Louise Mae Fiamengo

Mary I. Cripe and Roland H. Shaw. Louise had a brother named Roland A. Shaw, he was seven years older than her. They grew up in the Magnolia area of Seattle. As an adult, Roland A. moved to Herrinberg, Germany where he lived for several years and passed away there on April 1st, 2013.

In approximately 1955, Louise went on a boat trip with her parents and a group from the YMCA, where she met a dashing young man named Wayne Fiamengo. Mary (Louise's mom) did not like Wayne very much. So of course, they were married on April 28th, 1956 at her home in Magnolia. Then he and Louise moved into Mary's unfurnished basement for a short time. Finally they found a place of their own on Interbay that had once been a store. From there they bought their home in Phinney Ridge that they remained in for 53 years.

They had their first son, Steve Fiamengo, on August 22, 1960. They had their second son William Fiamengo, on May 31st, 1969. Louise quit her job as a bookkeeper at the National Bank of Commerce in Ballard to stay home and raise her sons. Wayne had a good job with the Engineering Department for the City of Seattle. He retired on April 12th 1985.

As the years went by the two boys left their home in Phinney Ridge and pursued their lives. Steve went on to marry Marnie and adopted a child named Alex. He now lives in Sequim, WA with his family.

Bill went on to be a fisherman in Southeast Alaska, being gone for months at a time. In 1997 Bill met Kim Midkiff during his short time in Seattle during the off season. Kim had an 8 year old daughter, from her previous marriage named Kaylen Lawrence. In 1998 Bill and Kim had their first daughter together, Brittney. Then in 2000 they had their second daughter, Mia. In 2005 they had their third daughter, Andrea. Bill and Kim purchased their first home in Auburn, WA in 2003, where they raised their family for 6 years.

In 2007, Wayne had fallen down the stairs in the Phinney Ridge house. He broke his ankle and his femur bones and remains using a walker to this day. Knowing that this home was no longer suitable for them, Kim and Bill moved Louise and Wayne into a retirement community located in Federal Way, close to their house called Village Green. They stayed there for about a year while their home was cleaned and sold.

In April of 2008, Kim and Bill decided to buy a new house in Kenmore with a mother-in-law unit downstairs, so they could take care of Wayne and Louise as they aged. After about three years of living together in Kenmore, in the spring of 2011, Louise's doctors discovered that she had stage four cancer and told her she had 3-6 months to live. Kim was Louise's main caretaker and was not going to accept this as the end. So, we did many different types of treatment to Louise to try to slow the cancer. This worked and 2012 was a year packed full of trips to the Oncologist for chemotherapy and radiation. We were desperately trying to fight this thing that had a hold of Louise. By the end of 2012, the treatments were not working so well anymore. The cancer was growing and on the rampage again. In March of 2013, hospice was called in to help Kim take care of Louise and keep her comfortable and in her home with her family. On April 8, 2013 at 6:20pm, she passed away quietly in her bed at home from the effects of the cancer. Kim was holding her hands tightly and standing by her side.

We will miss you. Until we meet again, sweet Louise.