Tylene Carnell

Tylene Diane Carnell, 63, passed away on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at her Ellensburg home. Her memorial service will be conducted at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 21 at the First United Methodist Church of Ellensburg. The service will also be livestreamed on the Ellensburg UMC Facebook page.

Tylene was born on August 18, 1962, in Boise, Idaho to Gerry and Joy Carnell, spending her early years in the Pacific Northwest. She met Dianna Davis and her son, Catlin James, when Catlin was just two years old. Tylene and Dianna were married the following year, and in 1991 they welcomed their daughter, Jessica (Jessi), completing their family of four.

With the arrival of the new millennium, Tylene embarked on a new chapter, first spending time in Portland before settling in Ellensburg around 2001. She began working for Comprehensive Healthcare in 2003 as a part-time file clerk, the same year she enrolled at Central Washington University. In 2007, she graduated with a BA in Sociology and transitioned to the clinical side of Comprehensive, serving as a case manager and later as co-director of the Horizon’s Clubhouse. Her years at Comprehensive were both fulfilling and demanding, shaping much of her professional life.

In 2016, Tylene joined the Pride Foundation of Seattle as a Regional Development Organizer, a role that took her throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest until 2021. She founded Helen House in 2019, becoming its full-time Director in 2021 and later continuing as a behind-the-scenes advisor in 2024. During this same period, she also co-founded Central Washington Justice for Our Neighbors and remained active with the organization for as long as her health allowed.

Tylene cherished small-town life and expressed that love through devoted community involvement. She served as a member of the Ellensburg DEI Commission and was a familiar presence at City Council, County Commissioner, and Ellensburg School Board meetings. She helped organize local Pride parades and often drove students from Helen House to Pride events in neighboring communities. She founded the weekly Pizza Klatch at EHS and played a key role in bringing the TransRural Elders Project’s annual meeting to Ellensburg.

Tylene loved her family deeply. She was preceded in death by her cherished father, Gerry Carnell. She is survived by her mother Joy Young of Meridian, Idaho, and by ‘Mamacita’ Sonja Carnell of Hurricane, Utah. She leaves behind her daughter, Jessi, and her beloved grandson, Graycen (“Big Rig”), both of Idaho. She is also survived by her sisters, Dawn (Dee) of Portland and Connie Hancock of Meridian, who remained by Tylene’s side in her final weeks, offering dedicated and compassionate care— as well as siblings Mark, Cindy, and Kurt. In addition, she leaves numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members who held her close.

Tylene also leaves a wide circle of friends and community who admired her open mind, loved her generous heart, and who feel grateful to have been part of her life.

Arrangements entrusted to Johnston & Williams of Ellensburg.