Stella Moreno Monroy

1948 - 2019

Stella Moreno Monroy
Stella Moreno Monroy died unexpectedly on August 10, 2019 while visiting family in Colombia. She was born on November 20, 1948 to Antonio Moreno Rocha and Alcira Monroy in Bogota, Colombia. She spent her childhood in Bogota alongside her five siblings before acquiring her bachelor's in Modern Language from Universidad de los Andes. In 1971, she boldly ventured to England where she taught English for a year. She then moved to Madrid, Spain in 1972 where she worked as an editor and public relations coordinator for the Spanish Newspaper Publishers Association until 1983.
She met her husband, Steven Kimball, in Madrid in 1981. They were married in 1983 and moved to Seattle later that year where she pursued her Masters and PhD at the University of Washington. Upon graduating in 1988, they moved to Ellensburg where she was hired that Fall to teach Spanish language and literature at Central Washington University. In January of 1990, their son Aleksandr was born in Seattle, and the following year she and Steven divorced. She continued to live in Ellensburg and teach at the university for 31 years until her passing.
During her tenure at CWU, Stella travelled to Russia, Japan, India, and Mexico to teach English and Spanish through university exchange programs. She loved to travel and visited countless countries and cities around the globe, forever chasing the excitement of adventure and new experiences. She was a citizen of Colombia, Spain, and the United States. She was a poet and writer of short stories, having been published in countless collections of poetry and Spanish language collaborations. She was heavily involved in groups such as Seattle Escribe, was on the board of directors of the Apoyo food bank, and consistently advocated for Spanish-speaking residents of Ellensburg. Her personality was immense and filled any room that she entered. Her kindness, generosity, and laughter were felt by all who knew her.
Stella is survived by her son Aleks of Seattle, her five siblings Martha, Alcira, Nora, Miguel, Carlos Enrique of Bogota, along with six nieces and nephews, and a multitude of close, dear friends that were like family to her. She was preceded in death by her parents and former husband. A celebration of life will be held from 4-6pm on October 19, 2019 at Gallery One, 408 N Pearl St, Ellensburg. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served.