Fae Elinor Novotny was born Sept. 21, 1922, in Pateros, to Leonard (Rusty) and Marie Risley. She died Oct. 7, 2015, in Spokane, at the age of 93. Fae grew up in the beautiful Methow Valley with one brother, Pat Risley, who now lives in Chelan. She graduated from Twisp High School where she was valedictorian of her class. After graduation, she moved to Seattle, where she worked as a secretary until her marriage to Benjamin Perry Novotny in 1942. They moved to Florence, South Carolina, where Perry was serving in the U.S. Army Air Force, and returned to the Methow Valley after the end of World War II.
Fae is predeceased by her husband, Perry, in 2003; her granddaughter Stephanie J. Byram in 2001, and her granddaughter Staci M. Wyman in 2009. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara J. Byram, her daughter, Betty L. Wacenske, and her son, Bruce P. Novotny. She is also survived by seven grandchildren and numerous great- and great-great grandchildren.
Fae loved to learn and encouraged her children and others around her to get an education, to value learning, and to read. She loved opera, books, crossword puzzles and public radio and television. Her lifelong passion was gardening. She treasured her activities with the Garden Club in Twisp, and her own flower garden. She spent hours arranging flowers for weekly church services as well as other church and community events.
In 2005, she moved from the Methow Valley to Spokane into an assisted living facility in North Spokane to be close to her family. She continued to enjoy the activities offered by her residence, listening to and watching opera, tending a few plants in her apartment, reading books from the library, solving crossword puzzles, and visiting with her friends and family. Fae never lost her interest in the world, and read the newspaper until her death.
Over the years, Fae was chosen as Resident of the Month at Northpoint because of her loving acts of service, her smiles, kindness and helpfulness towards her fellow residents. Fae was always willing to do anything she could for her fellow residents even though she experienced physical challenges of her own.
In the words of her great-granddaughter, Maggie Wyman, “not everyone is lucky enough to know their great grandmother, but I was lucky to get to know Fae as someone who loved plants, the arts, and the people around her.”
A memorial service is planned in Twisp in early 2016.
Remembrances can be made in her name to your favorite public radio or television station or to a charity of your choice.
