Meet Living Legend Finalist Elizabeth Tigue

Nominated by: Bethany Dunning, friend & colleague
Back in 2006, I met Liz, a high school biology teacher, at an after-work function. Several short weeks later, I was out in the woods with Liz, chaperoning a wilderness survival trip with 40+ high schoolers, along with her husband Tim. Liz grew up in the outdoors, and is a true outdoorswoman. Liz and Tim have raised their kids to be fantastic, balanced human beings, teaching them to love the outdoors as they both do, taking them hunting and fishing, and having them spend time with their Aunt Lisa, a paleontologist and geology professor, hunting for rocks and fossils. Their daughter Megan loves raising her chickens and spending time in the woods with her bow, as well as being an amazing Irish dancer (a hobby that she shares with her mom!). Brian is all boy, and is right there with his sister in the woods. And every November, Liz and Tim embarked into the wilds of northern Michigan to pass on their love of the outdoors to a new set of suburban teens, during which time they experienced rain and snow, sun and clouds, windy and still conditions. Tim took one for the team several years back and went “swimming” in the cold November waters of the Manistee River to help out 2 high schoolers who had tipped their canoe.

About 3 years ago Tim was diagnosed with lymphoma, but continued to go on the trip. Even the year that he wasn’t strong enough to paddle, he drove a chase vehicle on the trip, and slept on the ground with the rest of us, on a trip that included 4 straight days of cold November rain. Less than a year later, Tim, Liz’s rock, lost his battle with cancer.

Liz continues to be an amazing mother to her 2 kids, and continues to take kids into the woods every November, just so that they have what may be their first experience in a world without electricity and cell service, guiding them through the ups and downs of paddling and camping, just to pass on her love.

Charity: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Hometown: Rochester, MI