Officially, the goodbye party for retiring Helpline executive director Pat Sobeck was held May 19 at Queen Anne Lutheran Church, where some 100 invited guests turned out to honor her. On April 19 there was the Greater Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce President’s Award for her 30 years of service to Helpline. And on Tuesday, July 31, Sobeck’s final day as head of Helpline, people showed up at her offices on West McGraw Street to again wish her farewell.
But last Thursday night, July 26, another tribute (and fundraiser for Helpline) was held in Kerry Park Court, the three new townhomes across from Kerry Park owned and developed by Kenneth J. Woolcott, who hosted the evening.
Asking guests Thursday night what makes this woman so compelling, you got a variety of answers. “I’ve been intimidated by Pat,” said State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles with a smile. “She gets that look in her eye. She has a quiet, sweet manner, but she means business. It means I better step up and not let her down.”
Long-time Helpline board member Craig Wilson calls Sobeck the heart of Helpline, and that he got to know her over the years by stopping at her office frequently to chit-chat. “Pat is the one I connected with, and she brought the better part of me out,” he said. “She is a real inspiration.”
Speaking before the crowd of over 100 guests, Wilson told them “We’re here in Ken’s beautiful homes, eating hors d’oeuvres and drinking wine.” But beyond West Highland Drive, he said, there are many people that need Helpline support for child care, utility bills, continuing education, rent, food, clothing—immediate needs that can’t wait for federal or state funds.
“The lonely call of human beings can never become obsolete. Never throw anyone away,” he said. “So when Ken asks you to break out the checkbook, we hope you are generous,” Wilson said. To kick-start the journey into the future, Wilson said, “Ken has put in $1,000. The best we can do to honor Pat this evening is to give.”
Woolcott spoke briefly: “Your life can change in a flash,” he said, and recounted an accident his girlfriend Suzette Faille, whom he introduced to guests, had been in just two days earlier when her car was totaled by a semitrailer truck. She walked away unharmed. “Think about what matters and how you can make a difference,” he said.
Sobeck kept her remarks short. “I am delighted you are all here,” she said, and “it is bittersweet to be leaving.” The first years were the hardest, she reflected, but with a working board things became easier. She said she leaves the organization “in good hands” and knows the board “will handle things wonderfully.”
In retirement Sobeck says she plans to “do a lot of things I haven’t had time to do—a few trips, gardening, sewing, and making Christmas gifts for the grandchildren.” As for her replacement, board members will be looking at approximately 20 applicants over the next few weeks and coming up with a new executive director sometime in August.
The evening’s guests wandered at will throughout the three townhouses, especially seeking views from the buildings’ rooftop decks to Elliott Bay below, where an unusual number of sailboats were moving back and forth as though in a slow dance.
Food was served in the townhouses’ kitchens, and outside a wide bar was set up on a terrace just off the first-floor living rooms. The weather played its part with sunshine and temperatures in the high 70s.
An early count on proceeds from the evening stood at about $4,000.
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