Margaret (Greta) Beecher Tubbesing died on October 13, 2023, at age 41 in her home in Mount Vernon, Washington, under the care of her family. Greta was born on October 6, 1982, in St Louis, Missouri, where her father was a medical resident. She grew up in Seattle, Washington, and in nearby Redmond with her three younger sisters. Over her lifetime, Greta and her family made countless treasured trips to Iowa, Oregon, and California to visit her many amazing cousins. Greta graduated from Redmond High School and then from the University of California - Berkeley, with degrees in Public Health and Molecular and Cellular Biology. After college, she lived six vibrant years in San Francisco, working at health care non-profits, living in co-ops, and traveling the world, including a solo bicycle trip through Cuba. Greta then moved back to Seattle to attend medical school at the University of Washington, where she also completed an internal medicine residency. Greta loved medical school and her residency, and she loved the people she learned from and got to know there. Her energy and enthusiasm allowed her to enjoy a uniquely balanced life during her medical training, excelling academically while committing to hobbies, projects, and community. Wherever she went, Greta made more friends, received more honors, and accomplished more social-minded projects than there is room to list.

While in her residency, Greta met Brandon Nickerson, with whom she shared a vision of what it means to live an active, loving, and productive life. Greta and Brandon married, and in June 2018, Greta gave birth to their much beloved son, Silas Nickerson. All of her hard work and determination had brought Greta to the people who mattered most to her and to the place from which to launch the rest of her life.

That same year Greta was diagnosed with brain cancer. While the years that followed were at some times difficult, all the times were filled with love.

Greta's favorite things, in addition to her friends and relatives, were dancing, backpacking, rock climbing, and all kinds of crafting projects. She was enthusiastic about exercise, including long-distance biking and participating in marathons. Her favorite was when she persuaded Brandon to join her in a half-triathlon. Greta's friend Anissa wrote that Greta's "irrepressible laughter offered a jolt of exhilaration to even the most ordinary of circumstances" and that Greta will be remembered "with electricity sparking at your lips, lightning bolts shooting from your fingertips, and thunder rolling beneath your feet. A razor-witted goddess...."

Greta is survived by her husband and son, Brandon and Silas Nickerson; her mother and step-father, Martha Barron and Gene Orza of Redmond WA and New York City; her sisters and their families, Jill Tubbesing and Danny Miller of Alpental WA, Laura Tubbesing and Josiah Ledbetter of Austin TX, Carmen Tubbesing and Ben Christopher and their daughter Quinn of Oakland CA; her step-mother Shari Stewart of Seattle WA; her parents-in-law Craig and Kari Nickerson of Cle Elum WA; her nine aunts and ten uncles (and their children/children's spouses): Kathy and Paul Lin of Spokane WA (Samantha/Beau, Kelsey/Gaby, David); Mary Anne and Cliff Fairley of Portland OR (Elena/Noah, Byron); Margaret and Bill Allard of San Francisco CA (Richard/Hillary, Matt/Courtney); Joan and Wade Nelson of Mesa AZ (Cory, Erin/Joe, Meghan/Tessa); Tricia Barron and Keith Petersen of Clive Iowa (Kevin, Rachel); Barbara and Kurt Johnson of Audubon Iowa (Alec, Dana/Porter, Ruby); Sarah and Dan Christensen of Audubon Iowa (Bill/Courtney, Beth/Josh, Joe/Mallory); Joe Barron and Bobbi Gilbert of Des Moines, Iowa; Sheila Barron and Dean Colton of Solon Iowa (Lee, Grace, Alan); and Jim Tubbesing of Mason City, Iowa.

Greta was preceded in death by her father, Tom Tubbesing, and her grandparents, Matt and Gervase Barron of Audubon Iowa and Don and Marilyn Tubbesing of Mason City Iowa.

Memorials in Greta's name may be donated to The Berkeley Free Clinic in Berkeley, California. Go to BerkeleyFreeClinic.org and follow the prompts.

A gathering of family and friends in Greta's honor will be planned for early next year.