Darlene E. Bannon was born in Ellensburg Washington on August 11, 1938. Her parents, Alfred Kroeger and Edith Kroeger, and two sisters moved to Seattle Washington when Darlene was a young girl. She attended Highline high school. She met her lifelong husband, John T. Bannon ("Johnny") when they were both on their way to a high school dance on Capitol Hill. They married at St. Joseph's Church on Capitol Hill and later raised their five children together in Bellevue Washington in the Sacred Heart Parish. Darlene was a woman who wore many hats. While raising her family, she ran a home daycare business, and once her children were in high school, she worked as a bank teller. She also coached softball, played on a bowling league, fished, skied, and sailed. Darlene traveled with Johnny to many different countries, and in "retirement," Darlene and Johnny worked together running a yacht charter business in St. Thomas for several years; these life partners are now reunited. At age 85, Darlene died on May 3, 2024 with family around her. She is missed by her five children (Gina, Steven, David, Brenda, and Pamela) eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren