Hypothermia was determined as the leading cause of death for a Port Townsend woman Feb. 4, according to the Jefferson County coroner’s report.

Cassandra Aldrich, 56, was cold to the touch and barely breathing when her significant other, Edwin Delbert, called 911 about 6 p.m. Feb. 4, according to the police report.

Aldrich had been living in a tent encampment behind Les Schwab Tire Center on Sims Way in Port Townsend, said her daughter, Alicia Artis-Reynolds.

Port Townsend police and East Jefferson Fire Rescue found Aldrich lying in a tent with a faint pulse and moved her to an ambulance for evaluation, according to a news release from the fire department.

“The patient went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance,” the news release stated. “Subsequent CPR efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.”

Aldrich left behind her daughter and a grandson, Declan, 7.

“My mom, she had a big heart,” Artis-Reynolds said. “She was friendly to everyone she met.”

Aldrich grew up in Port Townsend with her dad, George Edward Fry, Artis-Reynolds said.

Later, she moved to Spokane, where Artis-Reynolds grew up.

“She came back here around 2008 to take care of my grandpa,” Artis-Reynolds said. “Her husband at the time had some health issues, so she moved here so they could be closer to health services, and he was able to live a lot longer that way. She was a lifelong caregiver.”

Artis-Reynolds moved to Port Townsend seven years ago to help her mom take care of her grandpa and stepdad.

“When we lost my stepdad, she never fully recovered,” Artis-Reynolds said. “She had tons and tons of love. She had some issues too, but just as we all do.”

Artis-Reynolds said her mother struggled with alcoholism and had chosen to live with Delbert and a few friends at the tent camp.

“The people in the encampment were taking care of each other,” Artis-Reynolds said.

She said it was possible her mom did not go to the shelter at the American Legion, which had been operating 24/7 since Feb. 2, because she was taking care of her dog, Rosy, and because a few people from the tent encampment  previously had been banned from the shelter for not following its rules.

“It’s important for the community to know that, even in hard times, people deserve warmth,” Artis-Reynolds said. “If they could have even had a fire or some way to keep warm.”

Dale Wilson, the executive director at OlyCAP, said if Aldrich had gone to the shelter, she would have been welcome.

“Olympic Community Action Program staff, management and board are deeply saddened by the recent death of Cassandra Aldrich,” Wilson wrote in an email. “We find it disturbing and unacceptable that people must live out of doors at any time, but especially during harsh cold periods. We believe that everyone deserves to have a safe harbor in which to meet basic human needs.”

Artis-Reynolds said she checked in with Delbert after she heard from police, and he was staying at the shelter. She and her son took in her mother’s dog. The police report said the dog was aggressive, but Artis-Reynolds disagreed and said she was fiercely protective of her mom.

“Warmth is important in times of need,” Artis-Reynolds said. “People have the right to be warm. No one should be turned away.”

Artis-Reynolds said she is planning a memorial for her mother, and that she and her son will miss her greatly.

“She loved the beach,” Artis-Reynolds said. “She loved playing with her grandson. She loved her animals, her dogs. She is heavily missed and heavily loved. Her heart was huge. She was a beautiful soul and a great mom. I can’t think of anyone who met her who didn’t love her.”