, Otis Pagotis. A memorial service will be held in Mikki's honor in the Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mikki's name to the Seattle University Library or to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.