The Friends of Hospice, a not-for profit organization established in 1994, is governed by an all volunteer board of community members. The board is committed to serving individuals, and their families, and caregivers on their end-of-life journey.
Outreach and education within our communities on advance care planning, hospice care and end-of-life services, is paramount with the board. Community bereavement support is an integral part of the board’s mission, and is offered to anyone grieving over a loss, whether part of hospice or not.
Officers
Ken Carper, President
Pullman
Not only did both of Ken’s parents die recently, but also his best friend and fishing companion of 35 years. He witnessed first-hand the comfort hospice programs provide to the dying, their caregivers, friends, and family members. When the opportunity was presented to assist in this important work through involvement on the Friends of Hospice board, Ken was eager to accept. How can one not be a “friend of hospice?”
Ken is a registered architect with degrees in architecture and in structural engineering. Following architectural practice in Spokane, he and his wife, Tanya, moved to Pullman, where Ken was on the WSU Architecture faculty for 40 years, teaching structural engineering to students in architecture and in construction management. His principal research area is forensic engineering, the investigation of engineering failures and the important lessons that can be learned from them.
Since Ken’s retirement in 2012, he has been improving his skills in fly fishing and in photography. He is grateful to live in this beautiful and peaceful region known as the Palouse, and enjoys recording its unique images of rolling farmland and agricultural buildings. Some of his work can be viewed on his website: kencarperphotos.com. Ken’s Palouse landscape photography has been recognized by regional and national awards. He has no awards from fly fishing to report—yet!
Fun Fact: Ken is known professionally for his pioneering work in the topic of forensic engineering. He has presented invited lectures throughout the world, and has written a number of books and journal articles on the subject. For 30 years, he was the chief editor for an international journal that published case histories of engineering failure investigations. Many of his colleagues and former students have told him that whenever they hear the word, “failure,” the first thing that comes to mind is “Ken Carper.”
Rosalie Harms, Vice President
Pullman
Like so many of us, often the first time we learn about something is when we truly need it. This was Rosalie’s experience with hospice. She and husband Jerry had been caring for her mother in their home when hospice services were offered. During this tender time Rosalie and Jerry found the support of hospice invaluable. From that experience Rosalie became a true champion for educating people on the benefits of hospice. She readily shares that hospice does not equal dying, rather it equals living well.
Rosalie spent her career teaching children lessons of a lifetime. Rosalie enjoyed a 34-year career with the Pullman School District. She not only finds the students from her first classes coming back to share their lives with her, the children of her former students come back too. From 1976-1978 Rosalie and Jerry taught at the International School in Manila, Philippines.
Since retirement in 2005, Rosalie enjoys a full life of giving to her community. She is a distinguished event planner, a member of the Grand Avenue Committee, the Pullman Historical Society, the Friends of Gladish Advisory Committee, the City of Pullman Human Rights Commission, the Pullman Regional Hospital Women’s Auxiliary, serves on the P.E.O. WA State CARE committee, and is on the advisory board of the Filipino & Friends Assoc. of Ida/WA. Rosalie joined Friends of Hospice in the fall of 2012, and currently serves as Vice President. Her husband, Jerry, was a long time teacher at Pullman High School.
Fun Fact: As a recent UW graduate Rosalie worked at KIRO Radio/TV station as the Music Librarian in Seattle. She helped the radio personnel with their selection of songs and prepared the daily PSAs–Public Service Announcements. Unbeknownst to Rosalie, a disc jockey put her on air when he called for the daily PSAs. They engaged in short conversations and eventually, listeners enjoyed them so much that Rosalie became a regular part of his show. As the secretary for the Vice President of KIRO Radio, Rosalie met celebrities such as Johnny Mathis, Sammy Davis Junior, Dionne Warwick, and Leslie Uggums.
Barbara Sanborn, Secretary
Pullman
As a retired social worker, Barb knew she still wanted to pursue her passion for improving people’s lives. She joined the Friends of Hospice board in November 2015 because she believes their mission perfectly reflects that passion.
Her past experience as a social worker, and as the daughter of very elderly parents, taught Barb that most people want to make their own decisions about their final days, yet families are often reluctant to initiate the conversation that would allow them to make their wishes known. One of the goals of Friends of Hospice is to offer education and guidance to assist people to formally notify their families and most critically, their physicians, of their end of life plans before it is too late.
In addition to Friends of Hospice, Barb dabbles in many other interests including foreign travel, languages, literature, experimental gourmet cooking, gardening, exercise, Friday movie night and she shares her spouse’s enthusiasm for his 6 grandchildren.
Fun Fact: Barb’s daily routine is wholly scheduled and controlled by her fabulous cat, Olaf.
Board Members
Jeannie Eylar
Colton
Jeannie is the newest member of the board, joining in January of 2022. She has had the privilege of serving as the Chief Nursing Officer at Pullman Regional Hospital since 1993. Serving in this capacity has allowed her to collaborate and coordinate with many different agencies.
Working with oncology patients early her career, helped her to understand the experience that patients and families deal with, especially facing end of life decisions. Jeannie believes one of the most challenging conversations with people is how they want to live and to die. Hospice has been providing a supportive environment for end of life for decades.
Fun Fact: Forty years after graduating as a Registered Nurse, Jeannie can’t imagine a better profession for her!
Larry Gunn
Colfax
Larry was born in Colfax – not in a hospital, but in a midwife’s house. Larry went through grade school and graduated high school in Colfax. After high school, Larry went to Columbia Basin Junior College on a basketball scholarship, majoring in agriculture. Larry transferred to EWSC on a basketball scholarship in his junior year and graduated with a dual major in sociology and education. From 1963-1969 Larry served in the Washington Army National Guard. Larry intended to be in the education profession, but got sidetracked into farming – for forty years! He retired from farming for himself in 2006, but continues to work for other farmers.
Larry lives with his wife, Emily, outside of Colfax. Larry has been on the board of directors for Friends of Hospice since 2009. He currently serves as the Treasurer.
Fun Fact: Larry still operates his own family garage: Dad’s Garage, (Always open, 24 hours), Free oil changes, Fatherly advice, (Priceless).
Bob Ingalls
Colfax
Bob is very committed to serving people at the end of their lives and to caring for their families. He does this as a hospice volunteer, as a board member of Friends of Hospice, through his work in Advance Care Planning, and in his personal life. He sums his life up with one word: servant.
Bob served the people of Whitman County for over thirty years through the sheriff’s office. For most of those years, Bob held the position of jail administrator. For twelve years Bob, who now lives outside Steptoe, served the people of Colfax on their City Council. Bob is ordained in the United Church of Christ and has been serving churches, mostly on the Palouse, for more than forty years; with nearly 20 of those years in Malden.
Bob has been a member of the Friends of Hospice board since January 2012.
Fun Fact: Bob has a small orchard on his property and spends countless hours canning, juicing, dehydrating, and sharing fruit. Highlights of each Fall are cider making parties.
Staff
Nikki Nolt
Executive Director
nikki.nolt@friendsofhospice.net
Office: 509-332-4414
Colleagues:
Friends of Hospice would like to gratefully acknowledge the contribution and participation of the following people:
Wills & Associates, PLLC
Certified Public Accountants
Irwin Myklebust Savage and Brown, PS
Attorneys at Law
Steve Teare, PagePipe.com
Web Engineer