2017, Bonanza, OR, USA
I wanted to post this picture of Elyse. I had the pleasure of working with her in 2016 and 2017. My thoughts and prayers go out to all her friends and family.
— with
Elyse Parcell
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I remember during a rope rescue training we were discussing mechanical advantage and her 18+ way to calculate the MA made me blush a lil. Won't forget. Rest in peace
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My heart goes out to you, Kathy and Bob, as well as anyone else whose lives were made brighter for knowing Elyse.
I met her through OARS, and was lucky enough to spend a month with her on the John Wesley Powell trip in 2019. Though I have no pictures to share, that trip was one for the record books- for many reasons. Through the course of the trip she faced each challenge with a smile and every hardship with a shrug that simply said, “Bring it!” (Which was, incidentally, the same answer she gave every time we couldn’t figure out where to put an extra cooler or drybag, or ducky, or rocket box, or you name it, on that trip.)
The world was better, brighter, and more beautiful because of Elyse. May she live on through the memories, stories and collective love we all share for her.
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Dear Kathy and Bob and all of Elyse’s loved ones and friends, I did not know Elyse. But, through Kathy and Bob I often thought and wished that I did as they shared stories of her love of the outdoors and her many amazing adventures. My grief at hearing the tragic news of her loss has been immense. As a parent of an only child, a daughter, I cannot imagine such a loss. One of the most beautiful eulogies I ever heard used the metaphor of the dash used between a person’s birth date and death date. That simple dash “-“ cannot begin to describe all the love and laughter and joy and accomplishments and meaning of anyone’s life. Elyse used that dash to the fullest. Clearly, she lived life large and with an exuberant spirit. I could tell from Bob and Kathy’s stories and from all of the beautiful, joyous pictures, that her light was very, very bright. I know that Elyse’s huge circle of friends and loved ones will keep that light burning bright in their hearts. With love and light, Janice Martin
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2013, Hermosa Park - May 20
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2019, Labyrinth Canyon, UT, USA
This photo captures a moment from Labyrinth (11/24/19),just got done climbing. Gratitude to Kathy and Bob for raising an extraordinary and resilient human being. Elyse embodied a whirlwind of adventure. Her unwavering support, whether in the front country or back country, left a lasting impact. My heart extends to Kathy, Bob, and the entire family during this difficult time.
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This is such a touching, beautiful collection of tributes to Elyse’s life. I only knew Elyse for 6 days while on a rafting trip in the Cataract Canyon in 2022, but her appetite for living, her inquisitive spirit, her intimacy with the wild, and the way she could read the water and wanted to protect the people and land she was serving will be stamped in my memory until I go wherever she is now. On that retreat, she and I got to talk 1:1 about cooking and it made sense to me that she also loved to feed people. Because Kathy also joined this rafting trip, I got to experience Kathy’s love and pride for her, which was therapeutic for me as a woman of a mom who died when I was young. I can only imagine how healing, heart-wrenching, soul-cleansing, and joyful it’s going to be for people who knew her well to come together and honor the miracle of her life in person. A message and a reminder I'll take from knowing her: Don't wait.
Sending love and gratitude to every person who loves and remembers Elyse.
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I worked with Elyse at the Sheridan hostessing. I am so sad to hear this news. She was a bright light and I'm fortunate I knew her. Sending love.
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