Meredyth Clare Branaman

died on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at Harborview Hospital in Seattle, WA. Our beautiful, loving and courageous daughter Meredyth has taken her own life to end over a decade of life-threatening and intolerably difficult treatment-resistant depression. Meredyth's compassion for others reached every part of her life, and in the end, she donated her organs so that others might live better lives.Meredyth was born in Seattle on April 6, 1991, a resident of Bainbridge Island, WA from 1991-2009, and a resident of her beloved city, Seattle, WA, since 2009.Meredyth was an outstanding scholar, with special talents in Math and Science. She attended Wilkes, Sakai, Woodward, and graduated from Bainbridge High School in 2009 on Bainbridge Island, WA.Meredyth loved dance passionately, especially Classical Ballet, attending Bainbridge Dance Center from the age of 4 to 18. She loved and supported all the Arts, and theatre was very dear to her heart. Meredyth's theatre families include Ovation Musical Theatre, Bainbridge Performing Arts and Bainbridge High School theater productions.Meredyth trained as a dancer at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle from 2009-2011, then studied pre-nursing and got her CNA through Seattle Central College from 2011-2013 until injuries and poor health led her to focus on her love of children and study Early Childhood Education, becoming an Associate Teacher at Bright Horizons daycare in the Mermaid Lagoon/Starbucks Headquarters building in Seattle, WA. Since 2013 she has delighted in caring for infants, one year olds and two year olds there.Meredyth's intelligence, kindness and sheer determination hid her unrelenting pain and suffering from view. No one worked harder to get better and to give back. The many people whose lives she touched may be surprised to learn of her life of suffering, but she would want everyone to know she is at peace now. Meredyth inspired her family and others to grow in unimaginable ways, and would want everyone to be happy and go forth and love others. Her many friends were truly like family to her. She loved you all so much.We focus, not on how she died, but in gratitude and awe for the way she lived. Character and courage defined her. Loved so dearly and missed so deeply by her family; love you forever, wonderful, amazing, beautiful warrior Meredyth!Survivors include Meredyth's parents, Wes and Peggy Branaman of Bainbridge Island, WA, her sister Colleen Branaman of Bainbridge Island and Colleen's fiancé Chase Herring of Natchez, MS, her sister Rebecca Nielson (Scott) of Keizer, OR, her brother Christopher Branaman (Irene) of Roseville, CA, and her very large and loving extended family of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins whose amazing support has lifted her up these 24 years.In honoring her spirit of philanthropy and helping those less fortunate, in lieu of flowers, please donate to one of these charities in her memory: Harborview Hospital in Seattle, WA, Seattle Children's Hospital or Heifer International.Please celebrate Meredyth's life with us online at CaringBridge... Click HerePlease join us for a Celebration of Meredyth's Life on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 1pm at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church: 11042 Sunrise Dr. NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. For carpool arrangements from the 11:25 Seattle ferry, see online at CaringBridge... Click Here.Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home on Bainbridge Island. Please sign the guestbook for the family.