MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. – Colleen Bass’s mother Linda Meckel, heard about her daughters death early Saturday morning.
“That’s one way to wake up on a Saturday morning about 7:00, with three policemen on your doorstep and solemn faces,” Meckel said. “And, you know, this can’t be good.”
Colleen’s family say she was a dedicated single mother, great friend, and had a heart of gold.
“Anytime you needed something, she was the first person to step up,” Deidre Farnsworth, Colleen’s sister, said. “She was kind hearted. She helped anybody that needed help. And she does have a heart of gold. So, she was always there for me.” Farnsworth said.
Linda Merkel says her daughter was truly thoughtful
“She’d text me every week or two and she’d say, how are things going, mom?” Meckel said. “I’d tell her and she goes, well, can I come help you with that?”
Colleen’s friends remembered her as dependable and a vibrant member of the Lilac City Roller Derby.
“She was always very dependable and did the best she could,” Coach Dana Kargas said. “You know, she was pretty consistent person on the track and off the track, you know, kind and generous and super caring and just said a loving presence for the team.”
When the news broke on Saturday of a shooting at Eastern State Hospital campus, friends soon started hearing it was Colleen.
“All of a sudden I saw people saying, oh my God, it was Colleen,” Kargas said. “And I was like, wait, what? Like so just shocked.”
The loss has left her loved ones in shock.
“And, you know, I think all of us have been reeling from it, numb. Just kind of going on, maybe shock energy,” Merkel said.
Despite the tragedy, Colleen’s family is grateful for the support they have received.
“There have been just had so many texts, phone calls,” Merkel said. “What can we do? What can we, you know, how can we help? I mean, it’s been amazing.”
They say the community support is evidence of how deeply Colleen loved, and was loved.
“She was always reaching out and helping others,” Merkel said.
And her family says she’s left a legacy.
“She loved her kids,” Farnsworth said. “They meant the world to her. She liked working out at the Eastern State Hospital. She was dedicated worker, and she just loved her friends and family. And she was just a giving person. So that’s pretty much what I’d like people to remember for.”
