Florence Ellen Bond

Florence Ellen (Palmer) Bond of University Place, Washington, passed away on August 7, 2026, at the age of 89. She was born in Puyallup on May 4, 1937, and was the youngest child of Edmund and Mary Ellen (Hodkinson) Palmer. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Oliver A. Bond, and by all five of her siblings: Ed Palmer, Lida (Palmer) Clark, Margaret (Palmer) Bodenhorn, Willett Palmer, and Glenn Palmer.

Florence grew up in Eatonville, Washington. After high school, she attended the Western Washington College of Education in Bellingham, where she earned her teaching degree in home economics. She accepted her first teaching job in Mukilteo and then moved to Goldendale, Washington, in 1963.

It was in Goldendale that she met fellow teacher Oliver Bond. After a whirlwind romance, the two were married on June 20, 1964.

In 1968, the couple moved to University Place. A few years after this move, Florence took a job as a cake decorator at a local bakery and stayed with this profession until retiring in 1999.

Florence was an avid gardener and took pride in her bountiful vegetable garden, the variety of fruit trees in her yard, and her beautiful and numerous fuchsias. She was also a member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority, Eastern Star, the Tacoma Fuchsia Society, and Master Gardeners and was an active member of the University Place Senior Center.

Florence is survived by her daughter, Valerie Wiebe (Cameron), and her two granddaughters, Olivia Wiebe and Emily Wiebe. She is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Geneal Palmer (Willett) and Donna Palmer (Glenn), and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at the New Tacoma Cemetery in University Place on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.