Toby L. Cahill

Toby L. Cahill passed away peacefully on October 29, 2024 in Bellingham, WA. She is survived by her two children, Leslie Anthony and Spencer Anthony-Cahill, her husband Alex Urquhart and her sister Mary Anne Cahill. Toby was born and raised in the Kittitas Valley. She worked for many years in the Seattle area as an office manager in various medical clinics before moving to San Diego in 1978. She and Alex moved back to western Washington and subsequently to Gardner, Massachussetts for Alex’s work.

Toby will be remembered for her life-long love of dance, music (especially opera and jazz), animals, the scenic beauty of Washington State and standing up for social justice. She would laugh until she cried while reading Pogo or recounting old stories with friends. She was a talented folk dancer with special interest in Balkan dance and music. She and Alex taught Greek and Serbian dance for many years in San Diego, and they were a striking and graceful couple on the dance floor.

Toby enjoyed learning about new cultures and cuisines (eating being one of her favorite activities!) and she encouraged her children to do the same, supporting them to live in southern Germany as High Schoolers. She was a loyal and generous friend who enjoyed socializing and showing visitors around her neck of the woods, whether that was in Seattle, San Diego, Gardner or Bellingham.

Although Toby was not inclined to back down from a fight and could be formidable and intimidating in expressing her views when provoked, she was more likely to be truly welcoming and loving. She was a great hugger! She raised two young children as a single parent during the 1960s and 1970s, and instilled in them a deep love and respect for animals, a belief that anything worth doing is worth doing well, an understanding of the wholesome power of love, and recognition of our responsibility to care for the world around us and seek justice. In short, she was a remarkably strong, empathetic and independent woman who met the many challenges she faced personally and professionally with grace and dignity.

After she raised her children, Toby was eventually able to complete a Bachelor’s degree in education. She worked as a substitute teacher for a few years in California before moving back to Washington. To honor her educational achievements and her support for public education, her children will establish a scholarship at Western Washington University in her memory.