With sadness and an abundance of love, we share with you that Tammy Walsh passed away on Tuesday, May 4th, at our home in Auburn. She was surrounded by her family. Tammy fought a rare liver disease for three years which was much longer than she was initially expected to have been able to survive.
Tammy and I met in Everett, Washington, in 1985, and from the first moment I met her, I fell in love with her spirit. Those of you who knew her well or had an occasion to sit and talk with her know what I felt. I was fortunate to fall deeply in love with her in that moment. It took her several months to warm to me, but eventually she did and when it happened, there was never a doubt. An unending love for family and friends was one of Tammy’s greatest strengths.
We were blessed with four children, and Tammy had a wonderful and unique relationship with each one of them.
Our first child, Stephan, spent hours with Tammy talking about the miracles and mysteries of space, earth, and the universe. Thomas came along and, from a very early age, showed a love of music and the arts. She often talked about listening to him at the age of two playing the piano and how magical it was to see him become a classical guitarist and watching him play her favorite Bach pieces in front of large audiences.
Elisabeth came next, and her intense passion for all things involving injustice to others, politics, and righting wrongs was a spirit that Tammy always deeply admired and loved listening and learning. Margaret was our fourth with a fiery passion for life as a little girl who grew to have that same fiery passion as an adult. It was always a wonder to watch Margaret sit and talk to Tammy while Tammy would sit and listen. Tammy always believed our children should grow up and do what they loved. Not for the love of money or fame, just for the love of their passion. Each of them has succeeded in doing just that. Stephan loves computers and is now working for IBM. Tommy loves music and is now living in London seeking an advanced degree in music while performing and teaching. Elisabeth loves the law and is now finishing law school. Margaret was born to be a caregiver. She has shown this by not only raising her three children (along with Matt) but also caring for Tammy when she needed care the most. Tammy has blessed our family with a true love for life.
Tammy is survived by our children Stephan (Mandalyn), Thomas, Elisabeth, and Margaret (Matthew). We are blessed to have eight grandchildren, seven beautiful granddaughters, Aurora, Amelia, Autumn, Alba, Libby, Charlotte, Etta, and one strikingly handsome grandson, Noah, and her very loving husband Chris(Me). Tammy is also survived by her parents, Daniel Pippin, Maureen Barbee (Steve), her brothers Wayne and Shawn as well as Pat Walsh, Debbie Peters, Kathleen Walsh and Jennifer Walsh, and many nieces and nephews.
Tammy wanted to thank all of the doctors at Auburn Sutter Faith, especially Doctor Bart Bradshaw, who treated her breast cancer in 2014. Doctor Bradshaw is a caring and compassionate doctor and person. His care gave her a great deal of strength. Doctor Christopher Laing at Sutter Sacramento, who was the first to treat Tammy for her liver cancer. Doctor Scott Cameron from Mass General led us in treatment direction to UCSF where we met Doctor Katie Kelley. The research Doctor Kelley is conducting in this field is bringing hope to treating a disease where very little hope had been given. We want to thank Doctor Kelley and the medical teams at UCSF for the two years of treatment.
Tammy’s wish was to have a private family service. Arrangements are being made by Chapel of the Hills in Auburn, CA. In lieu of flowers, Tammy requested donations be made to Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, and/or Dr. Katie Kelley’s research at UCSF. Please make checks out to the UCSF Foundation, and on the memo line or an accompanying piece of paper, write Dr. Kelley’s research (B2947) in memory of Tamra Walsh. Contributions can be sent to UCSF, P.O. Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339. To make donations online, please visit makeagift.ucsf.edu/kelley.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18