Obituary of Kayla Ennis

A light has been lifted from our world with the life of Kayla Ennis, tragically taken from us at the young age of 35 on February 24, 2024. She was born December 23, 1988, in Bellevue, Washington. The eldest daughter of Donna and Stephen Ennis, she spent her early years bouncing around Western Washington in Olympia, Bellevue, and Everett, eventually landing in Spokane in 1996, where she spent the majority of her life.

 

Throughout her early years, nearly everyone recounts her as whip-smart and endlessly creative. She could pick up just about any instrument, contributing to a band or two in her day. A musician, a painter, a writer, Kayla developed a multitude of talents and shared them freely, touching everyone throughout her all-too-short life. She had a great sense of humor and always had a joke to crack, even in the hardest of times. Her wicked sense of humor helped her cope and have the insight to recognize and help those in need.

 

Kayla went to Ferris High School and glided through classes.  She graduated in 2007. At 21, Kayla got pregnant with Kinsley Lynn Slocum, the pride and joy of her life. To say Kinsley was the light of her life is an understatement; you could see the love and purpose in her eyes the moment Kinsley was born. That purpose pushed Kayla to work. A bold, courageous, dedicated worker day and night, she used her quick wit to juggle multiple jobs, doing what she could to provide for Kinsley.

 

And it wasn't always just Kinsley. Kayla always held an affinity for animals. Very rarely did Kayla live without a pet dog in her home. If not a dog or cats, she had pet rats or any little critter that may have needed a home. When she died, she was caring for a dog and two cats. Later in life, Kayla learned to love crows. She would joke that she could command them, but she truly made a bond with the murder in her neighborhood. The birds would bring her little trinkets that she kept in a small tin.

 

In 2018, Kayla moved back to what she saw as her true home, Olympia. She was surrounded by support from her aunts, uncle, cousin, and grandmother. She was enveloped by unwavering support at home and work.

 

Kayla worked at Public Storage for the past four years. She became one of the best in the game; her’s is a name worth remembering when visiting Public Storage anywhere in the South Sound. Her coworkers shared nothing but glowing stories about how she was a hard worker, always armed with a good joke.

 

If you were reading this story anywhere else, you'd assume there would be a lot more to read. But you, dear reader, know this is an obituary. Kayla's life came to a tragic close from a pulmonary embolism on February 24, 2024, in her own home. It was sudden, quick, and left nothing but grief and heartbreak in its wake.

 

Kayla leaves behind her only daughter, Kinsley Lynn; her parents, Donna and Quinn Ennis; her younger sisters, Allison and Delaney; her aunts, Kim Holm, Stephanie Ennis, Rosalie Ennis, Barbara Stephens, Patty Lynch, and Helen Lynch; her uncles, Matt Ennis, Russ Holm, and Don Lynch; her paternal grandmother, Sharon; extended family from Oregon, Utah, and Colorado; and many, many dear friends. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Carolyn; and paternal grandfather, Thomas.

 

A ceremony to celebrate and remember Kayla's life will be held Saturday, April 13, 2024, 2:00 p.m. at The Lord Mansion, 211 21st Ave. SW, Olympia, WA 98501.

 

Instead of flowers, please consider donating to your local no-kill pet shelter, or Oly Camp Kitties, the organization that helped rehome Kayla’s two cats, by clicking HERE.

 

Please leave condolences or share memories and photos on the Tribute Wall to the left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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