| Paulette Marie Bond, 61, passed away March 24, 2008
at Yakima Regional Medical Center due to complications from an extended
illness. Her loving family surrounded her.
Paulette was born Nov. 27, 1946 in Seattle. She grew up in Burien
and was known to her family as Polly. She graduated from Evergreen
High School and went to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture
as a meat inspector.
It was while working for the USDA that she met and married her best
friend, Charlie Bond. The two celebrated 33 years of marriage in
December 2007.
Paulette returned to school and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre
Arts from Central Washington University in 1993, graduating with
honors. However the degree was really a formality for a woman who
had already shared her considerable theatrical talents with the
community.
A true entrepreneur, Paulette owned and operated an in-home daycare
for 17 years and later opened her own costume, design and alteration
business, Beauty & Beasts. The two businesses would later converge
when she made wedding and bridesmaid dresses for brides-to-be that
had once been her daycare children.
In 1989 she and Charlie attended the Governor's Ball where she had
created 22 of the gowns at the event, including her own. Over the
years she outfitted numerous brides, Ellensburg Rodeo courts, actors,
and her grandchildren always had the most elaborate Halloween costumes
on the block every year.
An active member of the community with a passion for the arts, Paulette
designed and/or built costumes for more than 100 productions for
such organizations as Ellensburg Youth Ballet, Three Penny Theatre,
Valley Musical Theatre, Ellensburg High School, Laughing Horse Summer
Theatre (LHST), Idaho Repertory Theatre, Warehouse Theatre of Yakima,
Central Theatre Ensemble (CTE) and CWU opera productions.
Paulette was among the founding members of LHST serving as costumer
for the company for most of its existence, and later went on to
serve on the board of directors of the Laughing Horse Foundation.
She also served on the board of directors of the Clymer Museum,
Children's Musical Theatre of Ellensburg, and Ellensburg Youth Ballet
and was a member of the Ellensburg Arts Commission.
Paulette had worked both as a student and temporary employee in
the costume shop of the Theatre Arts Department at CWU since 1986
and became a permanent member of the staff in 2001, where she served
as costume shop supervisor. In addition to her daily supervision
of the costume shop, Paulette created costume, hair, wig and makeup
designs and taught costume technology and makeup courses.
While her skill as a seamstress and designer was well known, her
considerable skill as a makeup artist was known primarily to her
adoring students and the audiences who enjoyed her work, and also
explains her love of science fiction. Among her most stunning makeup
designs were Frankenstein and Wind in the Willows,
which was always among her favorite shows.
In addition to her teaching at CWU, Paulette gave guest lectures
on hair and makeup techniques at the University of Idaho, Louisiana
State University, and Tulane University, among others.
Paulette was also an accomplished puppeteer, creating puppets for
the CTE Youth Theatre production of Jungalbook. Paulette
even appeared on stage once in Tartuffe under the direction
of her friend and mentor Dr. Betty Evans.
Her last costume design was for the CTE production of The Importance
of Being Earnest in May 2007. The time setting for the production
was changed to the late 1920s primarily because of Paulette’s love
of the costume styles of the period and her desire to design a show
in that style. In order to gain the desired effect, she actually
dismantled vintage dresses from her private collection to create
patterns for the costumes that were seen on stage. She was working
on the costume designs for Peter Pan at the time of her
passing.
Paulette was a member of the United States Institute of Theatre
Technology. In 2002 she received a certificate for Meritorious Achievement
for her costume designs for Cloud Tectonics from the Kennedy
Center American College Theatre Festival.
Paulette loved vacationing at the beach with her husband Charlie.
She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, friend, artist,
mentor, and colleague. Those who knew and loved her will miss her
sparkling wit, kindness, compassion and innumerable talents.
Paulette is survived by her husband Charlie Bond of Ellensburg,
daughters Jennifer Lane of Baton Rouge, LA; Charline Bond of Ellensburg;
Deanna Livingston of Puyallup; and Danelle Livingston of Moxee,
brothers Ed Arndt of Bonney Lake, and Rob Adkins of Eatonville,
sister Janice Engels of Cle Elum and seven grandchildren.
A memorial service celebrating Paulette's life will be held April
20 at 2:00 p.m. in the Sue Lombard Reception Room on the CWU campus.
In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions be made to
the Paulette Bond Memorial Scholarship. Donation forms can be found
at http://www.cwu.edu/~theatre/BONDdonationform.pdf
or can be obtained by calling 509-963-1760.
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