Judy made a difference

By Jerry Robinson

How can I put in words how important Judy Duff was to the White Center community?

I have been publishing the White Center News for 55 years and seen it go from a backwater little shopping center to a booming collection of six major supermarkets, four dress shops, three large furniture stores, three drug stores, four banks and yes, five taverns. Judy was not here then but she would have loved its vitality and spirit, something she had in spades.

It peaked as Burien blossomed in the '60s and '70s and White Center lost its movie theater, most of its supermarkets , all of its dress shops and shoe stores and both furniture and its appliance and drug stores.

I met Judy about five years ago, about the time White Center was starting to re-emerge into what is now a bustling eclectic group of popular Asian stores, groceries and ethnic restaurants. She and her husband owned a small farm in Kent and I had talked with her a number of times on the phone and she always urged me to watch the town make a comeback.

I had a chance to visit with her several times in her fresh vegetable stall at the White Center Farmers Market. She was full of enthusiasm for the future and introduced us to her charming daughter, Deanna.

I was leaving after buying some produce when she said casually that she had cancer. She was smiling and spoke without rancor or self-pity. I was stunned . She was so matter of fact, urged me to come down and see her farm and not give up on the town because it was going to be a winner. We did drive down one day a short time later and could see why she was proud of her gardening efforts.

She was a very smart and accomplished lady who had a whole lot to give the world. She gave it willingly.

We salute you, Judy. You made a difference.

Jerry Robinson can be reached at publisher@robinsonnews.com