Emily Frick ~ Class of 1965
Arrived ~ 2/6/1947
Departed ~ 08/18/2026
In our house, Emily will forever be ET.
When Kai was little, he combined “Auntie” and “Emily,” and ET was born. She treasured that name because it came from him, and he absolutely adored his ET.
One of my favorite memories will always be ET flying to Atlanta when Kai was just seven months old for his very first flight. As a retired flight attendant, of course she arrived with treats for the crew. That was Emily. She showed up for the people she loved.
And oh, how she loved Kai. She would get right down on the floor with him, roll around, be silly and make him belly laugh. Both their faces lit up whenever they saw one another.
Even as bvFTD changed Emily’s world, one thing it never changed was how deeply she loved.
One of the most remarkable parts of her journey was the life her mind created. In ET’s new reality, she was married and had children of her own. Instead of constantly correcting her, we learned to step into her world.
And there was something beautiful about it.
Emily spent her life fiercely loving her brothers, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. As dementia changed her world, her mind somehow created even more people for her to love. There was sadness in what the disease took, but there was also sweetness, humor and even a little magic in the world she created.
We will forever be grateful to Park Senior Villas at Goodyear and Hospice of the Valley for surrounding ET with incredible love, compassion and dignity through the final years of her life.
But dementia was only one chapter of Emily’s story.
She was a flight attendant who spent years in the skies and carried that adventurous spirit with her long after her flying days were over. She was a sister who adored her brothers, an aunt and great-aunt who loved fiercely, and a friend to so many. She was funny, adventurous, independent and deeply loved.
She was the woman who flew across the country for a baby’s first flight.
The woman rolling around on the floor making a little boy belly laugh.
She was ET.
And that is her legacy. Not what dementia took from her, but everything Emily gave to the people lucky enough to love her: the laughter, the stories, the adventures and, most of all, the love.
Kai will always know just how much his ET adored him.
We love you, ET. ❤️
You will always be our ET
It is with very heavy hearts that we share that our beloved Emily passed away peacefully this morning.
Emily was so deeply loved, and we know she touched many lives throughout the years. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who loved her, cared for her, and remained part of her life and story.
Carol Higgs will be creating a special memory book in Emily’s honor. If you have a favorite memory, story, or photo of Emily, please share it in the comments on this post so Carol can include them as she creates this beautiful keepsake celebrating Emily’s life.
Thank you for helping us surround Emily’s memory with the same love she gave so freely throughout her life.
Please send pictures (old and new), anecdotes, articles, stories, and tributes to isbeings at gmail dot com or visit us on Facebook at ISBeings