Times West Virginian
—
Mary “Happy” Hatfield, 94, of Fairmont, died peacefully on Thursday (Nov. 1, 2012), in Spokane, Wash.
She had moved to Spokane two years ago to be near her daughter.
She is survived by her son, Phillip Hatfield in Richmond, Va.; her daughter, Patricia Stifter (the late Bill Stifter) in Spokane; and her five grandchildren, Elissa, Anne (Dan), and John Stifter in southern California, Sam Hatfield in San Diego, Calif., and Morgan Hatfield in Richmond, Va.
Mary was the wife of Elmer “Larry” Hatfield, who died in 1966. They met at the beginning of World War II when Mary was volunteering with the USO and Larry was in OCS.
They were married in 1944 in a military ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., where Larry was recovering from wounds received in the fighting. They spent their married life in West Virginia, where Larry worked for Kentucky Central Life Insurance Co., finally moving to Fairmont in 1955. After Larry’s death, Happy worked in the Fairmont Clinic Home Health Care for 26 years, retiring in 1992.
She and her BFF, the late Phyllis Mills of Fairmont (who gave her the nickname “Happy”), were active in the Women of the Moose in Fairmont and were frequent participants in local holiday parades, riding in Happy’s Mustang convertible. Happy was always a source of fun and always available to volunteer to help others. She led a full life dedicated to her family, patients, friends and her BFF.
Our family is grateful for the love and care Happy received in Spokane at the Bella Vita Adult Family Home, and for Denise and Ron and her other dear caregivers and Hospice during the last three months of her life.
Friends may make contributions in Happy’s name to the charities of their choice. We miss her.
