Magdelena Else Forsyth's Obituary
Magdalena Else Forsyth
Lena Forsyth, age 63, died peacefully, at home and surrounded by her family on 24 March 2016 after a long and courageous struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born on the 20th of February 1953 in Carpentersville, Illinois to Mike and Lena Murphy and graduated from Lakes High School in Steilacoom, WA. She went to the University of Washington for a year before making Tony Forsyth the luckiest man in the world by marrying him in August of 1972. As an Army family they lived all over the country and the world, and Lena took full advantage of the opportunity to explore foreign cultures and places. Between all of their moves, she followed a non-traditional college path and matriculated at six different universities before graduating with a BS from Louisiana State University in 1980 while nine months pregnant with her second son.
No matter where they landed, Lena was devoted to raising their three children and spent their youth running every team, club and activity they could think to be involved in. When the children finished elementary school, Lena fulfilled a long-time dream and graduated with a BSN from nursing school at George Mason University in 1997. After practicing for several years as a medical-surgical registered nurse, she became a certified diabetes educator at St. Joseph’s hospital in Tacoma, WA. In 2008, her career was cut short by a diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Tony and Lena spent their free time together travelling the country to visit family, friends and national parks, hiking the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, and seeing grandchildren whenever given the opportunity. Lena died peacefully, at home and surrounded by family, on 24 March 2016 of Alzheimer’s disease. Throughout the eight years of this hopeless diagnosis Lena was a tower of strength. Even in the later stages, as the darkness closed in, she was always more concerned with the welfare of her family than of herself. She is preceded in death by her mother, father, and step-mother, and survived by her brother, Ken, sister, Diane, husband, Tony, sons Ryan (Anna) and Colin (Jessica), daughter Kara (Chris) and four grandchildren (Allen, Gabe, Sidney and Indy).
The world has lost a vibrant, warm, endlessly kind, and caring person. We miss her terribly.
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