Fredda E. Elliott

Born at home 16 June 1932 in Asheville, NC

Died at home 2 January 2020 in Santa Fe, NM

Freda Anne Echols Elliott died unexpectedly Thursday evening. She was 87, living independently, of sound mind and body and anticipated living another 10 years or so as longevity was in her genes. She has been a proud resident of Santa Fe for the last 31 years and was active in her church First Presbyterian on Marcy Street. She leaves behind many dear friends in Santa Fe including her book group and her Opera group: Mary Finney, Carol Fallis, Jacque Rolstad; also Sheila and Lainey at Dancing Bones and her beloved caregiver of many years Todd Melnick. Freda is survived by her younger brother Gerald Echols of Asheville, NC, her daughter Cynthia (Jean Wilson) Elliott of Santa Cruz, CA, her son Thomas E. Elliott of Venice, CA, her granddaughter Jessica Elliott of New York, New York, 2 nephews and 6 nieces. She is predeceased by her parents Sue Duncan (1990) and Jack S. Echols (2011), her sister Jean Carmen Wilson, first born daughter Julia Elliott in 1997, and her former husband Don Elliott in 2009. Freda was a big fan of Amy Goodman of DemocracyNow and chose to read her news on their website. She was a voracious reader and a lifelong learner. She graduated in Biology from Woman’s College in Greensboro, NC now UNC-G. She had a Master’s Degree in Library Science from DU and was a librarian at Graland Country Day School in Denver, CO. She studied interior design at DU, studied yoga and became a teacher, studied mythology at Jean Houston’s Mystery School in New York State and Jungian psychology in Northern California where she lived for 2 years before moving to Santa Fe. Freda enjoyed watching birds at her suet feeder on the giant cottonwood outside her kitchen window at Plaza del Monte. She was thrilled when her friend Bill Lavoie pointed out that she had a hummingbird nest with two babies in it in her chokecherry tree in her back yard last year. A mother deer brought her fawns to rest in the protected corner of Freda’s back yard several years in a row. She loved nature and was an avid gardener. She created such a beautiful “French Intensive” vegetable garden at her home in Denver that it was featured in Sunset Magazine. She was an amazing storyteller and her stories were detailed, colorful and sometimes long. Freda touched so many people’s lives in her 87+ years and will be sorely missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.

In Lieu of flowers donations can be made to

AFSC Development
1501 Cherry St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102  

           &

The Nature Conservancy
Attn: Treasury
4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100
Arlington, VA 22203 USA

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