It breaks our hearts to tell of the passing of Kolette Tipps on April 24, 2023. From the moment she came into our lives on July 5, 2003, Kolette has completed us with her love, joy, and infectious laughter.
Kolette was a prolific artist who filled her notebooks with sketches and her walls with art. Her sketchbooks show how hard she worked at her passion while also revealing her complexity, insight, and quirky humor. She loved nature and all things eclectic. This showed in her photography in the form of sweeping landscapes, sharp contrasts, and close ups of bugs!
Winter was her favorite season as it brought her to the slopes of Bluewood Ski Area where she spent most of her winters skiing and teaching guests. She was an excellent skier and loved exploring the mountain with fellow ski instructors and friends. As an instructor, Kolette expressed her playful nature sharing her love of skiing with each child she taught. Her tender heart shone through in the relationships she formed with these young skiers.
Kolette was fiercely protective of her friends and family, putting others above herself. She has left an empty space in our hearts and will be greatly missed. We will be forever inspired by her independence and kindness to the least of these.
We will celebrate her at the Richland church of Christ (933 Thayer Drive, Richland WA) on May 13th at 11:00 AM.