Tributes

Elaine McCune Castleton was born June 11, 1925 in Los Angeles, California to Elsie Marian Noble McCune and Clarence Scott McCune. Elaine early on showed talent in art and creativity. She graduated from East High School, SLC Utah in 1942; attended the University of Utah and then spent time in California. She took art classes at the University of California, Berkeley where she gained a broader perspective. She received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Art from the University of Utah in June of 1949. She taught Fashion Illustration in the Art Department. She married Robert Dredge Castleton at the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on November 17, 1950. In 1960, they moved to Gray’s Harbor County in Washington where the couple raised their eight children. Over a 20 year period, Elaine was also Mom to 17 foster children. She held many church positions; she was ward organist for over 20 years and always had a teaching job in the church. Among her callings was ward and stake primary president and ward relief society president. In 1982, Elaine and her husband moved back to Utah from Washington and Elaine taught art in a private Carden school. The students claimed she was their favorite teacher and they loved art. In 1988, Bob and Elaine joined the Peace Corps and served at a school in the Solomon Islands where she taught English. Every day after school, students would congregate on the front porch literally by the dozen for help with their English. She would take them two or three at a time; none were turned away. Later, Bob and Elaine also served missions to Guatemala and Santiago, Chile. In addition to art and music, Elaine loved people and always had a smile for children. She was a gracious host and had the gift of listening with rapt attention; whomever she was speaking with was the center of her universe. Elaine was preceded in death by her parents; her brother Keith N. McCune and her sister Marian McCune Hansen. She is survived by her husband Robert Dredge Castleton; eight children Robert McCune, Anne, Sue, Haydn Benjamin, David Laird, Brandt Noble, Sarah and Sydney Ellen; 47 beloved grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and a great great grandchild. A funeral service was held on September 2nd at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Albany, Oregon. Interment was at Oak Lawn Memorial Park in Corvallis, Oregon. Memorial donations in Elaine’s name may be directed to Evergreen Hospice in care of McHenry Funeral Home 206 NW 5th St., Corvallis, OR 97330.

Tributes

Grace Elaine McCune Castleton

June 11, 1925 - August 28, 2013