Birgit Westin Angelis
Birgit Westin Angelis passed away quietly in Everett, Washington on August 2nd, 2023, with family by her side. Birgit was adored by her late husband, her children and grandchildren. She’ll be fondly remembered for her distinct talent of cooking delicious traditional dinners from her and John’s homelands. Her favorite holiday, Christmas, was brought alive 365 days a year by surrounding herself with Santas, Swedish horses and straw goats.
Birgit was born in Stockholm on October 7th, 1937 and raised in Sunne, Varmland, Sweden. She met the love of her life, John Angelis, and moved to his native country of Greece to start their family and later to the U.S. where they would remain to raise their two children, Peter and Athena. She was a nurse both in Europe and the U.S. before devoting herself to raising their children during their many moves across the country for John’s career in hotel management. They happily accepted a relocation to Hawaii, where she would adopt the Hawaiian name for grandma, “Tutu”. Birgit found her passion and success in jewelry store management. Staying for nearly 25 years, they ultimately settled in Washington state to be closer to family. Whether it was a trip across the country or a ride across town, she would pack in a flash, part skill and part impatience, with her purse on her shoulder always anxious to explore.
Born to Johan Westin and Maj Gullström, Birgit had three siblings, Lars, Inger and Monica of whom she shared fond memories. She was a proud descendent of Selma Lagerlöf, a Nobel Prize winner in 1909. We’ll be forever grateful for her extensive undertaking of the family tree, leaving us with fabric covered binders of genealogy and photos so as to never forget where we came from. Her children, Peter and Athena, their spouses respectively Anne Angelis and Ken Peatross Jr, her grandchildren, Sophia, Larson, Katarina and Kirsten will miss her dearly as will her extended family and her beloved longtime friends. She’ll be mostly remembered for being a strong, radiant, smart, stubborn woman who had a distaste for all things tech (smart phones and GPS were not friends). She was also creative and crafty, surprising us all with an abundance of stylish handmade wool pouches whenever we’d visit.
The family invites anyone who would like to share a memory or photo of Birgit to do so in lieu of flowers or gifts. Birgit’s ashes will be brought back to Sunne, Sweden at a future date where relatives and friends can celebrate her life together.
The post first appeared on Barton Family Funeral Service.