Family and friends are remembering Maria Pertik and sharing this remembrance with her community:

Maria “Dr Mo” Pertik R.N./Ph.D. had many talents, but she was a dangerous cook. She specialized in kitchen explosions and fires.

She died joyfully on 9/3/2024 with her daughter and husband by her side. Maria stayed true to her belief in herself and ability to accomplish many dreams. She travelled the world, ran two marathons, volunteered at the free clinic and national parks, wrote two books, and cared for her mother with dementia. She worked as a nature guide for children in the Seattle parks and was a medical volunteer in the Amazon Basin.

On an airplane flight, she was the only passenger to jump up to help when a man lost consciousness, and ended up saving his life. She opened her home to strangers who needed help, and recently became a loving grandmother to baby Laila.

She faced death head on, embraced the impermanence of life, and spread her light wherever she went. She made the world a better place.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)