Matilda "Tillie" (Doherty) Van Etten
October 3, 1963 – July 30, 2020
Tillie Doherty Van Etten passed away on July 30, 2020, in Litchfield Park, Arizona.
Tillie was born in Jennings to Dolan and Margaret Doherty. She was raised in Evangeline and graduated from Iota High School. She earned Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
In 1992, she married Fred Van Etten. They fell in love when Fred was working in Lafayette. Between the day that Fred proposed and their wedding day, Fred was transferred to their first of numerous international assignments. They often lovingly recalled how they started their married life with "a four-year honeymoon in Lagos, Nigeria"
After Nigeria, they lived in Perth, Australia, Geoje, South Korea, and Maracaibo, Venezuela, before returning to the U.S. and enjoying a few years in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2006, their daughter Elise Marie was born shortly after they transferred to Moscow, Russia. Tillie absolutely loved being Elise's mom.
Following several years in Moscow, they returned to California before again moving to Nigeria. Fred's final assignment brought them full circle back to Louisiana – this time to the greater New Orleans area.
Upon retiring in 2017, Tillie, Fred and Elise moved to Arizona to be near Tillie's loving brother Darrell and his extended family. Tillie described herself as "a nomad of the planet, Mom to Elise, happily married to Fred, and photographer at heart."
Tillie was an exceptional portrait photographer who took great joy in crafting portraits that were about, rather than of, the person. A portion of the time, money and creative energy from her photography business was used for humanitarian efforts.
Tillie was always grateful for all of the blessings in her life.
October 3, 1963 – July 30, 2020
Tillie Doherty Van Etten passed away on July 30, 2020, in Litchfield Park, Arizona.
Tillie was born in Jennings to Dolan and Margaret Doherty. She was raised in Evangeline and graduated from Iota High School. She earned Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
In 1992, she married Fred Van Etten. They fell in love when Fred was working in Lafayette. Between the day that Fred proposed and their wedding day, Fred was transferred to their first of numerous international assignments. They often lovingly recalled how they started their married life with "a four-year honeymoon in Lagos, Nigeria"
After Nigeria, they lived in Perth, Australia, Geoje, South Korea, and Maracaibo, Venezuela, before returning to the U.S. and enjoying a few years in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2006, their daughter Elise Marie was born shortly after they transferred to Moscow, Russia. Tillie absolutely loved being Elise's mom.
Following several years in Moscow, they returned to California before again moving to Nigeria. Fred's final assignment brought them full circle back to Louisiana – this time to the greater New Orleans area.
Upon retiring in 2017, Tillie, Fred and Elise moved to Arizona to be near Tillie's loving brother Darrell and his extended family. Tillie described herself as "a nomad of the planet, Mom to Elise, happily married to Fred, and photographer at heart."
Tillie was an exceptional portrait photographer who took great joy in crafting portraits that were about, rather than of, the person. A portion of the time, money and creative energy from her photography business was used for humanitarian efforts.
Tillie was always grateful for all of the blessings in her life.
Matilda "Tillie" (Doherty) Van Etten
October 3, 1963 – July 30, 2020
Tillie Doherty Van Etten passed away on July 30, 2020, in Litchfield Park, Arizona.
Tillie was born in Jennings to Dolan and Margaret Doherty. She was raised in Evangeline and graduated from Iota High School. She earned Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
In 1992, she married Fred Van Etten. They fell in love when Fred was working in Lafayette. Between the day that Fred proposed and their wedding day, Fred was transferred to their first of numerous international assignments. They often lovingly recalled how they started their married life with "a four-year honeymoon in Lagos, Nigeria"
After Nigeria, they lived in Perth, Australia, Geoje, South Korea, and Maracaibo, Venezuela, before returning to the U.S. and enjoying a few years in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2006, their daughter Elise Marie was born shortly after they transferred to Moscow, Russia. Tillie absolutely loved being Elise's mom.
Following several years in Moscow, they returned to California before again moving to Nigeria. Fred's final assignment brought them full circle back to Louisiana – this time to the greater New Orleans area.
Upon retiring in 2017, Tillie, Fred and Elise moved to Arizona to be near Tillie's loving brother Darrell and his extended family. Tillie described herself as "a nomad of the planet, Mom to Elise, happily married to Fred, and photographer at heart."
Tillie was an exceptional portrait photographer who took great joy in crafting portraits that were about, rather than of, the person. A portion of the time, money and creative energy from her photography business was used for humanitarian efforts.
Tillie was always grateful for all of the blessings in her life.
October 3, 1963 – July 30, 2020
Tillie Doherty Van Etten passed away on July 30, 2020, in Litchfield Park, Arizona.
Tillie was born in Jennings to Dolan and Margaret Doherty. She was raised in Evangeline and graduated from Iota High School. She earned Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
In 1992, she married Fred Van Etten. They fell in love when Fred was working in Lafayette. Between the day that Fred proposed and their wedding day, Fred was transferred to their first of numerous international assignments. They often lovingly recalled how they started their married life with "a four-year honeymoon in Lagos, Nigeria"
After Nigeria, they lived in Perth, Australia, Geoje, South Korea, and Maracaibo, Venezuela, before returning to the U.S. and enjoying a few years in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2006, their daughter Elise Marie was born shortly after they transferred to Moscow, Russia. Tillie absolutely loved being Elise's mom.
Following several years in Moscow, they returned to California before again moving to Nigeria. Fred's final assignment brought them full circle back to Louisiana – this time to the greater New Orleans area.
Upon retiring in 2017, Tillie, Fred and Elise moved to Arizona to be near Tillie's loving brother Darrell and his extended family. Tillie described herself as "a nomad of the planet, Mom to Elise, happily married to Fred, and photographer at heart."
Tillie was an exceptional portrait photographer who took great joy in crafting portraits that were about, rather than of, the person. A portion of the time, money and creative energy from her photography business was used for humanitarian efforts.
Tillie was always grateful for all of the blessings in her life.
