Bessie Mae Harper of Issaquah, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 7, surrounded by her family. She was 88 years of age.

Mae was born April 15, 1931, in Everett, WA, the daughter of Bessie and John Orchard. She was raised in the Pacific Northwest, and is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, WA, where she met and married Irving Hamilton. After traveling the country with Irv’s position in the Marine Corp, Mae and Irv settled in Kent, WA, where they raised their children and were a vibrant part of the community for nearly three decades. Mae returned to college and received her AA from Highline Community College and enjoyed a legal career with a large Seattle law firm.

Mae was married to OJ Harper in 1986, and lived in their family home on Lake Sammamish, where he preceded her in death in 2015. Mae and OJ traveled the world and the country extensively, wintered in Palm Desert with their golf friends, and enjoyed many weekends at their cabin on Hood Canal digging oysters and clams, enjoyed with their friends and families. For many years, Mae and OJ spent the holidays in Hawaii with their blended families, which would later become the source of many great memories and stories. Mae loved playing cards and games with her friends, gardening, and arranging flowers as a very talented horticulture designer. She was an avid reader and a passionate supporter of the Village Theatre in Issaquah. Her sense of humor was well known and appreciated.

Mae is survived by her son, Bruce Wayne Hamilton of Bellingham, WA, daughter Stacie Anne Peterson of Seattle, WA, and daughter Linda Susan McCabe of Kirkland, WA. She was the adored grandmother of Alan, Aaron, Ashley, Kelsey, Alexis, Spencer, Charlotte and Dustin, and great grandmother to Logan, Cavanaugh, August, Miles and Romy.

The family suggests remembrances to American Cancer Society or Alzheimer’s Disease Research.

Friends are invited to a remembrance on November 2, from 3:00-6:00 at Mae’s home.