WHEREAS, Our nation and our state have lost an outstanding public servant, a distinguished leader, and a man of great warmth and compassion with the passing this week of the 19th governor of Washington, William Booth Gardner; and

    WHEREAS, In adhering to the honorable principles that guided him throughout his life, Booth Gardner fashioned an exemplary record of accomplishment that should serve as an inspiration to us all; and

    WHEREAS, His stature as a community leader, governor, and crusader for human dignity will surely grow in the years to come; and

    WHEREAS, William Booth Gardner was born in Tacoma on August 21, 1936, and after high school enrolled at the University of Washington; and

    WHEREAS, While an undergraduate, Booth Gardner coached and tutored underprivileged children at parks and recreation centers in Seattle, where he said, "I realized I could make a difference in people's lives," a lesson he was to keep with him throughout his career; and

    WHEREAS, Booth Gardner earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at the University of Washington, and later a master's degree in business administration at Harvard University; and

    WHEREAS, In 1970, Booth Gardner was elected to the Washington State Senate from Pierce County; and

    WHEREAS, After leaving public service to help manage his family's extensive business interests, he returned in 1981 when he was elected as the first Pierce County executive; and

    WHEREAS, He cleaned up a corruption-riddled county government and also set its fiscal house in order, turning a budget deficit into a surplus; and

    WHEREAS, Booth Gardner challenged the incumbent governor in the 1984 election and, running as "Booth Who?", won the contest; and

    WHEREAS, Booth Gardner served two terms as governor and established an outstanding record in the office; and

    WHEREAS, Governor Gardner was a tireless advocate for public education, including early childhood education, and helped establish the Running Start program for high school students to earn college credits; and

    WHEREAS, Governor Gardner was a leader in health reform and successfully advocated for creation of the state Basic Health Plan; and

    WHEREAS, Governor Gardner cherished our state's natural beauty and moved to protect the waters of Puget Sound from pollution and our rural areas from uncontrolled development, and he worked to limit contamination from the Hanford nuclear site; and

    WHEREAS, Governor Gardner served as a true champion of civil rights, ordering an end to discrimination on the basis of sexual preference in state employment and acting to boost the pay of thousands of woman workers in state government who were victims of salary discrimination; and

    WHEREAS, After completing his terms as governor, Booth Gardner served his nation as presidential ambassador to an international trade organization in Geneva, Switzerland; and

    WHEREAS, After he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he led the successful 2008 initiative drive for a "Death with Dignity" assisted-suicide law, even though it would not apply to him; and

    WHEREAS, Booth Gardner was frugal in his personal life, but gave generously to charities that aided disadvantaged youth and alcohol-dependent men and women; and

    WHEREAS, He loved the Frisko Freeze in Tacoma and other fast-food outlets, but he was also passionate about physical fitness; and

    WHEREAS, Booth Gardner was known for his sly sense of humor, his gregarious nature, his optimism and idealism, and an appeal his hometown newspaper described as "cuddly";

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, That the life, the work, and the lasting legacy of William Booth Gardner be celebrated; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the family of William Booth Gardner and to the University of Washington.

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4404

Celebrating the life and legacy of William Booth Gardner

State of Washington

63rd Legislature

2013 Regular Session

Adopted by the House March 21, 2013

By Representatives Chopp, DeBolt, Alexander, Angel, Appleton, Bergquist, Blake, Buys, Carlyle, Chandler, Clibborn, Cody, Condotta, Crouse, Dahlquist, Dunshee, Fagan, Farrell, Fey, Fitzgibbon, Freeman, Goodman, Green, Habib, Haigh, Haler, Hansen, Hargrove, Harris, Hawkins, Hayes, Holy, Hope, Hudgins, Hunt, Hunter, Hurst, Jinkins, Johnson, Kagi, Kirby, Klippert, Kochmar, Kretz, Kristiansen, Liias, Lytton, MacEwen, Magendanz, Manweller, Maxwell, McCoy, Moeller, Morrell, Morris, Moscoso, Nealey, O'Ban, Orcutt, Ormsby, Orwall, Overstreet, Parker, Pedersen, Pettigrew, Pike, Pollet, Reykdal, Riccelli, Roberts, Rodne, Ross, Ryu, Santos, Sawyer, Schmick, Seaquist, Sells, Shea, Smith, Springer, Stanford, Stonier, Sullivan, Takko, Tarleton, Taylor, Tharinger, Upthegrove, Van De Wege, Vick, Walsh, Warnick, Wilcox, Wylie, and Zeiger

Adopted by the Senate March 22, 2013

By Senators Tom, Murray,  Bailey, Baumgartner, Becker, Billig, Braun, Chase, Cleveland, Conway, Dammeier, Darneille, Eide, Ericksen, Fain, Fraser, Frockt, Hargrove, Harper, Hasegawa, Hatfield, Hewitt, Hill, Hobbs, Holmquist Newbry, Honeyford, Keiser, King, Kohl-Welles, Litzow, McAuliffe, Mullet, Nelson, Padden, Parlette, Pearson, Ranker, Rivers, Roach, Rolfes, Schlicher, Schoesler, Sheldon, Shin, and Smith

          Chief Clerk                                                                          Secretary of the Senate