Elin Ruth RINGSTROM

RINGSTROM, Elin Ruth Dr.

Dr. Ringstrom, 46, passed away on September 25th, after a brief but courageous struggle with cancer. Left to mourn are Dennis and Mary Ringstrom; Carl Ringstrom; Anna Ringstrom and Jim Siemens and Peter, Teilo, Mette and Lucca Siemens; extended family and many close friends. Elin's pets are also missing the kind woman who rescued and loved them like family. A brilliant woman, Elin loved academia and continued to read and study voraciously after university. After completing high school at University of Winnipeg Collegiate, she obtained a B.Sc. (Ag) at the University of Manitoba. Following the career path of her maternal grandfather and great-grandfather, Elin pursued a degree in medicine at the University of Western Ontario. Her first residency was in otolaryngology, at Vancouver General Hospital, which she put on hold to pursue scientific research in oncology at Harvard University (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute). While living in Brookline, MA, Elin fell in love with New York and relocated there in 2002, moving to the East Village and starting a residency in Emergency Medicine at Mount Sinai. She worked at several different NYC hospitals, discovering a passion for boxing in her free time and continuing to pursue her interest in acting and screenwriting. By 2009, Elin wanted a change, and accepted a position as an Emergency Physician with the Mayo Health System in Mankato, MN. She arrived with one cat, but soon added two more to her household, plus three dogs. She pursued a passion for design in her Mankato home, particularly mid-century modernism, sensitively renovating in the home's original style. Elin was passionate about environmentalism, and balanced design intent with sustainability. Elin was a courageous adventurer throughout her life. Despite being asthmatic, she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, and descended from the summit with a dislocated shoulder. Like many of the extended Ringstrom family, she loved flying, and obtained her pilot's license as a young adult. She travelled extensively and worked as a physician under challenging circumstances in Cape Town and rural Tanzania. Two places held a special place in her heart: One was the UK, especially Scotland, where she visited her family whenever possible. Holidays in Devon as a child established a lifelong love of the landscape, culture and history of the British Isles. The other was the family cottage at Lake of the Woods, where she returned every summer to reconnect with nature, family and friends. She was able to listen to the call of the loons one last time in early September. Her adventures took her miles from family and friends, but she always remembered birthdays, a favourite colour, a special interest, and kept in touch; she was a kind, generous aunt and friend. Elin always left a party early, slipping out while no one was looking, and her death was no exception. She left us before the fun was over; before every corner of the globe was explored; before we were ready to let her go. A celebration of Elin's life will be held at 5:00 p.m. on October 10th, at the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota, Mankato. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Elin's name to BENCHS (www.benchs.org), or an animal shelter of your choice.