Surrounded by her family, Alina Louise Rossano passed away peacefully, on April 13th, 2024 following a one year battle with Glioblastoma.
Born February 13, 1946 in Pawnee City Nebraska to Jean and Glen Wells, Alina and her family moved to Richland, Washington shortly afterwards, where her father worked as a cooling engineer at Hanford. Alina had very fond memories of her childhood in Richland and of Richland High School, where she made many friends and excelled academically.
After graduating from High School in 1964, Alina was selected for a one year exchange program in Switzerland, where she learned German and made more lifelong friends who who introduced her to one of her great passions, hiking and the outdoors.
In 1965, Alina enrolled at the University of Washington where she studied chemistry and met her first husband, August. Their son Anthony was born in June of 1968 and their daughter Alecia in July of 1971.
Dance was a core part of Alina’s life from her earliest years and she threw herself into the Seattle dance community with gusto, teaching children’s dance classes at the Creative Dance Center. This overlapped with her participation in InterPlay and Original Play.
Along with her outdoor activities including hiking, cross country skiing, even serving as a back country ranger, Alina was a dedicated lap swimmer and an avid community P-patch gardener for many years.
Daughter of a Finnish-American father, Alina was close to her cousins in Kronoby, Finland and a member of the Nordic Center in Seattle. She also cherished her mother Jean's Butterfield family, especially her four cousins.
A strong supporter of the arts, Alina enjoyed going to museums, theater and concerts frequently. She loved sketching while out on her hikes and became a skilled artist.
On July, 10th 2016 Alina married her longtime partner, Page Tulloch. They enjoyed 27 wonderful years together traveling, hiking, camping, skiing, cultural events and many gatherings with family and friends. Not a day passed without laughter and smiles.
Alina’s spirit of adventure, humor, generosity and strength will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.
She is survived by her husband Page, son, Anthony, daughter, Alecia, daughter-in-law, Andrea and two grandchildren, Zola and Ansel.
A memorial will be held at the Creative Dance Center on June 9, 2024 at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Creative Dance Center or the Nature Conservancy.
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