Family and friends are remembering Carla de Vrieze, who died last week at 43, and sharing this announcement with the community:

Carla Y. de Vrieze passed away May 16, 2016, surrounded by her family.

Carla was born October 6, 1972, in the Netherlands. Moving to the US as a young child, she lived with her family in Arlington and Winchester, Massachusetts, attending Winchester High School and High Mowing School in Wilton, NH. After earning her Associate’s Degree from Johnson and Wales University College of Culinary Arts, Carla moved and spent a few years in Chevy Chase, Maryland, before settling in West Seattle, near her brother’s family, in 1999.

Carla’s creativity and passion for the culinary arts were an important part of her personal and professional life; in cooking for others, she found joy. Carla was preceded in death by her father, Theo de Vrieze. She is survived by her mother, Joan de Vrieze, her brother Martin de Vrieze (Heather), and nephew Jake de Vrieze, all of West Seattle. She is also survived by countless aunts, uncles, cousins around the country and the world.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to SANCA, the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts, an organization which brings joy and inclusion to so many children of all abilities (674 S. Orcas Street, Seattle 98108 or sancaseattle.org/support/give-today).

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)