Obituary: Echegoyen, Ann Kelsey
Ann was born in New York State on November 7, 1923; she was an only child.
She is preceded in death by her former husband Alfredo Leon Echegoyen whom she married in 1948.
Ann and “Fred” had three sons: Daniel Alfred, Philip Arthur and David William.
Both Daniel and David reside in Southern California; Philip is a resident of Spokane, WA.
Ann has three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Her email signature line read, “Ann, (Ma, Gma, Ggma) Echegoyen and Cory, (Kitty)”.
She graduated from the University of Redlands where she majored in chemistry.
Ann was a lifelong learner touting an extensive book collection.
She loved the arts and crafts and was a long-time participant in the Renaissance Fair and Dickens fairs in Southern California and the Bay Area.
She was known for her unique handmade cookie cutters and her love for all things feline.
Due to health concerns related to Post Polio syndrome, she relocated to Spokane about 15 years ago taking up residence in Nine Mile Falls, WA with her son Philip and his family.
Here she continued her lifelong love of learning and set to work mastering the personal computer and all its complexities.
Reveling in the new technology afforded her due to her profound deafness (which she attributed to her days spent in World War II manufacturing as a “Rosie the Riveter”) allowed her unfettered communications with the rest of the world.
Some of you may recognize her name as being a prolific contributor in Letters to the Editor (she wrote between 30 and 35 letters, as well as one piece for the Voices section.
She was also mentioned about 15 times in Paul Turner columns).
Ann’s intelligent and common sense approach to life in her LTEs will be missed.
Much of her writing reflected her staunch advocacy for senior rights and intelligent government of which she felt there was little.
Ann was limited only by the failings of her body - her mind remained sharp, inquisitive, and questioning until the very end!
Even at 91, she was undoubtedly the smartest person in the room.
The light of intellect, interest, and common sense burns bright in the family she left.
Her light will not fade.
A great thanks to the doctors, nurses, and especially the staff at Hospice of Spokane, that made mom’s final days and hours as comfortable as possible.