On Oct. 22, 2019, Noel Murchie peacefully passed away in her sleep at the age of 83. Noel was born on Christmas Day in 1935 in Massachusetts. After teaching and writing for most of her life in Hawaii, she moved to the solitude of Orcas Island in 1990. Noel spent 46 years as a freelance writer. She was a columnist for Northwest Runner magazine, often writing humorous articles on health, running and fitness. Noel also wrote a book about living alone on Orcas Island called “The Accidental Hermit.” She was a volunteer for the Special Olympics and a wildlife rescue on Orcas. Noel spent 15 years riding the ferry to Friday Harbor where she volunteered to sing and play the banjo for Islands Convalescent Center patients. Noel will be greatly missed by her two children and four grandchildren.