Mabelan CORREA
Dec 08, 1939 – Nov 8, 2025
Mabelan Nesbit Correa of Mercer Island passed away peacefully on November 8th, 2025 one month shy of her 86th birthday. Her daughter, granddaughter and caregiver were present in loving care in her final moments.
Mabelan was raised by Reed and Mabel Nesbit alongside her two old er sisters Nancy and Chertie in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She grew up in a lovely home and had an active, fun filled childhood. She spent some of her formal educational years in France attending a boarding school before returning to Ann Arbor. Mabelan received her Bachelors Degree with a focus on secretarial skills. In her early 20’s her father Reed became insistent that she meet his protege’ of medicine from the University of Michigan Medical School. She was very taken with this young medical student from the moment he pulled up in front of her house in his light blue Austin Healey convertible. Their courtship quickly advanced to a marriage proposal and Roy J Correa married Mabelan Nesbit on Oct 27th, 1962 in Ann Arbor. After honeymooning in Niagra Falls, Roy and Mabelan moved across the country to start their life together in the Pacific Northwest and found a house on Mercer Island to call home. In 1966, they adopted their son, Jay Nesbit Correa and 18 months later in 1968, they adopted their daughter, Annemarie Correa.
Settling into life on Mercer island as a young wife and new mother, Mabelan found lasting friendships in the neighborhood and within the community of Virginia Mason’s doc tor’s wives. Mabelan was active in the PTA and engaged in the activi ties that her children were involved in. She hosted many cocktail parties in her home following a tradition her parents began to support the up and coming medical residents. She also enjoyed hosting decades of family reunions in their second home in Hood Canal.
Mabelan was a nurturing and in volved parent, supporting her chil dren in their creative pursuits and encouraging involvement in sports and outdoor activities. She enjoyed many years of hiking, camping and skiing with her children and hus band in the PNW area. Mabelan was an avid supporter of women’s rights and housed unwed mothers in support of Virginia Mason’s adoption program. She did this during a period in history when unmarried mothers were shunned; Mabelan supported them with gen erosity in a warm home without judgement. She also spent several years volunteering for the Crisis Clinic in Seattle and participated with Ski Masters Ski School for many years helping others learn to ski. She was an avid golfer (a tal ented one at that) and was fortu nate to be able to ski and golf at many world class resorts around the world.
Mabelan was a consummate hostess and a fabulous cook. She was a master knitter like her sisters (at tending numerous knitting conven tions together), and producing a multitude of cherished knit clothing gifts for her granddaughter over the years. She trained several master hunting dogs and enjoyed bird hunt ing along side her husband. Mabelan was a voracious reader, loved good music, good friends and great conversation. She had a gift of making other’s laugh and had an extraordinary talent in finding joy in each day. She had a caring heart which she shared abundantly.
She is preceded in death by her hus band, Dr Roy Jay Correa, her sis ters Nancy Crummey and Chertie Razim and their husbands, and her parents. Mabelan is survived by her son, Jay Nesbit Correa of Ely, Minnesota, her daughter Annemarie Correa of Seattle, Wa and her granddaughter Ella Marie Smith and great grandson Angel Smith.
In lieu of flowers, please send dona tions to the Crisis Clinic of Seattle. A private service and Celebration of Life will be planned for Spring of 2026.
