Angela Marie Downs (Perkins) claimed her final victory over cancer and set herself free on June 6, 2021. Born on June 9, 1976, in Groton, Connecticut, Angie lived a life of devoted service, adventure, and love.
As part of a Navy family, Angie’s childhood homes spanned our Country including her beloved Hawaii. The spirit of Aloha ran deep in Angie’s soul. She graduated from Central Kitsap High School in 1994 and earned an Army ROTC scholarship. Angie went on to graduate from Pacific Lutheran University in 1998 with a BSN in Nursing and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. Angie proudly served throughout the world including Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis; Landstuhl, Germany; Honduras; and Baghdad, Iraq. During her time in the Army, she also obtained her Master’s degree and became a Certified Registered nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). One of her fondest assignments was serving as the Commander of the 250th Forward Surgical Hospital where she trained the front-line medical team that would later deploy to Afghanistan. Following her honorable discharge from active duty, Angie continued to combine her skills a nurse anesthetist and leader by serving at the chief CRNA at both Swedish Ballard Hospital and Group Health/Kaiser Seattle Hospital. After 21 years of combined active and reserve duty, she officially retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2019.
While attending PLU, Angie met and fell in love with Jake Downs. They married in 2002, and welcomed their son Liam into their lives in 2008. Their daughter, Evelyn, completed their family in 2010. As a devoted wife and mother, she considered her children to be the greatest of all her achievements. She instilled in them compassion, service, toughness, and a passion for travel and adventure. Angie was a proud member of the St. Anne Parish and the St. Anne school community where she and her family were so supported even during the darkest of days of her battle with cancer.
After being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018, Angie stepped out beyond her concerns about her own disease and became a fierce lung cancer advocate. Working with Team Draft, she raised tens of thousands for Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and was awarded her biggest platform for advocacy, a trip to the 2020 Super Bowl, where she bravely spoke out for the entire lung cancer community about the importance of research.
While she left us too soon, Angie’s legacy of service, courage, kindness, and strength will live on with the family and friends who loved her so deeply.
Angela is survived by her husband of 18 years, Jake; son, Liam; daughter, Evelyn; mother, Carolyn Perkins (Ken Wilson); father, Jay Perkins (Linda); sisters, Judene Neustel (Scott), Jennifer Roger (Jason), Jillian Stirling (Andy); in-laws Michelle Jonasson (Rick) and Mike Downs (Ingrid); aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
A memorial mass, graveside service, and reception will be held in Angela’s honor on July 10, 2021. The memorial mass will be at 10 am at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 1411 1st Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119. Graveside service with full military honors will immediately follow the memorial mass at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, 700 W. Raye St., Seattle, WA 98119. A reception will follow at St. Anne’s School across from St. Anne Church. All events are open to anyone who would like to celebrate Angela’s life.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Team Draft, an initiative of the Chris Draft Foundation working to change the face of lung cancer: https://www.teamdraft.org/
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