Esther Veres Starkey

Esther was born on August 31, 1922, in Tiszadob, Hungary, the eldest child of Sandor and Mary Veres. At the age of four she immigrated to Canada with her mother to join her father, who left Hungary the previous year to establish their home in Coalhurst, Alberta. Sandor worked the coal mine and raised livestock, and Mary grew a bountiful garden and nurtured the growing family which eventually numbered eight, including Esther’s three sisters Barbara, Julia, and Margaret, and four brothers, Joe, Andy, Bob, and Dave. Though she spoke no English when she began school, Esther’s intelligence, hard work and scholarship earned the notice of the town doctor and his wife. After high school graduation, Dr. Inkrote and his wife Mildred provided tuition and living expenses for Esther to attend the four year program at The Vancouver General School of Nursing. There, too, she excelled in her studies and made lifelong friends with her classmates. She also found the profession that was a lifelong calling and passion. After graduation, Esther nursed in locations throughout British Columbia, the Yukon, and Calgary. In 1951, she joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Flying Officer in the Nursing Branch. She received her flight training in Montgomery, Alabama, and then flew on duty throughout the Pacific, including flying the wounded back to the US from the Korean War. In August 1953, she flew into Honolulu and, on a bus ride to quarters, met a widowed US Air Force pilot, Earl Starkey. On their second date, he was clever enough to bring his two beautiful little boys, Earl Jr. and Randy, and within two weeks they were engaged. They were married on November 20, 1953. In August of 1954, daughter Margaret was born, followed by Mary in March of 1956, Bob in April of 1957, and Jim in 1962. Earl’s Air Force career took them from Hawaii to Texas to California to Montana to Alaska, then back to Texas before making Spokane their permanent home in 1969 after Earl’s retirement. When her youngest started kindergarten in 1967, Esther began nursing again in San Antonio. She began working at Holy Family Hospital in Spokane in 1969, first in the Intensive Care Unit before switching to Utilization Review and Discharge Planning, where she worked until her retirement in 1996. After retirement, she was a busy volunteer with Meals on Wheels, as a reading tutor at Indian Trail Elementary, and at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. She enjoyed many happy travel adventures with her best friend, Joyce Fury, and always loved get-togethers with her beloved brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews in Canada. Esther was a loving and constant caregiver to her husband Earl, who passed away after a long illness in 1978. She leaves her children, of whom she was very proud, who are grateful for her love, life and care: Earl Starkey, Istanbul, Turkey; Randall Starkey (Janice), Nashville, Tennessee; Maggie Schaeffer, Denver, Colorado; Mary Starkey, Robert Starkey (Cathy), and James Starkey, Spokane, Washington. She leaves the joys of her life, her grandchildren, with the memories of love, fun, and good cooking: Amy, Curran, Sarah, Renee, Alex, Marissa, Curtis, Jordan, Jade and Grant. She adored her growing tribe of great-grandchildren and her many nieces and nephews. Along with her parents and husband, she is preceded in death by her grandson Nathan Starkey, her brothers Joe, Bob, and Dave Veres, and her sisters Mary Veres and Margaret Sanders. A memorial service is planned for 2:30 P.M. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 316 E. 24th Ave., Spokane, WA on Saturday, April 30, 2016. Interment will follow at 4:30 P.M. at  Fairmount Memorial Park, 5000 West Wellesley, where Esther will be laid to rest beside her husband Earl. Cremation was entrusted to Riplinger Funeral Home. Esther’s family wishes to thank Touchmark for the happy environment they provided these last years of Mom’s life. She made many wonderful friends there. Thank you also to the Skilled Nursing staff at Touchmark and to Hospice of Spokane for the tender care given to Mom in her last months. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark's Lutheran Church or to Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.