In the past week, Vashon Island lost two civic-minded, giving and respected islanders that helped to make Vashon what it is today.
Katherine “Kay” White, a longtime islander and member of Vashon Island Chorale who helped to create the new Katherine L White Hall at Vashon Center for the Arts, died on Monday. Jean Bosch, an island real estate agent who was active in the community and sat on the boards of numerous island organizations, died last week. The two women represent just a very small piece of what Vashon offers in terms of people and the causes they dedicate themselves to. White’s passion was the arts and Bosch’s was island organizations. She lent her time to Voice of Vashon, Vashon HouseHold, the Backbone Campaign, the now defunct Vashon-Maury Island Community Council and more.
But it’s not just those who are no longer with us that are worth celebrating. Included in the pages of this Beachcomber are also stories of a brave woman who has hiked nearly 8,000 miles on the country’s longest trails, a man who has given his time for 50 years to volunteer with the Vashon fire department and many women banding together to knit pussyhats for those marching for women’s rights in numerous cities Saturday, the day after Donald Trump is sworn into office.
At a time when rifts are being created between family members, those who used to be close friends and even co-workers, it is important to remember the elements that bond us together. Every person has a story to tell, and it’s in talking to others and hearing these experiences that we learn about different backgrounds, perspectives and ways of life.
In the coming days, as islanders historically march against or celebrate with the nation’s new president and mourn or cope with the departure of our former president, let’s focus on moving forward into the future, drawing on the human element and the important experiences that will be had in the coming days: listen, discuss and learn.
Policies and procedures will change and life may look slightly different in another four years, but the human spirit will always be the same.
