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 and a law degree 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, That the House of Representatives
of the State of Washington celebrate the life, the work, and the
lasting legacy of William Booth Gardner; 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.