Angie Renee Ketchum

Angela “Angie” Renee Ketchum passed away on Friday, May 14th in Timnath, CO. Angie was born in Fort Collins, CO, on March 26th, 1978. Her parents are Ron and Dixie Kee, and she has an older brother, Alan. Ron’s career took the family to Corvallis, OR, when Angie was three years old and they stayed until after Angie graduated from high school. In high school, Angie met Ryan Ketchum through his sister Cherie. Ryan and Angie dated throughout high school and continued to do so when Ryan moved to Nampa, ID, to attend Northwest Nazarene University (NNU). After her own graduation, Angie went to NNU, too, and the pair was married on August 28th, 1998. Angie gave birth to her first two daughters Lauren in 1999 and then Brenna in 2001 while she was working toward a degree in Liberal Studies, from which she graduated in 2001. Angie then attended nursing school through NNU and graduated with a BSN in 2004. Angie worked at Mercy Medical Center in Nampa for a few years before transitioning to school nursing. The family moved onto the NNU campus in 2004 when Ryan began a position as a Resident Director of the freshman boys’ dorm, Culver Hall. In 2006, Angie gave birth to Aderyn (Addie) while living in the dorm. In 2008, the Ketchums moved to Hebron School in Udagamandalam (Ooty), India, for Angie to serve as the head nurse for the on-campus clinic. In 2010, Angie gave birth to her fourth daughter Megann while working at Hebron. The following year, the family moved to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for Ryan to work at Logos International School as the music teacher, while Angie began her masters’ education through NNU for Nursing Education. In the fall of 2012, Angie was diagnosed with breast cancer and began treatment in Thailand, traveling back and forth with Ryan frequently. She underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, as well as surgeries, over the next few years. The four girls remained in Cambodia and were cared for by multiple couples and families, but were able to travel with Ryan and Angie for some extended periods of treatment. Angie’s parents came out to Cambodia and Thailand multiple times for holidays and to take care of the girls, too. In the fall of 2015, Angie’s doctors discovered that the cancer had metastasized to her lower vertebrae, which led to the difficult and sudden decision for the family to repatriate to the United States. They moved to Fort Collins, CO, to be close to Angie’s parents and to the new UCHealth Cancer Center. In August 2016, Angie started a new position as a nurse with the Larimer County Health Department in the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program, which helps first-time moms in the community. The same year, all four girls enrolled in public school and Ryan supported everyone from home and became engaged in various volunteer positions. Angie loved her position within NFP and was soon promoted to be supervisor of the nurses in the program. She worked hard to advocate for both her nurses and new mothers in the county, while her nurses did the same for her. Angie continued to undergo treatment at the Cancer Center in Fort Collins until her death. Ryan went with her to nearly every appointment, chemotherapy infusion, and radiation session, and the girls attended when they could. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Angie transitioned to working at home, which she loved. She met with her nurses from the comfort of her couch (or bed!) for over a year, and had little intention of returning to the office. She continued treatment and exercised caution to avoid contracting the coronavirus, and those in her close circle did the same for her. Angie and the family were able to attend Lauren’s wedding in October 2020 to Skylar Gray, something she never expected she would do. A week before her death, Angie was able to go to Addie’s first high school musical theatre performance, then travel to Idaho to attend Lauren and Skylar’s college graduation. The family chooses to keep the details of her passing private but wants everyone to know that it was fast. There was no prolonged suffering, and she was able to spend her final hours in the comfort of their home surrounded by Ryan, her girls, and Skylar. Angie’s husband Ryan and their two youngest daughters Addie and Megann Ketchum — plus the family dogs, Poppy and Silas — live in the Ketchum home in Timnath, CO. Her second daughter Brenna goes to Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR, and is home in CO during her breaks. And her oldest daughter Lauren and her husband Skylar Gray live in Nampa, ID. Angie’s parents Ron and Dixie Kee, brother Alan Kee, sister-in-law Charis, nephews Gregory and William, and maternal grandmother Ollie Bass live in Fort Collins. Most of Angie’s extended family lives within Colorado, but some others live in California, Idaho, Florida, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, and South Carolina. Angie’s friends, many of whom are close enough to be family, are spread across the globe. A celebration of life service will be held on Friday, June 4th (which is also Dixie’s birthday) at 2:00 PM at Timberline Church in Fort Collins, CO. The address is 2908 S Timberline Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Andy Lucas, the pastor of Emmaus Road Church, which the Ketchums attend and a close friend of Ryan and Angie, will officiate. A reception will follow, and some food will be provided. Please bring a mask, even if you are vaccinated. For those who are unable to attend the service in person, a live stream will be available at the following website: www.ckpmediaservices.com/live. Angie wanted a very simple cremation or burial, which the family is honoring. She has been cremated, and her family will scatter her ashes in a number of special places over the next few months and years. Goes Funeral Care performed the cremation and is assisting with the celebration of life service. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up for the family by Rebecca Parks. Here is the link: https://gofund.me/bd03c0f7. Or, donations may be made to a fundraiser set up through Metavivor here: https://donate.metavivor.org/fundraiser/3286246

Angie Renee Ketchum

May 14, 2021