Shari Wilson

1960-2004

Shari Wilson was a friend, a colleague and one of Seattle’s true language access pioneers.

Born and bred in Seattle, Shari had a life-long passion for working with and aiding those of other cultures, dedicating her entire career to serving refugees. In 1987 she accepted a position as the manager of Catholic Community Services’ Seattle refugee resettlement program, moving in 1991 to the Seattle/King County Public Health Department as the Refugee Screening and Health Access Manager. As the need grew for ongoing language interpretation support across the department, she also became responsible for managing interpretation services. Shari was involved in the National Working Group on Interpreting in Health Care and later the National Council that grew out of it, serving on the Advisory Committee and attending many annual meetings. She was a mentor for many and an advocate for all.

Her supervisor at Public Health, Willma Ellmore, put it this way. “Shari was a perfect example of the true spirit of Public Health. She combined knowledge in her field with an understanding and respect for the people her program served. Her kind, buoyant manner made her a pleasure to work beside, and her earnest caring was evident in everything she tackled. It was obvious to those of us fortunate enough to work with her that she truly enjoyed her work with people of varied ethnic and racial backgrounds -- she was endlessly curious about other cultures. She was also unfailingly compassionate in her interactions with others. Whether she was presenting to new employees, having a conversation with a coworker, or instructing a new interpreter, she understood and demonstrated that true communication begins with respect. Her integrity was well known to her colleagues, and she represented the best that Public Health has to offer.”

We lost Shari to a very aggressive cancer in 1994, at the young age of 43. Before her death, her NCIHC friends organized for her a day-long celebration, and her home was filled with over a hundred interpreters and refugees who came to share with her their love and appreciation. We are poorer for her loss, but the fight for language access that she championed lives on in the people and organizations that she touched.

~by Cindy Roat, (9/2023)