Tricia Fyfe Lillibridge
July 1, 1946 – Jan. 30, 2021
In the evening of Jan. 30, 2021, the world lost a beautiful light. Tricia Fyfe Lillibridge took her last breaths, unexpectedly, at her home in Olympia, Washington. Tricia’s pure heart, love of adventures, family and laughter carried through to her last days. She was born on July 1, 1946 in St. Louis to Robert and Ola Farrell.
After graduating from Mercy High School, followed by DePaul Nursing School, she married Edward “Jack” Fyfe in 1967, ahead of their original date because of the Vietnam War. After the war, they settled in Washington where Jack finished his service in the Air Force, and their first daughter, Kristine, arrived. Heading to Oregon allowed Jack to complete law school while Tricia started in her first nursing position at Providence Hospital. When Tricia became pregnant with her second daughter, Tamalyn, she had to hide her pregnancy for fear of being fired – Wow!
In 1973, they headed up the ALCAN for what was supposed to be three years in Alaska while Jack worked at a law office. It was 45 years later, two more children, Kymberly and Michael, the death of Jack in 1986 and a remarriage to Clint Lillibridge before she could even talk about leaving Alaska. It took 10 more years and the birth of the fourth grandchild before she did leave in 2015. Alaska always brought her immense joy and she often would say “You can take the mom out of Alaska, but you can’t take the Alaska out of the mom!”
When not with her family or singing, she was nursing. Her nearly 40-year career included her time at Providence in Anchorage and South Peninsula Hospital in Homer. She started the Safety Seal Program and established “Anchorage Safe Communities.” Tricia was an exceptional nurse who strived to provide the best care to all her patients, even to herself during her own care! If you were ever in a hospital, all you wanted was Tricia at your side as your nurse or your advocate.
In late 2019, Tricia suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed but still full of life and laughter. She enjoyed life for one more year, watching the crazy election process, being surprised by her grandchildren’s “illicit visits” during COVID-19, and treasuring her children breaking the rules so they could take her on drives and outings to watch the Seahawks. Just 15 months after her stroke, her body gave up the fight, and she took her last breaths with Kym at her side. She is survived by her four children, her husband Clint, her siblings, Mary Jane, Birdi, John, Bob and Phil, and five grandchildren, Parker, Colton, Peter, Kennady and Jackson.
Services are planned at Valley Memorial in Palmer on July 1, 2021 – what would have been her 75th birthday and is now her first Heavenly birthday. For more information, or to attend, please email Kym Fyfe Van Duren at kymvanduren@outlook.com.
