Rose Walter, 100, was born September 5, 2016 and passed away on October 18, 2016, at home in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, after a short illness. Rose is survived by her only child, Elizabeth R. Walter and was preceded in death by her husband, William (Bill) H. Walter. Rose was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota with her seven siblings. Her parents, Olga Schonert and Carl Pawlik, were both Polish immigrants.
Rose was a well known figure in her Queen Anne neighborhood and loved by many. She was sweet, friendly and always cheerful, with a dry sense of humor and a sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes. In 1995 Rose moved to Seattle from Phoenix, AZ to be with her daughter. She became active in the Queen Anne community for many years. She was a poll worker up until 2008, and until 2012 Rose managed a 27 unit apartment building, acted as a pet sitter for the tenants, and volunteered at Queen Anne Food Bank. In April 2012, after a stroke, Rose began living with her daughter, though she remained active.
In 2008, at the age of 92, Rose became a minor celebrity when Seattle Times Columnist, Danny Westneat, wrote a column about her being carded at Von’s, a local restaurant in downtown Seattle. It was Christmas Eve and Von’s policy was to require everyone in the bar to have identification proving their age. At 91, accompanied by her daughter and friends, Rose did not feel the need to carry ID that day. As a result, she, and all members of her party, was asked to leave.
You can read the story here: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/lets-raise-a-glass-to-easing-up/. In 2005, fellow Queen Anne neighbor and neighborhood organizer, John Gessner, crowned Rose as “Miss Uptown Sunday in the Park” at the then newly opened Counterbalance Park at Queen Anne North and Roy St. And in 2012, Gessner again recognized Rose for her volunteer work with a Proclamation of Recognition from then Mayor, Mike McGinn. There will be a Celebration of Life held at a personal residence at the top of Queen Anne, on December 3, 2016 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The address is 2125 First Ave W. #1, Seattle, 98119. You can call Elizabeth at 206-298-9903.