Obituary of Alison Janell Gonzales

Alison Janell Gonzales

“Forever In Our Hearts”

October 19, 1974 to July 4, 2020

 

Alison was born 10/19/1974 in Tacoma, Washington and passed away 7/4/2020 in Lakewood, Washington. Alison grew up in Lakewood and attended elementary school at Tyee Park and Lake City. She went to Mann Junior High and Lakes High School, graduating in 1993.

 

Alison spent much of her early years, in the “Sweet Acre” between Newgrove and Highland, in the Lake City area. She was blessed with having grandparents, Bob and Jean Sweet, and great-grandparents, Homer and Maurine Sweet living close. The family spent five years in the Nyanza area, taking care of a home of church friends. That allowed her to start school at Tyee Park. Later, when the friends moved back home, the Gonzales family moved to the home of Great Grandpa Homer where the four generations grew up taking care of each other. She also spent her growing up years attending Lake City Community Church in Sunday School, AWANA and Youth Group. She also attended Camp Woodworth, in Lakebay, WA, for summer camping, which all had an impact on her learning about God’s love for her.

 

Along with church & school life, soccer became very important to her. She started playing soccer at 6 yrs old with her very special coach, Dave Painton, who became a lifelong friend. She played for Lakewood Soccer Club, and also as a Mann Mustang and Lakes Lancer.  So many wonderful memories of those games, with special friends and teammates. Alison also did some refereeing as a teenager and received a scholarship from Lakewood Soccer Club, which she used to start her education at Pierce College where she earned her Associates Degree.

 

Alison spent some time at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

The Spokane area became an important part of her adult years.

 

Alison was a hard worker. She spent much time babysitting some very special families, summers at Mountain View Funeral Home on the yard crew, being a barista, and later moving into full service restaurant work. She worked at Rock Pasta, Europa, The Spar Tavern, Tacoma Wine Merchants, NetShed No 9 and Brix 25. She was a real people person, and loved serving others. Many of her customers followed her from one restaurant to the other. She had a real comradery with the restaurant servers she worked with, and they were a big part of her family. The last year she struggled with not having the stamina to work and be able to have some independence.

It gave her something to look forward to over the doctor visits, infusions and radiations which occupied so much of her time and energy.

 

Alison left the Tacoma restaurant scene and moved to Spokane around 2015. She worked at Wandering Table and Yards Bruncheon in the Kendall Yards area. She loved the beauty of the area, and had extended family that was very important to her while in Spokane.

 

In 2015 Alison started having some health issues and got the dreaded diagnosis of cancer. She went through extensive chemo, radiation and surgery while in Spokane. In 2018, Alison returned to the Tacoma area and her work at Netshed and Brix. She again found herself with health issues that interfered with her working. On Valentines Day in 2019, she found herself in the ER at St Joseph’s Hospital with a blood clot in leg. She went through surgeries to repair that, rehabbed for 3 weeks in a nursing home, only to find out the cancer was back. She wanted to go home; which she did.

 

Alison put up a heroic fight with rounds of chemo, radiation, wound care, 35 days of IV therapy for an infection, only to find out the drugs were too hard for her body to handle. In February of 2020, she went into hospice care, being able to stay at home with sister, Amanda and family until moving back with mom and dad where she stayed until she entered the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 4^th. She was surrounded by the entire family, loving her through the entire journey.

 

Thank you to Amanda and family for the wonderful care and heavy loving you gave to your sister. Thank you to April, Dad & Mom and family for walking the journey with her to the end. Thank you to NW Medical Specialties, Dr Namburi & Staff and CHI Franciscan Hospice for their care and love through this entire life detour.

 

Alison is survived by her parents, Jesse & Becky Gonzales, sister, April Dunn (Rick), sister Amanda Morrow (Eron), grandmother, Sidney Gonzales, nephews, Landon and Nash Morrow, Aiden Dunn and niece, Lola Dunn. She has loving Uncles and Aunts and Cousins in Vernon, AZ and McAllen, TX, and numerous extended family members and friends.

 

A Memorial Service will be held at Lake City Community Church, 8810 Lawndale Ave SW, Lakewood, WA on July 31^st, 2020 at 3:00 PM.

If you want to attend, please notify the family and we will give you the specifics. Due to COVID19 requirements, some restrictions will apply.

 

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking you to send a memorial to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Alison had a big burden for the children facing the struggles with their disease. Or make a contribution to your favorite cancer organization.