We said our last “I Love You” to Cleo as she peacefully passed away

on April 22, 2017 at the age of 93 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane Washington.  She was born in Sacred Heart Hospital to Robert John and Irene Bernice (Byrne) Roberts on August 13, 1923.  She was raised in a log cabin in Essex, Montana on the Eastern border of Glacier National Park.  Cleo attended a one room schoolhouse where one teacher taught all eight grades.  Her father “Bob” was an engineer on the Great Northern Railroad and her mother a school teacher.

Cleo then moved to her grandmother’s home in Kalispell, Montana to attend St. Mathews High School.  She would take the train back and forth to Essex on weekends.  Upon graduation from high school she moved to Spokane to attend Sacred Heart School of Nursing graduating in the class of 1944 as a registered nurse.  Her picture is on the “Wall of Fame” at the hospital.  Many of her classes were taken at Gonzaga University.  It was in Spokane that she met the love of her life, Francis William (Bill) Douville.  They were married October 22, 1943 at St. Pascals in the Spokane Valley.  The loving, caring and respectful marriage lasted 49 years.  Bill preceded her in death January 5, 1992.  They loved to travel and enjoyed trips to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland,

 French Riviera and Monaco, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Tahiti.  Bill was an electrical engineer who worked for Kaiser Aluminum after graduating from Gonzaga until his retirement in 1958.  Except for a 3 year job transfer to New Orleans and 4 year job transfer to Ghana, West Africa, they lived their married life in Spokane.

Cleo was a 20 year member of the Spokane Yacht Club.  She had a respectfully strong love of nature and the outdoors.  She was an avid reader, enjoyed gardening, boating, snowmobiling and traveling in her motor home.

She is survived by her 3 children: Ranae Douville Rantanen (Ray), Athol, ID, Tom Douville, Nine Mile Falls, WA., Colleen Douville, Seattle, WA.  4 grandchildren: Echo Rantanen, Anthem, AZ., Mindy Ward (Chad), New Paris, OH., Jake Douville (Sara), Spokane, WA., Tong Yuan Douville, Seattle, WA.

4 great-grandchildren: Dawson & Skyler Ward, New Paris, OH., James & Sadie Douville, Spokane, WA.

 A viewing will take place on Wednesday, April 26 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Hennessey Funeral Home, 2203 N. Division.  Grave side services will be on Thursday, April 27 at 2:00 p.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery.

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