Art Messer dead at 65

Local artist succumbs to cancer

We're very sorry to report the death last week of Art Messer, a Madison Park artist known both for his cheerful, colorful paintings and for his outsize personality.  He was a regular fixture on the neighborhood scene for many decades, once having operated a frame shop/art gallery in what is now the "black hole of Madison Park" building on Madison.  Messer died after a year-long battle with leukemia.

Messer, who described his art as "Fauvist", was intimately involved in organizing the Madison Park Art Walk, in which his works were always featured---and over the years he often engineered impromptu installations of his art on the walls of various Madison Park businesses (sometimes in empty storefronts).

Although he himself would probably have agreed that he was "a difficult personality," many who knew him could testify to his gift of friendship and his generosity of spirit. He will definitely be missed.

Susan Fujita of Choppers has died

We were sorry to learn today from Leslie Maeda, Susan Fujita's daughter, of the death of her mother:

"Susan passed away peacefully at the age of 73 years young on November 17th, 2013 following a short, but courageous battle with lung cancer. Susan was born to Ichiro and Nobuko Hayashida on Bainbridge Island and graduated from Bainbridge Island High School in 1958. She then went on to pursue a lifelong passion of cosmetology. As co-owner of Choppers hair salon in Madison Park for over 30 years, she met many interesting people and made many friends. Even when she was very ill, she didn’t want to stop working because she enjoyed her clients so much.

She met the love of her life, Melvin Fujita, on a blind date and they were married November 15, 1964. Susan was an avid tennis player and was very close with her group of tennis friends; enjoying many lunches, laughs and travels with them. She loved sports and played volleyball on the JBC team for over 30 years and was a longtime season ticket holder for the Seahawks, Mariners and the Sonics. Susan loved to travel and her adventurous spirit led to many trips with family and friends to over 17 countries and every continent except Antarctica. Susan also enjoyed gardening, cooking, theatre, and entertaining at the Hansville beach house. True to her generous spirit, Susan annually volunteered for the Forgotten Children’s Fund around the holidays.

Susan is survived by her husband Melvin Fujita, and her siblings Tomiko (Hank) Egashira, Hisako (James) Matsudaira, Yasuko Mito, Hiroshi (Loretta) Hayashida, and Judy Hayashida.  Susan also leaves behind her two daughters, Tiffanie Fujita and Lezlie (Dean) Maeda, and her grandson, Oliver Maeda. She was predeceased by her parents Ichiro and Nobuko Hayashida, brother in law Henry Mito, and granddaughter Abigail Maeda. Susan’s warm and caring spirit will be deeply missed by all who were blessed enough to have their hearts touched by her. There are no words to describe the enormous void that will be felt by her family and her extensive circle of friends.

Remembrances can be made to the American Cancer Society."

Red Onion's Longtime Owner Dies

Several readers contacted us to report that two weeks ago Lyle Johnson, who for almost 40 years owned and operated the Red Onion Tavern, passed away.  He was 82.

Services will be held tomorrow at the Grace Lutheran Church (Bellevue) at 1 pm.  The Red Onion, which is still in the family, will be holding a remembrance of Lyle Johnson's life from 1 until 5 pm on Saturday, March 9.

The Seattle Times obituary, which provides some additional background, is available here.

Martha Harris loses long struggle with cancer

Columnist Patti Payne reported in the Puget Sound Business Journal online this evening that Martha E. Harris, owner of Madison Park's Martha E. Harris Flowers and Gifts, has died.  Harris, who founded her eponymous business in her garage 30 years ago, later opened a shop in the University Village, moving it to Madison Park in the following decade.  She has been an important business leader, advocate for animal rights and pet adoption, and--for the last nine years--a courageous fighter against cancer.  She was honored this summer with an event at the Sunset Club, which raised $185,000 in her name for the Swedish Medical Center.

Patti Payne's story can be found here.  She reports that there will be a memorial service for Martha Harris next Friday at 1 pm at the Seattle Children's Theatre.

Saturday Update:  There is a complete obituary of Martha Harris on the Seattle Times' website here.

[Photo by Patti Payne, PSBJ.]

A sad passing

Barbara Washington, who with her husband Ed owned and operated Madison Park’s Scoop du Jour for almost three decades, passed away earlier this month after a battle with pancreatic cancer.   Barbara was known to several generations of neighborhood kids for her pleasant good humor while scooping out the ice cream and for her cooking skills in dishing up the fabulous burgers she created in the back of the shop.  Ed and Barbara started the iconic ice cream parlor 27 years ago, making it one of the most successful and long-lived businesses in the Park.

Barbara Washington was a private person who, according to her son Ed, did not want any services or public notices of her death, which explains why there has been no published obituary.  Several readers thought it was important for us to note her passing, however, and we agreed.

Death due to natural causes

The King County Medical Examiner yesterday reported that Michael Westlake Michel, whose decomposed body was discovered in the backseat of his truck in Madison Park last month, died of natural causes. The initial autopsy was inconclusive, but later tests determined that Michel's death was the result of heart disease.  He was 42 years old.

Michel's mother, Sharon Sievers, who notified us of these findings, said she was relieved and "at peace" knowing the truth.  "Please tell all concerned how very grateful I am that they cared and cared for someone they did not know; and thank them as well," she told us. "You certainly have a wonderful community when people can be so concerned in that way.  Michael was a wonderful person. May he rest in peace."

Jan Sewell, beloved local realtor, dies at 65

The one word that everyone seems to use when describing Jan Sewell is generous. Yes, she certainly had that less-than-common attribute, but her positive qualities hardly stopped there. In fact, when asked today to give their impressions of Jan, her many friends, neighbors and colleagues seemed not to know where to begin. Funny, outspoken, irreverent, caring, ethical. Those were the other terms that most often came to mind—along with icon, free spirit, pioneer, and mentor. In short, Jan Sewell, one of the most appreciated and popular real estate agents in this town, is pretty universally acknowledged to have been a class act.

But now she’s gone. Sometime between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning this week, Jan Sewell died in her Madison Park home. The Medical Examiner has reported that the cause of death was heart failure due to undiagnosed heart disease.
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Almost from the very moment that her body was discovered on Tuesday, the news of her death began to reverberate in her neighborhood and in the real estate community, causing shock and disbelief. Many of her colleagues were attending the annual Windermere Symposium, an in-house real estate forum, when the word began to spread through email and text messages to the attendees. Some of them were reportedly too emotional to be able to remain focused and had to leave for the day.

According to Pat Grimm, owner and manager of Windermere’s Capitol Hill office, where Jan had worked for most of her real estate career, between 50 and 60 of her colleagues gathered spontaneously at the office last night for an informal and emotional vigil. Memories were shared, stories told, tears shed. “So many people knew her,” says Grimm, “and so many people really loved her.” Grimm praised Jan’s particular ability to build relationships, both in the community and within the industry. “It’s a big hole to fill, and the suddenness of her death is a huge shock. She was such an iconic figure.”

She is described by one colleague as having had five lives before becoming a real estate agent. The details of all of these lives have yet to be divulged to us, but we do know that immediately before obtaining her real estate license in 1993, Jan had worked for several years at the Pike Place Market. Her earlier jobs apparently included a stint as a bartender in Bellingham. She began life as a preacher's daughter.

As a real estate agent, Jan was indeed a pioneer. By combining her parallel interests in real estate, art, and design, she created a thriving side business for herself, while at the same time giving new meaning to the term staging, at least in the Seattle market. Staging is essentially the use of furnishings to help improve the ambiance of a residence, thus enhancing its sale potential. This can be as simple as re-arranging (and in some cases, removing) furniture. But Jan’s concept of staging was much more about using creative design elements and well-chosen art to help affect the sale. She was so successful in this that she became an expert in the field, being regularly quoted on the subject by both local and national media.

“She took staging to another level,” says Jeff Stanley, a Windermere colleague of Jan’s and a friend of many years. “It felt like you’d walked into a page from a top design magazine when you entered a home she had staged. What I would say about her was that she was a star.” Jon Rosichelli, who worked for Jan for almost ten years before forming his own staging business, agrees. “I was kind of in awe of her.” he says, “She was a force of nature.”

Rosichelli, like many others, spoke with emotion about Jan’s generosity to him personally and the mentoring role she played. “This is hard for me, her death. I never would have had what I have now but for her. She was a very important force in my life.”

Lilly Milic, another member of Jan’s Windermere family, also points to her generosity, saying that she was a mother or sister figure to so many people she knows. “She was my main person,” says Milic. “I really respected her.”

Jan was very active in the Seattle arts community, supporting local artists by purchasing their art for her own collection and by placing their art on the walls of her staged houses. She served on the board of the Pratt Fine Arts Center, where one board member describes her contributions as "profound" (see Comments section below). She was also a former board member of AIDS Housing of Washington.

We leave the final word on Jan to Erick Hazelton, Jan’s business partner at Windermere, who was almost too emotional to speak to us today. “She was bigger than life, a creative force and an icon who was loved by everyone who knew her," he told us. "Jan never met a stranger.”

You are invited to share your memories of Jan by clicking on "Comments" below. Memories are also being collected at Friends of Jan Sewell on Facebook.

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[Upper photo from the cover of RE magazine, January 2010. To read the cover story on Jan, click here. Lower photo courtest of Lilly Milic. Special thanks to Debra Thompson Harvey of Windermere Real Estate/Madison Park for her assistance with this posting.]

Jodie Benson, a remembrance

[Jodie Benson, onetime executive chef at Peter’s in the Park and a resident of the neighborhood for more than 20 years, was known to many Madison Parkers for her humor and kindness. She died earlier this month. Her life was celebrated at a well-attended wake held two weeks ago at Bing’s. Her obituary is available here. This is a tribute to her memory.]

Guest Posting
By Stan Moshier

Just so you know, Jodie Benson’s favorite night of the week was Friday, the night for her to kick up her heels and howl. She always said “the eagle flies on Friday.” Only a few Fridays ago Jodie hitched a ride, and she slipped away from us just one night after her 50th birthday. Our little friend had a golden soul, a heart that melted on a sad story, beautiful blue eyes, and a fried chicken full figure that she dreamed one day would be a perfect size 7. Bing’s never had a better, more loyal and trustworthy patron than Jodie, expertly mixing one person with another. Whether you needed a friend, a new hire, or a business contact, she was always there to assist.

On a lucky night you would see Jodie holding court while perched on bar stool #1, rattling off advice to the bartender on shift--usually about the ingredient just missed or forgotten. She was smooth as butter, enjoyed an occasional cocktail, gut-busting funny, a true friend to a true friend and a big time jokester. She was always on the go, always in the know, street wise; and when the time was right on those Friday nights and the music kicked in she put on her dancing shoes and turned into a butterfly with moon dust on her feet. That’s right, the girl could dance!

And now the bar stool in the #1 position is empty, no Jodie rambling through the door, where all her friends and Bing’s fabulous crew would smile and greet her while her piercing blue eyes checked out “her” bar stool. And if anyone was on that bar stool, her look was usually enough to get them to move. But if they were comatose and didn’t catch the look, she got assistance from Bing’s bartenders suggesting they move over one spot, which would usually suffice.

Yeah, you went too soon Jodie girl. Life leaned up against you and pushed you too hard. The jiggles, the chuckles, the words of wisdom, the jokes are now gone, gone too damn soon. The subtle comments from the Master Chef and foodie whiz kid will be missed, such as “the only way this amazing sauce on the fresh salmon could be any better would be to add a pinch, and I mean just a pinch, of saffron; but really it’s perfect as it is.” Yeah right, subtle as a 20 lb. sledgehammer. So, of course, a pinch of saffron was added to that sauce on the next go around and Jodie would have a taste…..and just smile.

So now all the Bing’s family that really knew Jodie are left with a huge aching emptiness, sadness, heavy hearts and eyes brimmed with tears that without warning will roll down our cheeks at any time whether day or night. Our pal Jodie, the little girl at heart with the champagne bubble laugh, is now gone--but as we all know, never ever forgotten. Thank you, Jodie, for all your sweetness, your loyalty, your goodness; and please have a five-course dinner ready when the next one of us comes to visit.

Bon Journo, Girlfriend.

From Stan, Lori, and the Fabulous Bing’s Family, both past and present.

[The above photo, showing Jodie during her time at Peter’s in the Park (circa. 1986), courtesy of Stan Moshier.]

In memory of Sarah

Madison Park third grader Sarah Mary Hughes, daughter of Jim and Heather Hughes, lost her two-year battle with a rare and aggressive brain tumor on Monday. Her favorite color was pink, and her many friends throughout the neighborhood are honoring her memory by displaying pink ribbons in their trees and gardens, and on lamp posts.

Sarah was a student at Bertschi School on Capitol Hill. She and her family first learned of her brain tumor when she was in first grade. Although the tumor was removed during a successful surgery in 2008, an MRI late last summer revealed that it had returned.

Sarah’s fight against the disease inspired many to support pediatric brain tumor research at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Last fall nearly $150,000 was raised by multiple teams running in Sarah’s name during the Run of Hope and by hundreds of others who joined Team Sarah Mary by contributing online in support of the cause. When the Run ended, there were 423 teammates on Sarah’s team.

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A celebration of Sarah's life will be held at St. Joseph Church (732 18th Avenue E.) at 4pm on Friday. Her obituary is available here. Those wishing to support the Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund will find information about how to contribute here.

Scott McKee (1951-2009)

Scott McKee's many many friends and relatives turned out en masse yesterday afternoon at McGilvra's to pay their respects and show their support for the McKee family following Scott's untimely death on December 27. Scott's cousin, Kirk McKee, estimates the turnout at between 400 and 500 people, with McGilvra's totally packed and the line of well-wishers waiting to gain admission stretching all the way down the block to Cactus.
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It was an extraordinary testimonial to Scott's unique position in our community. He was an all-around good guy who was very much appreciated for his humor and helpfulness. The online guest book (from which this photo was taken) already contains 12 pages of condolences and memories of Scott, with the words funny, classy, wonderful, gentle, smart, good-natured, and appreciated being the most-used descriptors. It was typical of Scott both that he did not want people to know of his illness and that he worked at the store all the way through December 23rd.

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Kirk reports that Scott's mother, Lola, who had suffered a heart attack soon after Scott's death, is doing well and that Madison Park Hardware will reopen on schedule, January 11.

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["Lifetime Madison Park resident" Will Loman has a nice piece on his blog about Scott's wake, available here.]

[Postscript: More than 400 people read the posting on this blog about Scott's death last week, making it the most-read story on Madison Park Blogger during 2009.]