Ellen COLLYER

1952 - 2020

The intrepid Ellen Collyer- first-born of four daughters, first-place finisher in grade school sprints, and first in the hearts of her family and friends-finished her life's race on December 15, 2020, after months of debilitating health challenges. Long in leg and long in spirit, she could say with the Apostle Paul, "I have finished the race. I have kept the faith." In the midst of her last days, she acknowledged she had spiraled "from strong to weak in a rather short time," but she allowed that "God has thrown me a challenge, so it is best to try to learn from it."

Ellen Priscilla Christopherson was born March 28, 1952, in Klamath Falls, OR, to Leonard and Alice (Davison) Christopherson. Her Norwegian roots and self-proclaimed "Viking spirit" manifested throughout her lifetime. Most of her youth and adolescence were spent in Wenatchee, WA, a city she proudly claimed as hometown. Her loving family of six (or seven when her grandmother visited in winter) all tucked into a small house with one bathroom. Their fellowship included picnic dinners in front of the fireplace and family getaways in the 1957 Chevy station wagon. Ellen fondly recalled the fragrant apple orchards she strolled by on her way to school and the camaraderie she later enjoyed at the historic Owl Drug soda fountain as a teen. While in high school in the late 1960s, she landed her first job at the Arctic Circle and sold hamburgers for 19¢ each. When not working, she would borrow her family's station wagon and round up her friends. Her ability to round up friends, indeed, to be a friend, marked the rest of her life.

After graduating Wenatchee High School in 1970, Ellen attended Wenatchee Valley College for a year and then graduated from the University of Washington's 3-year nursing program with her BSN in 1975. Upon returning to Wenatchee in 1976, she began work as a nurse at the then-named Deaconess Hospital. Young and single, she attended a Bible study group and met its leader, David Collyer. Struck by Dave's intelligence and faith, Ellen tried to impress him with her own Bible knowledge. Dave, himself, had some distant memory of Ellen from their elementary years, namely that she had a long surname and that she ran fast. On February 24, 1979, Ellen happily shortened her surname to Collyer when she married Dave.

After briefly residing in Ellensburg, WA, the newlyweds moved to Spokane, WA, in 1980. Dave began teaching at Northwest Christian School and Ellen began nursing at Holy Family Hospital. Through their involvement at Trinity Baptist Church, they formed friendships that would deepen and last the remainder of their lives. Ellen's work at Holy Family would ultimately span 40 years, ending in 2020. She worked first in the ICU and then in the Emergency Department where she progressed to evening charge nurse and from where she eventually transitioned to case management. Her tireless work ethic of competence and common sense was undergirded by compassion for the truly needy.

To the delight of Ellen and Dave, they welcomed their only child, Curt, in 1984. They shared the joy of parenting him for eight years until Dave's premature death from lupus in 1992. Ellen endured the heartache of a young widow with fortitude. When once asked how she managed to convey joy while working and raising her son alone, she replied that gratitude was the key. She manifested appreciation for the beautiful things she found in life-her faith, her family, her friends, her home, her yard, her job, her travels -and bore quietly the hardships of early widowhood and later cancer. Her legendary "thank you" notes exhibited detail, creativity, and humor. According to a lifelong friend from the South, her daughters learned best how to pen a proper note from "Miss Ellen."

In addition to a grateful spirit, Ellen's life was marked by generosity. She indefatigably supported the Spokane Chess Club's annual Collyer Memorial tournament, named in honor of her husband. The club credits her not only with delivering food and supplies, but also with hosting out-of-town players, encouraging young players, and attending funerals of those who had died. It refers to her as "one of the unsung heroes of area chess," with one member dubbing her "Spokane Chess's Godmother."

Ellen exhibited her generosity in countless other ways, too. Fortunate friends received her Scandinavian Kringler pastry or birthday cherry pie, and her son and his pals savored many a Dutch Baby pancake. Her gifts were thoughtful and sometimes "apple-themed" in honor of her hometown. One year she surprised a family with the gift of her former car, parking it in their driveway on Easter morning, gaily decorated as a basket. More often, she lent a listening ear to those who called "Dr. Ellen" for off-the-record medical advice.

Ellen creatively nurtured personal relationships. A champion of her son Curt, she home-schooled him until high school and encouraged his chess prowess and intellectual curiosity through great books, musical training, and travel. She and Curt toured Washington, DC and took trips to England and Japan. She initiated traditions with her sisters such as hosting them for the State B Basketball championships each spring and joining them for the Women's Retreat at Camp Sweyolakan each September. With her sister Carol, she toured Lake Michigan's Upper Peninsula, North Carolina's Outer Banks, and Pennsylvania's Dutch country. With Carol and Curt, she toured the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza near Cancun, and with a lifelong friend, she shared an "Anne of Green Gables" tour of Prince Edward Island. Closer to home, she honored friends with birthday bashes where she made them "Queen for a Day," complete with crown and cape. In recent years she was an integral part of a four-woman group named Millrose, which regularly met for conversation and lunch. Whether through lunch dates, dinner parties, drop-by visits, birthday and anniversary greetings, or her unique Christmas letters (which often included ER anecdotes), Ellen edified those around her.

One particular relationship that blessed Ellen in the latter decades of her life was her friendship with Jim Hoffmann, a former co-worker-turned-companion with whom she pursued mutual interests, especially that of travel. Along with Jim, Ellen traveled widely in the United States, checking off some "bucket list" destinations such as Grand Central Station, Niagara Falls, and St. Augustine, FL. More frequent destinations included the Oregon coast, as well as Pacific Grove, CA. They also traveled the scenic Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta and found a favorite birthday spot atop Schweitzer Mountain.

The tall, slender figure of Ellen Collyer conveyed dignified confidence that was inherently disciplined, inquisitive, and funny. She loved organization-the making of lists and the labeling of items. Her house and yard reflected her sense of peace and orderliness. She mastered tools for her various projects and could wield a drill as well as she could a stethoscope. She was financially shrewd but generous with friends. She lived simply but traveled widely. She delighted in dishes, thrift stores, used books, and reruns of The Lawrence Welk Show. Of all instruments, she tackled the accordion. Her fascination with personality types made her a student of human nature. She maintained quirky, "self-imposed" policies such as not attending parties where things were bought or sold. And while resolute in some convictions (she was one of the last households in Spokane to surrender her telephone "party line"), she was open to new ideas. In early 2020 she texted a friend, "I made my first Craigslist purchase- a used wheelbarrow. Did not get murdered in the process. Feeling victorious."

Ellen was preceded in death by her parents, Leonard and Alice Christopherson, and by her husband, David Collyer. Ellen is loved and mourned by many family and friends, including her son, Curt Collyer; her long-term friend and travel companion, Jim Hoffmann; and her sisters and their families, including: Jeff and Ann May, their son and daughter-in-law, Ryan and Jeanine May, and their son Kyle May and fiancée Lucie Goodwin; Carol Christopherson; and Sandy and Nancy O'Donnell, their daughter, Carrie O'Donnell, and their daughter and son-in-law, Jordan and Greysen Gilman. In addition, Ellen is survived by her mother-in-law, Maebella Dee Collyer; brother-in-law and wife, Mike and Candy Collyer; sister-in-law and husband, Cathy and Randy Davis; sister-in-law, Donna Winstanley; and brother-in-law, Kurt Collyer. Lastly, but not to be forgotten, Ellen is survived by her little Pomeranian, Vanna Black.

The intrepid Ellen Collyer blazed numerous paths. Those who crossed those paths witnessed a rare combination of grit and grace. Her independent spirit forged ahead, but it never left others behind. As a family member, friend, and caregiver, her dedication was unparalleled. It was only as her pain prevailed in the waning days of her life that she signaled an awareness of moving forward alone. In one piece of correspondence, she recited the last verse of a hymn which reflected her hope:

"But I look up into the face of Jesus, For there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled; And there is joy, and love, and light for darkness, And perfect peace, and every hope fulfilled."