Support is pouring in for the fiancé and infant son of a beloved Marysville teacher who died following a cancer battle.
Amanda Zeigler passed away May 3 at the age of 29 following a battle with metastatic breast cancer, according to a GoFundMe campaign.
“Amanda was taken from us way too early…” organizer Christopher Allis wrote. “If you ever knew her kindness you felt a lasting impression.”
Zeigler was a 2015 graduate of Marysville Getchell High School, and later worked as a paraprofessional for the Marysville and Mukilteo school districts, according to her obituary. She also worked as a substitute teacher throughout the Olympic Peninsula.
“Throughout her life, Amanda was a helper at heart,” reads her memorial. “Her career choices reflected this innate calling as she dedicated herself to supporting others.”
Loved ones also remembered the young mother as a gifted poet “whose words captured the fleeting beauty of existence and illuminated life’s profound truths.”
“Through her poetry, Amanda expressed her deepest thoughts and emotions, leaving behind verses that will forever echo her perspective on strength and hope.”
Zeigler also worked at Country Aire in Port Angeles, the Sequim Library, and WorkSource Clallam County.
“In each role, she brought compassion and dedication to those she served,” loved ones wrote.
But her greatest joy, her obituary noted, was motherhood. Even after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis during pregnancy, Zeigler continued fighting through treatment while preparing to welcome her son.
“Her son was the light of her life—her greatest inspiration and most treasured gift,” loved ones wrote. “Even when faced with a breast cancer diagnosis during pregnancy, Amanda embraced motherhood with unparalleled strength and boundless love.”
Zeigler also leaves behind her fiancé and partner of eight years, Shane Gersbach. “Together they built a life rich with adventure and music-two passions they both deeply cherished,” her memorial states.
In the days since her death, tributes from family and friends have poured across social media remembering a young woman whose warmth, creativity, and determination left a lasting mark on the people around her.
“The strength you showed fighting cancer while carrying your baby was nothing short of extraordinary,” friend Jezreel Hernandez wrote in a Facebook tribute. “You are truly an inspiration, the definition of a warrior who never gave up, no matter how hard things got.”
For Zeigler’s family, the timing of her death made the grief even harder to process. “Sadly, she did not survive to celebrate her first Mother’s Day,” her uncle Shawn Butler wrote. “This serves as a powerful reminder to appreciate those in your life, especially the mothers.”
Allis is hoping his fundraiser will help offset funeral expenses and medical bills as the family grieves. “Anything helps, but nothing will replace Amanda,” he wrote.
Those interested in donating can do so via GoFundMe here.
Two celebrations of life for Zeigler are being planned in Port Angeles and Marysville, her obituary said. Details are expected to be announced later.
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