Elaine I. Tay

Elaine Ie-Chuan Tay was born on September 17, 1946 in Fujian, China to parents Jonathan and Primrose Wu. She is the second of 5 siblings. Shortly after she was born, the family moved to Indonesia where her Dad was a pastor at Semarang Chinese Church. In 1959, the entire family moved to Hong Kong when Elaine’s Dad accepted a call to work there. After graduating from high school in 1966, Elaine left Hong Kong for London, England, to attend nursing school. She graduated from Lewisham Nursing School in November 1970. She then migrated to the United States to be re-united with her siblings who now lived in Seattle. There Elaine obtained her U.S. nursing license and started her career with Swedish Hospital (then Providence Hospital) in 1971. She served as a registered nurse at Swedish for 40 years, retiring in 2011.

Elaine met John Tay in 1978. They were introduced through their mothers who were college classmates in Burma. They were married July 7th, 1979 and were blessed with a son, Nathaniel in 1983.

Under the guidance of her loving mother, Elaine accepted Christ at the tender age of nine. She credits her early acceptance and salvation to her determined mother who steadfastly made sure all her kids came to the saving knowledge of Christ. She became a member of Evangelical Chinese Church in 1973 and served in various capacities - from leading bible study in college fellowship in the early 1970s to cooking for the college group summer camp in the late 2000s.

Elaine most wanted to be remembered as someone who loved the Lord and shared the love of Christ with everyone she met. Even up to the last month of her life as her health further deteriorated and weakened her, she never missed an opportunity to tell people she came into contact with (nurses, friends, co-workers) about Christ's love. She also took time to encourage others who were battling cancer.

Elaine had a zest for life. She enjoyed and treasured the company of friends and family. She was a devoted wife and mother who made family her first priority. But she was more than that too. She was also a caring daughter who made time to care for her parents when they were alive, taking both to their respective doctor's appointments on her days off to ensure the best medical care and attention. Additionally, she was a loving sister to her siblings and took care of the two youngest sisters when they were in high school and college. She was also a loyal friend - constantly looking out for the best interest of others.

Elaine is survived by her husband John, son Nathaniel, and siblings Enoch, Joshua, Priscilla and Joy, their spouses, and many nephews and nieces. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Arrangements under the direction of Acacia Memorial Park & Funeral Home, Seattle, Washington.