Jill Ellen Hansard

Jill was born on September 7, 1946, in Denver, CO, to Elwood and Ellen  Daddow. Jill’s father was an Army officer, so the family moved around several times when she was young.  Most moves were to places in the U.S. like Kansas and Wyoming. They did go overseas once and spent a couple of years in Japan. Jill was 6 and her sister Peggy was 2. Later, they settled in Lakewood, a suburb of Denver, where Jill started school, graduated from high school, and went to the University of Colorado for two years where she majored in English.

Jill moved to the Seattle area and worked as an accountant for a couple of auto dealerships where she met, and later married, David. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1992 and dealt with that, as well as bouts with three different cancers, for the next 29 years. She never complained and was an inspiration to everyone who met her. Her strong will and strong faith helped her look beyond any physical challenges that came along. She always had a wonderful attitude toward life and was always concerned about others. As a final example of that concern, she arranged to participate in the University of Washington’s brain donor program to help researchers find out more about the effects of, and possible cure for, M.S.

Family was always important to Jill. Hers was a big family of aunts, uncles, and cousins and, since the cousins had lived on the same block when they were young, were very close. As adults, they located in various states, including Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, Nevada and California. It was a blessing that she and David were able to make many trips to visit with those family members and share wonderful times and memories. The visits were road trips in their minivan and, as with everything else in her life, Jill handled the sometimes-arduous trips with her usual strength and positive attitude. As the M.S. progressed, however, she was no longer physically able to make the trips and missed seeing her loving extended family.

Jill peacefully passed away on March 24, 2021, at her home in Everett, WA, from complications due to her long fight with progressive Multiple Sclerosis. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband David Hansard, son Aaron McKee, stepdaughter Cindy Hansard, stepdaughter and son-in-law Michelle and Mathew Dockrey, sister Peggy Lang, three cousins, several nieces and nephews, her in-laws, her church family, and her many friends. We will cherish her memory and her thoughtful, loving soul for as long as we live!

Remembrances can be donated in Jill’s name to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at:

  https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate

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