Elyse lived her life with strength, compassion and grace. She was at her best when helping others. No matter what was going on in her own life, she was more interested in what was going on in yours and how she could help.

As the baby of the family, Elyse had the run of the house. When it came to dogs, she was the rescuer. She cuddled them on the couch and fed them from the table while the rest of the family would try to train them to not do those things. But, she was also a true visionary. She could see what was needed and find a way to get there. She always had a plan. If there was something that wasn’t going right in your life, she had an idea for how to fix it.

Elyse’s family, both immediate and extended, was always the most important thing to her. She was proud of her Greek heritage and enjoyed spending time with that community. As she got older, her friends began to realize what an incredible person she was and they, too, were brought into the fold and became an extension of her family

In 1997, Elyse got engaged to a man that indulged her and made her laugh…and loved her with everything he had. She couldn’t have been happier. Ross and Elyse were married in 1998 and began their life together. They loved to travel and experience new cultures in places like Tahiti, Paris, and Belize. To celebrate their 10^th wedding anniversary, they had plans for a spectacular trip to Greece in the summer of 2008

When she was diagnosed with breast cancer on November 14, 2003, at the age of 29, she met the challenge like any other…head-on. Elyse knew it was going to be difficult but she also knew that she would give it all she had

After the diagnosis, charity and fundraising became a much larger part of her life. As an extension of her desire to help, she became involved in many worthwhile endeavors including the Greek Orthodox Church, St. Vincent de Paul and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation

Elyse and Ross increased their family when they rescued a beautiful yellow lab mix in 2004. They named her Oski. Like any of Elyse’s other dogs, Oski got everything she wanted…and, to this day, continues to get what she wants. But she, too, is contributing in Elyse’s memory. Oski is currently a trained therapy dog and donates her time to the Huntsman Cancer Hospital & Clinics

Through it all (mastectomy, hip replacement, numerous chemotherapy sessions, multiple radiation treatments, hair loss, experimental drugs and more), Elyse had this amazing smile and unwavering positive attitude. She never questioned her choice to fight and she never gave up. And that circle of family and friends that she had spent her entire life building, nurturing and teaching came to her side and supported her throughout the entire experience

In a world of uncertainty, we continue to support Elyse’s vision of positive energy and hard work through the Elyse Pantke White Foundation (EPWF).  Our volunteers embrace these principles just as Elyse would do…shoulder to shoulder, with a plan. We will continue working to cure breast cancer that has affected so many of our loved ones

Elyse never made it to Greece, but with your support others will be sure to see their own dreams come trueh

No one’s life should end at the young age of 34.