Frances Rina Mayer

Frances Mayer, 90, died on September 9, 2011 in Edmonds, WA, following a lengthy illness. She was born as Franziska Weiss on May 21, 1921 in Vienna, Austria, where she lived until escaping Nazi occupation by traveling alone to Palestine in 1939. She lived in Palestine until 1946, when, learning that her parents had survived the war, she joined them in Portland Oregon. Shortly thereafter she met Victor Mayer, himself a survivor of Nazism, and the two were married in 1949. Victor and Frances had three children, daughter Miriam (Sevy) and sons Eli and Daniel, all born in Portland. Frances worked in the library at Reed College in Portland. In 1962 the family moved to Seattle, making their home in the Seward Park neighborhood. Frances completed her university education, graduating with honors from Seattle University, and went on to teach foreign languages in the Seattle school district, as well as private language schools. Frances was fluent in several foreign languages including German, Hebrew, and French.

Frances was very active in community life in Seattle. She played prominent roles in numerous Jewish organizations. A life member of Hadassah, Frances was a member of Temple Beth Am for over forty years, often leading services as well as teaching in the congregation's Sunday school and adult education programs. She was a leader in the fight in Washington State to secure settlement of Nazi-era insurance claims for holocaust survivors, a cause for which she was an effective lobbyist in Olympia in the late 1990s. She was a music lover, regularly in attendance at Seattle Symphony and other musical performances in the region. Frances and Victor shared numerous foreign travels to destinations all over the world.

Frances is preceded in death by her husband, Victor Mayer (1910-1993). She is survived by her children, Miriam (John), Eli (Katherine Maas) and Daniel, all of Seattle, as well as her four grandsons, Adam (Gabrielle), Nathaniel, Jacob and Andrew. She is also survived by her brother Dr. Eric Weiss of Portland, Oregon, her niece Naomi Newman, and nephew Michael Weiss. A funeral service will be held at Sunset Hills Memorial Park, 1215 145th Place SE, Bellevue, WA 98007 on Monday, September 12, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that remembrances in Frances' name be made to Hadassah, the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center, or Music of Remembrance. For further information visit www.sunsethillsfuneralhome.com The family especially wishes to thank Cornelia Brujban and her staff at Better Living Retreat (Edmonds) for the loving care shown to Frances over the past seven years. Arrangements under the direction of Sunset Hills Funeral Home, Bellevue, WA.