MaryLee was born in Deer Park, WA on July 19, 1925 to Mark Francis Mendenhall Jr and Cleo Rachel Markwick Mendenhall. She spent her childhood in Spokane with her beloved grandparents, William and Myrtle Markwick. She graduated from Lewis & Clark High School, class of 1943.

As a young woman, she moved to Seattle, WA and married Ward Leslie Dunbar on August 16, 1947. She became a champion bowler in a local league, audited engineering courses at the University of Washington, and raised her three daughters. She served her community, including the local PTA and March of Dimes; canvassed to support local schools; and volunteered and worked at a local hospital. In 1968, she and her husband moved to Lake Sammamish, where they enjoyed hosting gatherings of friends and family.

Retirement took Mary Lee and Ward through a number of moves in Washington: a hill-top house in Bellevue; a smaller new house in Puyallup; and finally, a happy home at Friendly Village in Redmond. They enjoyed being an active part of that community until MaryLee was widowed on July 1, 2002. Upon her husband’s passing, she decided to move into a retirement community, where her needs for social interaction and activity were well-met. Here, she discovered her love of the arts, including crafts of all kinds, singing, and poetry. She participated in many community activities, such as the choir, craft and exercise classes, and the hospitality team, where she welcomed new residents and made them feel at home.