Delia Carlota Cano

Delia Carlota Cano, 97, was born in Vitor, a province of Arequipa in southern Perú, in 1924. Due to the remoteness of her village, her birth was not recorded until 1925. She was courageous, independent and hard-working, leaving school at a young age to help to support her beloved mother Rosa. By her 20’s she ran a successful sewing business creating fine clothing for women and children. She immigrated into the United States in 1957 with three children, Delia, Venus and Rodolfo Jr. to join her husband, Rodolfo Cano, who had arrived a year earlier to pave the way.

The family soon adapted to their new home. Applying her dressmaking and sewing skills, Delia opened a small shop in Lake City in 1959. She began working for REI in 1965 as a contractor, making ponchos and other camping gear in the basement of her home on Capitol Hill. At the apex of her business, Delia Cano Sportswear Manufacturing provided employment for 12 to 14 power sewing machine operators, fabric cutters, and product finishing assembly workers.

She went on to have two more children, Rosemary and Guadalupe (“Lupita”). Together with her husband, an entrepreneur in his own right, she raised five children while running a successful business.

Delia brought many family members from Perú to the Seattle area, giving them employment as well as a fresh start in this country.

In the early days, Delia helped her husband, Rodolfo, host a “Spanish Club” to teach people conversational Spanish while she was still learning English herself. Students included several Seattle icons, including the founders of REI, and engineers and architects who worked on the construction of Interstate 5 and the Seattle Center. After class, they would sometimes unwind at Ivar’s fish bar on the waterfront where Ivar would bring out his guitar and sing. Delia’s portrait, painted by Juan Davó, hung at the 1962 World’s Fair international art exhibit at the Seattle Center. Friends with world-renowned hiker, Jim Whitaker, she was asked to sew special gloves for Robert Kennedy for their climb to Mt. Kennedy in 1965.

Her youngest daughter “Lupita” was born with Down’s Syndrome at a time where there were very few services for children with disabilities. This drove her to devote a huge part of her life to advocating for Lupita and others with developmental disabilities. Delia actively participated in many advocacy organizations including the The Arc of King County and the National Down Syndrome Congress. Delia was part of the Seattle-led disability movement that lobbied for the Education For All Act (House Bill 90), which became law in 1971. She was also a big supporter of artists with disabilities, in particular her daughter Lupita who is an accomplished painter.

Having only attended primary school in Peru, she was very proud of the fact that she was able to send her children to high school and college. She always said, “I love my two countries” and was grateful for the opportunities that life presented her.

Delia enjoyed travelling, cooking and entertaining family and friends in her home. Above all, she cherished her five children, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. She greatly missed her husband of over 40 years, Rodolfo Cano, since his passing in 1995. Family was her utmost priority until she drew her last breath.

She passed away on October 1, 2022, on the birthday of her eldest daughter Delia Angelica, who passed away in 1992. They are finally together with the Lord they both love.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Evergreen-Washelli.com for the Cano family.