Vanessa Page Downing, 26, dies; she'd built a new life for herself

In one of her final Facebook messages, Vanessa Page Downing channeled ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes to sum up her new attitude toward life: "With a big enuf bar and the right fulcrum I can lift this whole ... WORLDDDDDDDD."

Ms. Downing was weeks away from finishing her welding apprenticeship — and completing her transformation from homeless "Ave Rat" to inspiring role model — when she was killed in a workplace accident June 24. She was just 26 years old but had lived through a lot.

Friends said that when she was a teen, Ms. Downing ran away from a troubled home life and took to living on University Way Northeast, becoming part of a group of homeless teens living on The Ave.

She expressed her wild, spontaneous personality with dozens of face piercings and by wearing her hair in a bleach-blonde double Mohawk, said friend Louisa Peck. Once, Peck said, Ms. Downing sat outside the University Book Store wearing a red wig and revving a chain saw until police arrived.

When Ms. Downing was about 20, Peck said, she decided to kick her drug and alcohol addictions and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Peck said she became Ms. Downing's sponsor at AA.

"At first she was extremely hyper, she had so much unfocused energy. She was always loud and silly," Peck said. "But all that energy got focused."

Ms. Downing stayed sober and began working construction jobs. She also started taking community-college classes, sometimes putting in 12-hour days between her job and her studies.

She grew her hair out in its natural color and got rid of all those piercings. About nine months ago, she bought her first house, in SeaTac. She was due to become a journeyman welder within weeks.

At first, Peck said, Ms. Downing found it hard to deal with all the lewd comments at the male-dominated construction sites.

"Eventually that completely stopped being a problem. She used humor and a thick skin, and became so good at what she did that people had to respect her," Peck said. "She was very determined to journey out and become a leading woman in the field of construction."

Peck said Ms. Downing became an inspiration to other Ave Rats.

"She not only sponsored other people, but when she told her story, the kids could see she really did know about The Ave — and look at her now."

Another friend, Val Renata, said Ms. Downing always wanted to help society's "throwaways." For instance, she would regularly drive an old character named Ted to AA meetings. Ted had mental-health problems, Renata said, and nobody but Ms. Downing wanted anything to do with him.

Ms. Downing loved to play the guitar and would sometimes work a solo opening act for local bands.

Boyfriend Jacob Reid said Ms. Downing kept her spontaneity. She would walk down the street and high-five strangers, bringing a smile to their faces.

Last Thursday, according to the Seattle Fire Department, Ms. Downing was aboard a construction barge when she was struck in the head by a barge crane. Friends say their understanding is Ms. Downing was crouched over doing some welding and was in the crane operator's blind spot.

The accident is being investigated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said Jeannine Lupton, a spokeswoman for the Department of Labor. Lupton said the investigation could take several months.

A spokesman for Manson Construction, where Ms. Downing worked, described her as a "wonderful employee and a very vibrant, energetic young lady."

Peck said Ms. Downing is an ideal organ donor who will help many others: "Apparently because of the circumstances of the death, a lot of people got the call."

Ms. Downing's immediate family could not be reached for this story. A memorial service will be at 6 p.m., July 8, in the chapel of the Evergreen Washelli funeral home, 11111 Aurora Ave. N.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com