Former Washington State Congresswoman Jolene Unsoeld passed away peacefully in her sleep, in her home, on Sunday, November 28. She is survived by three children, Regon, Krag and Terres, as well as many adoring grandchildren and extended families... all too numerous to name.
She always described herself as a political meddler, who could not resist taking on causes to fight for open government, social justice, and environmental sustainability.
She spent a lifetime (first as a citizen activist, then two terms in the Washington State Legislature and three terms in the US Congress) tackling public policy challenges such as campaign finance reform, land use planning, social justice, women’s rights and protection of our planet and its natural resources.
The issues that she addressed included campaign finance disclosure, electric rates, nuclear power plant costs, water quality financing, toxic waste cleanups, tribal fishing rights, the use of driftnets in the Pacific Ocean, environmental sustainability, and women’s issues.
Encouraged as a young girl to wonder what lay beyond the farthest stars, Jolene heeded the call to adventure. She climbed the mountains of her beloved Pacific Northwest and was the first woman to ascend the complete North Face of the Grand Teton.
Jolene was married to wilderness philosopher and mountaineer, Willi Unsoeld, famous for his first ascent of the West Ridge of Mount Everest, and who died in an avalanche on Mt. Rainier. She also lost her eldest daughter, Nanda Devi, who died climbing the mountain for which she was named. Jolene often wrote words of comfort to others also experiencing great loss:
"When tragedy strikes, we can’t just sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. We have to rise up for no other reason than to keep ourselves from drowning in grief -- but for a very much better reason of trying to make the world a better place -- so when it is our turn to go, we can rest easy -- knowing that somehow, in our own little way, we made a difference..."
Jolene inspired generations of people with her fighting spirit and sense of hope. She offered this challenge, especially to young people, "Whenever you see a terrible injustice in the world, don't give up hope... Get mad! Get Active! DO something about it in order to learn and grow and make the world a better place for the next generation."
In her first book, “Wild Adventures We Have Known: My life with Willi Unsoeld,” Jolene reflected:
"Life is short.
"But in the relatively short time we have here on this earth, we are given enough time to experience the love and joy of fierce intimacy, the excruciating beauty of the angle of the sun on the horizon, and the aching tenderness of compassion toward our fellow travelers that we meet along our way.
"We also have time to experience and express the full power and glory of rising above adversity to overcome our own finite-ism. We can make more of our lives than we thought we could and learn to live and serve others with all our strength.
"Even after Willi left this earth -- and some day, when I follow – who knows what wild adventure awaits us on the other side? I cannot say I know what to expect, but I can say that I am open to all possibilities.”
In the introduction to her second book, “What are you gonna do about it? Stories of a hopeless meddler,” Jolene stated:
“I hope that among my tales you find inspiration and motivation. I hope that you – particularly you young people – will decide to take up the task of changing the world! The world needs more hopeless meddlers to keep us on a healthy path into the future.”
For more information about Jolene's life and her books please visit www.UnsoeldStories.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to:
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org
1.855.789.7723
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
High Country News
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