Isolde Cornelia Whichelow

Isolde C. Whichelow, loving wife, mother, and grandmother, was taken to heaven at the young age of 61 on September 23, 2021 at 5:10pm. She passed away peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by her loving sons, John III and Alexander, devoted daughter Sonja, and Isolde’s heartbroken husband John. In addition, Isolde is survived by her beloved son Eric, 8 grandchildren: Avery, Alex Jr., John IV, Ethan, William, Vivien, Asher, Son-in-law Josh, Daughter-in-law Jaimie, 6 brothers and sisters and many cherished nieces and nephews.

Isolde and John celebrated their 41st anniversary this year. They met in spring 1979 when they worked together at IBM in San Jose, CA. It was a case of love at first sight for John, and soon after their first date, Isolde consented to his proposal under the redwoods in Santa Cruz, CA. They married in January of 1980.

Isolde had a way about her that instantly made people she met feel comfortable and at home with her and her funny sense of humor. Isolde loved to laugh. Her sincere laughter brought joy wherever she went like a ray of sunshine. She was always a friend to anyone who needed it. In the aftermath of the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area, Isolde brought out all of our camping gear in the darkness of a massive power outage. Silicon Valley neighbors had no source of light or working stoves that night. Isolde put on a huge pot of soup on our camp stove, put out lots of propane lanterns and flashlights as well as a battery-operated TV for everyone to see the news, hear important updates, and indulge in much needed comfort food and conversation. Some neighbors stayed in our front yard almost all night. That was just Isolde being Isolde.

Moving to Spokane in 1991 was the best decision Isolde and John ever made. Isolde loved gardening of both flowers and vegetables and now had a big yard to get her fill. Neighbors and friends walking by loved the colors and her signature sunflowers bordering her garden. She adored her pets whether they be dogs, cats, songbirds or chickens and was most content when outside in the sun tending her gardens or spoiling her animals, who were always overweight. Isolde liked to spoil her family even more with amazing cooking and attention to every need of her 4 loving children and adoring husband. She made any occasion, small or large, bigger, better, and more fun! No one worked harder than Isolde who was always the last to sit down. She ran a busy daycare for 10 years and then named our lawn and gardening business Cut With Care that thrived for 20 more years before retiring to watch her grandchildren. Isolde was simply an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, and business owner.

Retirement also meant taking advantage of the recent hot real estate market and selling her beloved Comstock home of 31 years. She and John moved in with daughter Sonja, her husband Josh and their 2 adorable children William and Vivien in Mead. She oversaw the remodeling of the large in-law suite to her specifications, making a wonderful retirement nest while helping to care for the grandchildren. Isolde’s legacy of unending energy and passion towards always making a difference to better her family’s lives will always be warmly remembered and provide for cherished stories of family, hearth, and home. Isolde loved life and had a way of making people laugh and have as much fun as she was having. Her many family members and friends will miss her terribly. A private family gathering will be held at a later date. To leave online condolence to Isolde’s family, please visit our website at www.HennesseyFuneralHome.com. In lieu of flowers or gifts, charitable donations in remembrance of Isolde may be made to one of the following charities, which embody those causes that were most dear to her. Ronald McDonald House Charities at https://www.rmhc.org/donate, and Spokane Humane Society at https://spokanehumanesociety.org/donate/.

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