@AngieHerlache was available. So was @AngelaHerlache. But when she signed up for Instagram a couple of years ago — really, to follow her children's adventures more than to post photos of her own — she opted for a handle that included the most important title she'd ever held. Mama. "I set up her account for her. She really just wanted to see what we were posting and stay up on our lives," her daughter Anna explained. "She was the ultimate mama bear." It was that fierce, passionate commitment to her children — Matthew (23), Anna (16) and Isaac (12) — and her husband, Will, that led her to unflinchingly battle pulmonary hypertension for a decade, and triple negative breast cancer twice in the last four years. On Thursday — ironically, on Thanksgiving, her absolute favorite holiday because it allowed her to combine food and family, her two passions — Angela Jane (Richardson) Herlache passed away peacefully at age 47, surrounded by those she loved the most. "Her heart issue, I was young, and I had not known that she was given only 18 months to live at that time. I would have never guessed. We got 10 more years with her, and it's jaw-dropping," Matthew said. "When she was first diagnosed with cancer back in 2016, it was almost as if she didn't have cancer. At least, that's how she made us feel. She still did all the same things she did when she didn't have cancer. If she hadn't lost her hair, no one would have guessed. It was almost like a protection mechanism for us. "She genuinely cared more about others' well-being than her own." In addition to Will and their children, Angie is survived by her mother, Delphine Richardson Wach (Ron); her sisters, Gayle Begotka (Jim) and Rebecca Koltz; nieces, Rachel (Kyle), Grace and Sara; nephew, Andy; her beloved four-legged child, Jake the Puggle; Matthew's girlfriend, Emily Collom; and too many loyal friends to count, including her BFF, Paula Wilde (Jason). Angie lost her father, Ralph "Bud" Richardson, to cancer 18 years ago at age 64. An accomplished chef and proud graduate of Fox Valley Technical College's culinary school, she gave up a burgeoning restaurant career to devote her life to her children, who benefitted not only from her cooking talents but her unwavering support of everything they did. She dutifully sat in the bleachers for every track meet and every baseball, basketball, volleyball or soccer game she could. "I don't think she liked baseball. We had to travel a lot and we had a lot of two-day tournaments, and they were long and hot," Isaac said. "Until cancer, she would go to pretty much everything. And even then, she didn't miss many more games than a regular person would have. It showed me how much she really cared. Even if it wasn't her favorite thing in the world, she cared about it — because I did it, or Anna did it, or Matthew did it. So she did it." Selfless as she was, she could also be hilariously sarcastic, but with the rare ability to be hysterical without being hurtful — to tease, but with tenderness. "I think a lot of why she liked to make jokes was, she liked to laugh with other people and see other people laugh – make those connections," Anna said. "It was to the point where, I would have to remind myself that she was sick. She went above and beyond for a healthy mom, and I would have to take a step back and realize that she was doing all this while she was fighting for her life. And I was in awe. "It was one of her last days, and I went into her room late at night, after she had fallen asleep — just to say good night to her. I was crying, and she woke up. 'What's wrong? Do you want to sleep in here tonight?' And I thought, 'Are you kidding me? You're on your deathbed, and you're trying to make me comfortable.' She was just … incredible." A private Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at Resurrection Catholic Parish, 333 Hilltop Drive, Allouez. Father Tom Reynebeau will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial funds will be donated to causes dear to Angela. A live stream of the service will be available beginning at 11:00 a.m. on the Ryan Funeral Home Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ryan.funeral.home The full service can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.funeral.home/videos/233528074784280