Danelle Lee Bighill

Danelle Lee (Bitar) Bighill was born May 10,1973 in Portland, Oregon. Danelle was the second child of Rebecca (McClung) Bitar and Gary Bitar. Danelle passed peacefully at home with her husband Roger present on January 6, 2025.

Danelle was raised in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. She graduated from Evergreen High School in Vancouver in 1991. Danelle completed a Certified Medical Assistant Program in Portland and worked 10 years as a Medical Assistant at a clinic in Portland. Danelle worked at Tongue Point Job Corps Center in Astoria, Oregon as a Medical Assistant Instructor from 2005 - 2015. Danelle and Roger met at Tongue Point and started their life together in 2006.

Danelle worked at Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare from 2015 to 2024. She held several positions at CBH and her final position was LMP Support Specialist, working with medication prescribers. Danelle volunteered for Victory Over Child Abuse camps in Warrenton, Oregon for several years, helping to support children who had survived abuse. Danelle raised her son Nick Mathews by herself in Vancouver, Washington until moving to Astoria, Oregon in 2005.

Danelle married Roger Bighill in Hammond, Oregon on August 18, 2007 and they lived in Astoria, Oregon, where they raised their children Nick and Mollee. Danelle’s mother Becky remembers Danelle as be a bit of a willful child! Danelle spoke sentences at 8 months and was a little too smart for her own good! Becky remembers Danelle messing with crystals from a candle and when she intervened, many times and told her to let go of the candle, Danelle triumphantly exclaimed, “No, I will not!” Danelle would often stomp her foot, her blond curls flying, and make statements that would definitely try to put her Mother in her place. In Danelle’s teenage years, she met the person who would become her best friend forever, Tabrina Russell (Woodards). They shared a love of live music—particularly rock concerts (Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, Kiss and their last concert was Guns and Roses). These two were not only lifelong best friends, but sisters-in-law as well, connected by Danelle’s brother, Reed. This beautiful soul, this sister-friend, has left an indelible smile chiseled on the souls of whomever was lucky enough to know her. Danelle and Nick attended many rock concerts together, the highlight being when they saw Motley Crue in concert in Los Angeles. Danelle loved animals and enjoyed her favorite dog, Hope Marie. Hopey was always present in Danelle’s life and she loved to show pictures of Hope to everyone she could, and loved to take her places. She also had a love/hate relationship with a white fluffy cat we named Mandy Sue. Danelle just called her Kitten and was always finding everything covered with white cat hair! Danelle liked professional football, especially her favorite San Francisco 49ers. She would wear 49ers apparel while watching games, and loved to sing, “Go Ninies! Go Ninies!”

Danelle enjoyed being a grandmother to her “grandbabies.” She was named by our first grandson Owen, who called Danelle “Bop Bop” and Roger “Beesh.” Bop Bop loved to spend time and spoil her grandbabies. When 9-year old Owen last saw Bop Bop, he said, “It’s going to be OK, Bop Bop.” Bop Bop loved her grandbabies. Danelle and Roger loved to travel to California to visit Nick, go to Seattle, spend time with family and friends and always took our dog Hope with us wherever we went. They took young Mollee and Nick to several Seattle Mariners games. Danelle didn’t love to make long car road trips, Roger did, and somehow they survived several long road trips together. Danelle and Roger loved to watch football together and always watched Monday Night Football.

Danelle is survived by her husband Roger Bighill of Warrenton, Oregon, son Nick Mathews of Thousand Oaks, California, daughter Mollee Leech and husband Shawn Leech of Salem, Oregon, grandsons Owen, Sage and Franklin Leech, as well as numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews. Danelle is survived by her mother Rebecca Rupp and father Tim Rupp of Camas, Washington, her sister Tabrina Woodards and partner Jerry Woodards of Vancouver, Washington, niece Serena Bitar of Vancouver, Washington and great niece Zola Mae Christ. Danelle was preceded in death by her father Gary Bitar and brother Reed Bitar.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Warrenton Community Center on Saturday,

February 15, 2025 from 11:00 – 2:00. (170 SW 3 rd Street, Warrenton, OR 97146).

A Celebration of Life will be held at Camas/Washougal Moose Lodge on Sunday,

February 16, 2025 from noon – 2:00. (398 E Street, Washougal, WA 98671).