Ellen Chen Liu

Ellen Chen Liu, a beloved daughter, sister, and friend, left this world for heaven in Seattle on Oct. 13th, 2023. Ellen was a lively girl and professional woman full of positive spirits, accomplishments, aspiration, hope, and love. She was an innocent, pure, kind, and loving person, enjoying a natural and healthy life. Very sadly, her heart suddenly stopped beating at Swedish Hospital Edmonds in the afternoon of Oct. 13th.

She was born at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA on Sep. 8th, 1994, joining a family of father (Wei Liu), mother (Lihui Chen), and elder brother (Toby Liu). That was a beautiful sunny fall afternoon. Dad and Mom gave her a Chinese baby name – Qing Jing (晴婧), meaning a beautiful girl under sunny sky. In May 1995, Ellen moved with her family to the Chicago area and spent her early childhood in Naperville, IL from 1995 to 1999. She played well with children in the neighborhood, liked all foods, enjoyed watching Disney movies and listening to stories. Her favorite movies were Pocahontas and Mulan.

Her family moved to Corning, NY in 1999. Ellen graduated from Erwin Valley elementary school with the President's Award for Educational Excellence in 2005. There, she started playing piano and clarinet, joined YMCA River Rats swim team, hiked in almost all the state and national parks in scenic Upper State New York, and had many friends. She represented her school district in the New York State MathCounts contest, the only 7th grader on a team of 8th graders.

In 2007, Ellen moved to Richland, WA with her family. She graduated from Richland High School in 2012 with Summa Cum Laude and gave a speech “No fear” in her class graduation ceremony. She did many extracurricular activities, including the high school swim team and high school science program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

In 2012, Ellen studied at Duke University. She first majored in Biomedical Engineering (BME), then found her interest in Computer Science. She graduated with these two majors in 2016. She participated in several activities, such as Duke University Women's Rowing program, hiking and climbing club and internships.

Ellen worked at both large companies and startups. In 2016, she started working at IBM Research Center in Austin, TX. Then she was at a startup, followed by Walmart Labs. In early 2020, she started with Atlassian in San Francisco. Since January of 2021, Ellen worked for Nordstrom Technology in Seattle, WA. In Seattle, she found her boyfriend. Together, they had many happy moments in the city, the state and national parks, and overseas trips. In 2023, she started going to Kalos Church – Bellevue.

Ellen was the best daughter a parent could have. She was like an angel from heaven, bringing joy, peace, and kindness to the people around her. She was always conscious of not bringing any trouble to others and not causing harm to the community, society or nature. Ellen lived a simple and pure life. She liked eating fresh fruits and vegetables, dining out with friends and spending time with family. Her sudden departure from this world on Oct. 13, 2023 was a totally unexpected tragedy. We thank God for taking her to a place that she truly belongs, full of peace, kindness, and happiness.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Evergreen-Washelli.com for the Liu family.