Kristen Raye Heber

Kristen Raye Heber, aged 22, bravely and selflessly donated her organs and tissues on December 17, 2024, after tragically suffering brain death resulting from injuries sustained in an auto accident on December 13th in Tacoma, WA.

Born on January 21, 2002, in Federal Way, Washington, she was a cherished daughter, sister, niece, and granddaughter, known for her vibrant spirit and tenacious love for her family, and their dog, Lola.

Kristen attended Panther Lake Elementary, Illahee Middle School, and graduated from Decatur High School during the Pandemic in 2020. After high school, she briefly attended the Gene Juarez Academy before deciding to transition her career towards an administrative role. Most recently, Kristen joined her sister working at Amicable Healthcare as an Administrative Assistant, where she was helping with a Caregiver event on her last day.

Kristen's hobbies included her early years in Girl Scouts which focused heavily on experiences and community service. Her love of music led her to join the Band at Illahee, but later switched to the Chorus, which she continued with at both Todd Beamer and Decatur. She genuinely enjoyed singing.

At 16, and armed with her driver's license, the freedom of exploring local routes with her sister in their first car, "Little Red", became a favorite pastime. The need to wander continued with income from her first job at Sketchers. With money in hand, she and Ryann would search the land for the latest beverage spot. Ultimately, McDonald's fountain coke would win out and she spent a lot of her free time seeking a Large Coke to accompany her on her drives in "Edna" (her Nana's inherited car). She also would frequent Ulta in search of endless fragrances, lip balms, and the quest for hair products promising to deliver that elusive volume she craved!

Kristen leaves behind her loving parents, Laurie Hunzinger (Scott) and Randy Heber; her sister and inseparable companion, Ryann Heber; and her Gramma, Christine Hendon. She is survived by her uncles, Peter Johnson (Carrie), Tim Hendon, cousins Phin and Payton Johnson, and Nicola and Natalia Hendon. Lastly, "Her dog" Lola, who misses her greatly and cannot quite figure out where to sleep at night without her.

Kristen was preceded in death by her Nana, Edna Heber, and her great-grandparents, Papa and Mimi (Richard and Shirley) Gangstee, and so, so many more relatives. We hope they were all so happy to see her, and that Stella was waiting for her too from the rainbow bridge.

The family is currently deciding how best to honor Kristen's generous spirit, including her organ and tissue donations, which brought miracles to at least 6 other family's recipients: her kidney and liver; her other kidney; her heart; and then both her lungs were transplanted. She was also able to restore sight to two other people through corneal donation this past Christmas Season.

Her ashes now reside with her Mom, Dad, and Sister in three beautiful, handblown glass urns. We also had the privilege of watching her ashes being incorporated into five other beautiful glass pieces that we will treasure and hold on tightly to. What an amazing and heartfelt experience.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made in Kristen's memory to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, a cause close to her heart due to her love for McDonald's Coke, her involvement in community service at the Seattle House through the GSF Foundation, Girl Scouts, and her Mom's Alpha Delta Pi Sorority philanthropy.

Link available here:

https://rmhcseattle.org/give/

Kristen will be deeply missed by all who knew her, leaving a legacy of love, courage, and an unbreakable bond with her sister Ryann.

Bonney Watson of Federal Way is assisting the family during this difficult time.