Megan Noelle Kesel

Megan Noelle Kesel, 44, of Everett, Washington, died on July 29, 2026, at Evergreen Hospital. She was an advocate for animals and a lifelong traveler, and she had the warmest smile in every room she entered.

Megan was born February 9, 1982, in Seattle to Bill and Judy Kesel. She grew up in Richmond Beach, graduated from Shorewood High School, and went on to the University of Washington, where a term studying abroad in Florence instilled a lifelong passion for travel. After earning her bachelor's degree, she went to work for Greater Good and stayed for more than twenty years.

Megan traveled whenever she could and came back changed by it every time; Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, Japan, Turkey, Iceland, Peru, Canada, and Mexico.

Megan's love of animals was fierce and practical. It shaped her career in animal welfare, and it filled her weekends: for years she volunteered every week at the Everett Animal Shelter, where she fostered Millie, a labrador no one else would take, until she found a home.

She married Marshall Folsom on August 29, 2020, and together they kept a full house. Her weeks had their own rhythms; the Sunday paper read front to back, constantly reading non-fiction books, evening cuddle sessions with her cat Smores, and an impressively thorough skincare routine. Megan’s favorite books were Tiny Beautiful Things and The Glass Castle, which she reread multiple times. She was a proud advocate of women’s right and attended multiple protests.

Megan is survived by her husband, Marshall Folsom; her parents, Bill and Judy Kesel; her sister, Kari Kesel; her brother-in-law Eric Wilson; her two nieces Ella and Maebel; her cats, Smores and Toast; and her four chickens.

She was preceded in death by her aunt, Elaine Hartman; her aunt and uncle, James and Catherine McClure; and her cousin, Kent Batchelder.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills, 409 Filbert Road, Lynnwood, WA 98036.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Everett Animal Shelter: https://www.everettwa.gov/170/Ways-to-Give

When you think of Megan, think of a dog everyone else had given up on, going home.