Gladys Blackwood, 98, of Seattle, Washington passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the Genesee Senior Care home in West Seattle. She was born on September 25, 1920 in Campobello, South Carolina where Gladys spent her childhood. In 1941, she graduated from Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and completed an internship at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee in 1942. After practicing therapeutic dietetics for 3 years at University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia, Gladys moved to Galveston, Texas in 1945 where she served as Acting Chief of the dietary department at John Sealy Hospital.
In 1947, Gladys moved to the Pacific Northwest to work in the dietary department at King County Hospital which became Harborview Medical Center. Seattle became her home. She remained a valued employee of Harborview for 65 years retiring in May of 2012 at the age of 91. Gladys excelled at her many roles including Director of the Food and Nutrition Services at Harborview and as a state delegate and Secretary of the American Dietetic Association. She was also a past President of the Washington State Dietetic Association.
Gladys loved nature and wildlife, was an avid walker, skilled seamstress, and a supporter of Seattle arts, attending the ballet, theatre, music and museum exhibits. Adventure travel was her primary passion. She traveled often, taking many trips throughout the world and continued to travel into her late 80s.
Gladys is preceded in death by her parents, George Vaden and Nora (Brannon) Blackwood and her two older brothers Carl and Curtis Blackwood. She is survived by nieces and nephews: Martha Blackwood Zeh, Virginia Blackwood Cahal, Curtis Blackwood, Jr., Kathy Blackwood Culler, Emily Blackwood Foster, Vaden Blackwood, and Carl Blackwood, Jr.
While Gladys remained single and had no children, she was a cherished member of her closest friend Dorothea “Dottie” (deceased) Nicholson’s family. She was a second mother to the six Nicholson children: Doug, Mary, John, Julie, David and Carol.
Remembrances and condolences may be written online or mailed in c/o The Nicholsons, to Yarington’s Funeral Home, 10708 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98146. In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial donation to Gladys's favorite local destination; Rainier National Park at Washington’s National Park Fund: https://wnpf.org/support-your-parks/.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.8.18