Sylvia Parietti Halldorson

Sylvia Parietti Halldorson, age 100 ½, went home to Heaven on March 8, 2026, peacefully surrounded by loved ones in her own home. She was vibrant up until the last few days of her life and always had a smile. She lived an incredible life of love, caring, kindness, compassion, humor, encouragement, forgiveness and generosity. Her parents, Eugene and Emily (Noris) Parietti, immigrated from Italy, and instilled the values of faith, work ethic, family and love in her and her younger brother Walt.

Born in Seattle, WA on August 8, 1925, and after skipping first grade, Sylvia went on to graduate from West Seattle High School when she was only sixteen. Her first job was at the ten cents store in White Center (Seattle). Sylvia then earned a business degree from Wilson Business School and worked for Hostess Bakery (where she never ate twinkies or cupcakes again). Sylvia then became a stenographer for the Seattle Police Department in the Detective Division. She was one of two women in the department and loved it.

An avid dancer, Sylvia met her future husband, Dori Halldorson, at the Trianon Dance Hall in Seattle and were married for 62 ½ wonderful years. After Dori finished his degree at the University of Washington and received his CPA license, his employer, Coast Oyster Company in Seattle transferred him from the big city to their office in the small town of South Bend, WA as manager and eventually President of the company. Their daughters, Joyce and Sheila, were born in Seattle and their other daughters Janet and Shari were born in South Bend. Sylvia adjusted to small town life and thrived in the community. Throughout this period, she served as a 4-H leader and actively supported her daughters’ involvement in all sports, ballet, band, piano and various other activities along with Dori. Sylvia was very involved in Bridge and Propylaeum clubs, Lutheran Church leadership and participation, Garden club and two social dance clubs. Sylvia loved entertaining and was very good at it. She was always on the go, but managed to carve out time to garden, sew and cook all of which she excelled at. Sylvia made the best Wacky Cake, Thanksgiving Dinner, scalloped potatoes and ham and pancakes/waffles. Every summer, the family loaded up the station wagon and travelled around the U.S. Later, they enjoyed taking their adult daughters and families on cruises. Sylvia was an excellent writer and journaled every trip she took and even wrote her life story on her computer and made it into a book.

After all the daughters left for college (all at WSU), she briefly worked as a sales manager for Coast Oyster Company before building a successful career in real estate for 18 years with Davis Insurance and Real Estate Agency in South Bend. Her mentor was the fashionable and talented Helen Davis (who wrote the Washington State Song, Washington My Home). Dori and Sylvia moved to Olympia in 2009, to be closer to their doctors. They lived at Colonial Inn Independent Living, which became their home and Dori passed away a year and half later at age 89 (two months shy of his 90th birthday). Sylvia lived there for 16 more years.

Sylvia was known as the family photographer and loved organizing get-togethers and reunions with our Italian and Icelandic families. At Colonial Inn, Sylvia became an integral part of the independent living community where she was loved and respected by so many of the residents and employees. She loved the many activities of the Colonial Inn and enjoyed all the games: 31, hand and foot, blackjack, bingo, crafts, memory lane, day trips and especially the entertainment. She enjoyed making beautiful all-occasion cards for her family and friends. Sylvia had the reputation of being the best dressed lady at Colonial Inn and sported a very full closet of beautiful clothes. She had the nickname “Queen Bee”. She also loved watching Dancing with the Stars and sports, especially ice skating, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners and Washington State University.

In 2014, Sylvia met Jim McWhorter at the Colonial Inn and they had a special relationship for 8 ½ years before he passed. They did a lot of travelling around the U.S. More recently, Johnny Gee came into her life where they shared an instant love of travel and dancing until he passed.

Sylvia also had five very wonderful and loving caregivers in the last 8 months of her life (Millie, Susan, Marva, Jane and Crispina). Sylvia loved life, family cruises, her family and friends, her church, and remained positive with grace, smiling until the day she died.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Emily Parietti, her beloved husband Dori, her amazing brother Walt, her terrific son-in-law, Daniel Lee, and many relatives whom she dearly loved.

She is survived by four daughters, Joyce Halldorson (Greg Herron) Blanchard, ID, Sheila Riffe (Darrel) Olympia, WA, Janet Halldorson-Lee (Kris Bernard) Gig Harbor, WA, and Shari Freidenrich (Clive) Huntington Beach, CA, along with four grandchildren, Mikkel Meyers (Tyler) Sandpoint, ID, Brenna Harrington (Dean Whitney) Sandpoint, ID, Lindsay Kidd, Portland, OR, and Brett Sandwick (Amorette Maestas) Tacoma, WA, and six great-grandchildren, Scarlett, Leif and Zach Harrington (Brenna), Sierra and Aksel Meyers (Mikkel) and Rowan VanDamme (Lindsay).

Two celebrations of life will be held: Friday, May 29, 2026, at 3:00 pm at Colonial Inn, 3730 14th Avenue SE, Olympia, WA 98501. Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 10:30 am with lunch following, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 2109 College St. SE, Lacey, WA 98503.

Internment following at 3:15 pm at Fern Hill Cemetery, Raymond, WA (you are welcome to go to any of the celebrations).

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dori and Sylvia Halldorson Memorial Scholarship, P.O Box 437, c/o Amy Thompson, South Bend, WA 98586 or St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 2109 College St. SE, Lacey, WA 98503 c/o Pastor Beth. View the obituary on Funeral Alternatives of Washington-Lacey