Memorial service today for former Washington House Rep. Georgette Valle, 1924-2024

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

A memorial service is planned at 4 pm today in Normandy Park for the woman who served as a state legislator for our area for many years. Georgette Wald Valle was just four months away from her 100th birthday when she died on July 10th. Ms. Valle was a Democrat who served 12 terms in the State Legislature, including representing the 34th District 1987-1997. This photo was taken during those years, in 1989:

(Photo from Paul Dorpat Collection)

That’s Ms. Valle at right during a demonstration on the Admiral Theatre‘s closing night, when its future was in question. In addition to her service as an elected official, she also was involved with a long list of organizations from here to Burien, among them the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Senior Center of West Seattle (now the Center For Active Living), and Southwest Youth and Family Services. She founded the Environmental Science Center at Seahurst Park (to which you’re invited to donate in her memory). Environmental advocacy was a passion of hers, and environmental issues were a major part of what she championed in the Legislature. Ms. Valle stayed active long past her political career, which also included a stint on the Burien City Council; WSB archives feature this photo of her at the 2011 34th District Democrats‘ baseball game.

(With Ms. Valle and then-34th DDs member Karl DeJong is then-governor candidate Jay Inslee)

Ms. Valle, who was born into a Minnesota farming family, is survived by her two children and four grandchildren. Her memorial service is planned for 4 pm today (Tuesday, July 30) at Normandy Park UCC (19247 1st Ave. S.), to be followed by a reception.

Clay Eals July 30, 2024 (11:08 am)

Thanks for this obituary and memorial-service notice — and thanks to Georgette for a lifetime of service, including her leadership of the successful campaign to ban smoking in indoor public places throughout Washington. Time was, deadly secondhand smoke was literally everywhere. Firsthand I know that it wasn’t that long ago (mid-1970s) that bills in Oregon to ban smoking in elevators (!) and daycare centers (!!) were defeated by the utterly immoral tobacco lobby. There is much work to be done on so many fronts in our society locally and nationally, but we can be grateful in the lifetimes of many of us for the societal turnaround on tobacco. Georgette was a key champion.

Judy P. July 30, 2024 (11:25 am)

Georgette wasn’t one of those politicos who invested only in causes destined to make headlines. She knew how important relatively small improvements are to people’s day-to-day lives. She simply put her shoulder to getting the job done. I once saw her after she had been out doorbelling and noted the rubber bands that held her flats on snuggly – well dressed (always) but not afraid to show that she was also very practical.

1994 July 30, 2024 (11:32 pm)

She is definitely a winner in perpetuity for banning indoor smoking!! I remember the definite and immediate impact that made, what a relief for non-smokers!!

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