In Memoriam — Natalie Naomi Phelps, 42, Educator and Global Cancer Advocate
Natalie Naomi Phelps, 42, a beloved educator, mother, and internationally recognized advocate for cancer awareness and research, passed away on November 10, 2025, on Bainbridge Island, Washington, due to cancer-related complications.
Born in Spokane and raised in Seattle, Natalie graduated from Lakeside High School, where she developed a love for nature that defined her adventurous spirit throughout her life. She earned her B.A. in History and Studio Art from Whitman College and later completed an M.A. in Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was awarded a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship to study Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies.
Her career as an educator spanned states and continents, with teaching roles in Italy, Jordan, Egypt, and Qatar, before returning to Washington State to teach elementary grades on Bainbridge Island. Her passion for education and cultural exchange left a lasting impact on students and colleagues worldwide.
Following her mother’s passing, Natalie returned to Seattle, where she met and married Dr. Jeff Word. Together, they raised two children and shared a life filled with travel, nature, and community.
In early 2020, just weeks after welcoming her second child and at the start of the pandemic, Natalie was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. Rather than retreat, she transformed her diagnosis into a mission: raising awareness about screening and detection of early-onset colorectal cancer and advocating for research funding all while creating memories with her family. Natalie co-chaired the Seattle Walk to End Colon Cancer, led the “Posterior Posse” team, and served on the Education Engagement Committee of the Colorectal Cancer Care Alliance. Her voice reached national and international audiences through interviews with Ted Koppel on CBS Sunday Morning, the BBC World Service, and features in The Washington Post, CNN, and the Associated Press. Family adventures included trips to Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, Hawaii, and Bali and countless hiking, camping, and lake excursions with family and friends.
Natalie spoke passionately about the urgency of cancer research and the dangers of funding cuts. In a widely shared interview, she said: “The rates of cancer amongst people younger than 50 are on the rise, and they tend to be aggressive and later‑stage cancers. So, it makes zero sense, if you care about keeping America healthy, to reduce your medical research at a time when you have cancer rates rising in your younger population that are the ones working and driving the economy.” Her words reflected not only her personal struggle but her commitment to systemic change that could save lives for generations to come.
“Cancer shouldn’t be political,” Natalie told CBS’s Ted Koppel in 2024. “We need to fund research like lives depend on it—because they do.”
Preceded in death by her parents, Alexis (2012) and Steward Phelps (2019), Natalie is survived by her husband, Dr. Jeff Word; her children, Calder Webb Word, and Alexis Naomi Word; and a wide circle of family, friends, and colleagues. She will be long remembered for her unwavering love of family and community, her wit and wisdom, her love for holidays and décor, and her wicked and hilarious pranks.
A celebration of life will be held in spring 2026. Remembrances may be made to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Colon Stars, or Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
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Natalie Stephens
njstephens@msn.com
206-915-0555
