Zita Wiltgen, 57, died with her family and friends by her side April 3, 2023, after succumbing to post-surgery complications. A celebration of her life will be held on April 29, 2023 at Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue Station 21.

She grew up in Southern California with seven brothers and sisters; she loved to joke that this upbringing in a Naval town with a large family was how she learned to speak loud enough to be heard in any situation (and how to curse like a sailor). Though her life was cut far too short, she left this world having created a rich life she could be proud of using her grit and perseverance.

She moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1990 and joined the local fire department as a volunteer firefighter. This was the catalyst for her attending Daniel Freeman Paramedic School and starting work as a paramedic, beginning a long career that showcased her ability to handle a crisis with unwavering stability. She finished her career working as the Executive Director for Southwest and South Central Washington Emergency Medical Services & Trauma Care Council.

Zita was known for her outgoing and direct personality that turned strangers into fast friends, expanding her chosen family through her time as a paramedic or while pursuing her personal passions for RV travel, sewing, and quilting. Her deep love for her daughter, Amber, was evident to anyone who knew her, as was the joy she took in being “Gammy” to her grandsons Nicolas and Joshua — and to any other child she met who might need her to fill that role.

She will always be known for her warmth and generosity, and her loss has left a huge hole in the hearts of all those mourning her. Whether singing Helen Reddy’s “I am Women” (Hear Me Roar) while tackling home improvement projects, cheering the loudest at her grandson’s baseball games, or navigating her RV in improbably tight spaces, Zita leaves her loved ones with cherished memories.  

If you would like to make a donation in her memory, please consider a gift to the Humane Society for SW Washington.