Marilee Gail Mielke

Marilee Mielke passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at home in Vancouver. She was an ardent early advocate for improving children's automobile safety and campaigned vigorously for mandatory use of child safety restraints, traveling to Olympia to testify at hearings of proposed legislation and traveling to Washington, D.C. for car safety in the early 80s. She bought a number of children's car seats and rented them to low income parents.

Born Marilee Ingle in Longview, she grew up in Corvallis, Oregon and attended Oregon State University. She received an RN degree from the University of Oregon School of Nursing, now part of OHSU. After graduation in 1969 she married Richard Mielke and lived in Germany while he served in the Army Dental Corps. Settling in Vancouver in 1972, she helped her husband start a dental practice, then devoted her time to raising their two children.

Marilee had a gift for design and did the planning for a major addition to the family home. Later she turned her sewing skills to designing and producing beautiful and precisely sewn quilts, handbags and wall hangings. She also worked with the process of felting and created a variety of imaginative wearable and decorative pieces from castoff articles of wool clothing.

Marilee is survived by her husband Richard at home, a daughter Alison in Olympia, a son Jeff (Robin) in Raleigh, NC, a sister Karen in Ellensburg, and three grandsons.

A celebration of life will be held at 11am on Saturday, January 24th at Messiah Lutheran Church, 905 Northwest 94th Street, Vancouver.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Humane Society for Southwest Washington.