Hilda raised six children as a single mother in the 1960s, working as a Special Education Aide in the Bellevue School District - including time spent working at Interlake. Her interest in Special Education was inspired by her son, Jon. Thanks to her tireless, pioneering efforts on behalf of all developmentally handicapped young people during the mid-1960s, Jon and his peers were able to attend special classes in the Bellevue public schools through the age of 21. She asked for no recognition for this, but was known by all who participated in this emancipating and humanizing work as an articulate and forceful advocate for those in need.
A tolerant and welcoming figure with a good sense of humor, and no time to be judgmental, Hilda’s home in Bellevue became a refuge for young people who needed a place to decompress. Surrounded by her menagerie of children and their friends, a three-legged dog, and the occasional horse giving birth in the backyard, she made a warm home from very meager resources. She never pretended to be anything other than what she was - a mother with full responsibility for a large family.
As her children moved on and out of the house over the decades, she remained, living happily and independently until her final illness. Her neighbors loved her and gave her great happiness with their friendship. She enjoyed the many visits from her children, their spouses, her seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She also enjoyed her “alone time,” when she read mystery fiction, two newspapers a day, science and geography magazines, among many other things. She enjoyed a few special television shows, and was happy to finally choose the channel after decades of raising children.
Hilda Loraine Holliday, mother of six, family matriarch, plainspoken source of wisdom, common sense, and love, and champion of all developmentally handicapped people on the Eastside, passed away on November 29, 2007, after a short illness. She was 83 years old.
Her obituary can be found here.
