Tanja Eileen Fraughton

When she was born on Friday, April 19, 1972, (if you like to keep track of such things), her parents named her Tanja Eileen Fraughton. Over the course of her life however, she gathered a number of nicknames by which friends and family knew her: TNT (during her childhood with sister Tina), GangstaT, T-bird, and Aurora. The name you called her depended on if you knew her from childhood, work, yoga, ecstatic dance, or spiritual journeys to Teotihuacan and other magical places.

Tanja started out in this world being the shortest kid in class, more than a little shy, and was known to often wrap herself tightly around her mom’s leg. It didn’t take too long before she was fearlessly standing Superman-style atop the highest point of any park jungle gym on a regular basis. She skyrocketed from there and was admirable in that she was her most authentic self throughout her life.

When she achieved her full height in earthly form, Tanja measured (as her driver’s license would reflect) 5’ 12” tall. She was a tall drink of water – all arms, legs, and expressive, spidery fingers – who moved through the world with a gangly grace. She was sporty and naturally inclined to be quite the best at whatever she set herself to doing. This included such activities as basketball, running, biking, leaping, yoga, and of course, dancing.

Tanja was gifted not just in physical pursuits, but also in her kindness, wit, humor, and intelligence (the latter, one could report, is verifiable by her Mensa International membership). She was smart as a whip and both wickedly fun and funny. This made her prone to causing belly aches from laughter in family and friends at any given moment and in any given circumstance.

She was very good at being alive and she brightened this earth for the shortest 19,700 days ever recorded. It was impossible to feel unhappy in her presence. She was mischievous, artistic, spiritual, pensive, energetic. She was an avid hiker and groupie of nature, a Bikram Badass, Lover of Life, and an ecstatic dancer.

Tanja was equally ecstatic in her love of sunsets and hummingbirds. That love of sunsets, and her ability to capture them in a photo were legendary. Not to brag, but to just simply state a fact, they were often broadcast on the local Fox13 nightly news. They were that gorgeous.

Her love of hummingbirds, and the way they reciprocated, was also legendary. She looked out for them each spring, set out numerous feeders, and had patience in her relationship with them. They would show up in a sunset photo, fly close around her, or light on her hand. She was that cool.

Since the diagnosis that changed life as she knew it, Tanja was amazing in her approach to both life and death. She showed all of those around her how to focus on what really matters (loved ones, nature, sunsets, hummingbirds, being kind, loving, and grateful), how to reflect on our lives, and how to let go of our identities, our gifts, and our insecurities. She demonstrated how to live with grace in the unknown and move into acceptance, and how to continue to love ourselves as our body begins to say goodbye.

Of course, any Story of Tanja is incomplete without including her adored Chihuahua/Pomeranian pup and companion, Teo Borealis Fraughton. They were also known as “TNT” and were beloved pals and family from first sight. One of their special gifts was the presence, smiles, and joy they would bring to anyone and everyone when they were out and about doing “drive bys” to say hello to both friends they knew, and those they were meeting for the first time. He was the one who was with her when she took flight, as the sun first peaked over the horizon, on Friday, March 27, 2026.

In addition to Teo, Tanja is survived by her loving and beloved family: Her mother Margarete Fraughton, sisters Christina and Michelle Fraughton, brother Jason Fraughton (Tami), and extended relatives, both local and in Germany. Her father, Max Fraughton, predeceased her. Tanja is also survived by all who knew and loved her, including her Goddess squad. These are her soul sisters, many of whom she meditated with weekly for eight years straight, or traveled, danced, yoga’d, laughed, cried, and grew with..and by whom she was “walked home” and loved deeply. By name, they are Anne, Andrea, Christy, Barb, Julia, Julie, Kathy, Linda, Pam H., Pam P., Renee, Shannon, Vanessa, and Victoria.

Tanja, through simply being wonderful, gathered around her an amazing village of people who supported her in various ways over the course of the last two-plus years. Friends did their own “drive bys” with the famous “green drink” from Rawtopia, homemade pho and bread and smoothies, flowers, cards, or their own company. They drove her to appointments, walked to see the sunset with her, drove to see nature or accompanied her to Wild Heart Sanctuary. They nourished her with food and friendship at home or at what became her favorite restaurants: Rawtopia, Finn’s, OTC, Lazy Day Cafe, and Valter’s Osteria. Her remarkable medical team included Dr. Joe Mendez, Heather Van Loon NP, Paula, Nidha Sharma and all the staff at Huntsman; Hospice staff Savannah, Hailey, and Danielle; and Victoria Allen, Alli Harbertson, and Lisa Dickman. Tanja’s gratitude, and that of her family and friends, for each of these earth angels is overflowing.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 25th, 2026 at the West Amphitheatre & Pavilion at Canyon Rim Park, 3100 South 2900 East, Millcreek.   Service/Celebration 5-6:30ish pm; Sunset Dance Party 7:30-9:30 pm.

Contributions in her honor may be made to Wild Heart Sanctuary in Park City, Utah at www.wild-heart-sanctuary.com.