Gretchen Anna Fletcher

Gretchen was born on May 25, 1945 to Isabel and William Whitlock in Attleboro, Mass. She moved to Phoenix in 1958 where she attended Camelback High School, Class of 1963 and then went on to attend Arizona State University (ASU). She was a talented trumpet player which led her to become a member of the ASU Marching Band. Through her musical pursuits, she met her husband and the love of her life. Gretchen married Grant Fletcher on June 30, 1967 in Tucson. They were married for 35 years. She was a beloved mother to four children; Alysun, Shawna, Adam and Tyson, who were her greatest gifts.

Later in life, she returned to school to pursue a BA (Summa Cum Laude) (1985) and MA (1995) in Social Anthropology, dedicating her thesis "For all those persons who actively engage life through the process of breathing from the heart...” .

Gretchen spent her career as an academic advisor assisting students to achieve their academic aspirations through the ASU's American Indian Institute and also through a student reentry program called AWARE (Association of Women's Active Return to Education). Gretchen worked diligently to provide resources and encouragement to reentry women through AWARE and students through the Institute until retiring from the University in April, 2010.

She was an avid Sun Devil football fan, enjoyed the ocean, hiking and the outdoors, but most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family, friends and grandkids, who knew her as Nana.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dr. H. Grant Fletcher; her parents Isabel and Parker Walton (step father), William Whitlock (father) and Rachel Clark (niece). She is survived by her children; Alysun Bonanno, Shawna Fletcher (Terry Carey), Adam Fletcher (Andrea), Tyson Fletcher (Nikole) and her six grandchildren; Tylor Bonanno, Joshua Carey, Austin & Erik Fletcher, Mason & Nikolas Fletcher; her sister Susan Taylor and her nephews Jon Simmons and Thomas Fletcher.

Services are planned for December 21, 2016, 1:00 p.m., at Resthaven Mortuary & Memorial Gardens, 4310 E. Southern Ave, Phoenix, with a reception immediately following the graveside services.

For all of those who cared for her during her illness, the family would like to extend their deepest appreciation and gratitude. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center of Phoenix https://www.supportbarrow.org/home or Hospice of the Valley http://www.hov.org/donate.