Local Activist Andy Stephenson, 1961-2005
Friends,
As the world struggles with loss from London to Iraq to our own towns and cities, we occasionally are faced with the loss of someone who, through extraordinary effort, brought about positive change in our nation. Today, our community has lost just such a leader and activist. After a battle with pancreatic cancer, Andy Stephenson passed away last night at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
On May 1, I sent an email asking for your help in raising money for Andy’s surgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. With your help, the necessary money was raised and Andy received the treatment he needed later that month, and soon returned to Seattle. I know Andy deeply appreciated all the support and assistance offered by our community, as well as that of the progressive community throughout the nation. In late June, Andy entered Virginia Mason with an infection, and unfortunately lost his fight last night.
Andy was an activist in the true sense of the word, and continued working for clean and transparent elections right up to the last. He was convincing the Johns Hopkins staff about the need for "voter verified paper ballots" the minute woke up from his recent surgery! Through his time with Black Box Voting, his run for Secretary of State and his work around the country afterward, Andy was instrumental in bringing electronic voting issues to the forefront of our political discourse as a key issue facing the nation. In the truest sense of “Don’t mourn, organize,” Democracy for Washington will honor Andy by extending the fight for transparent elections and universal health care in Washington state.
Andy is survived by his partner of 18 years, Ted, his mother Dorothy, two sisters, and his beloved puppy, Ballot. He leaves many more people behind to continue the fight. Everyone on the DFW board joins Andy’s friends, family, and the progressive community in mourning today, but we celebrate the life that Andy lived and the work that he did, exemplifying the activist and progressive spirit we share.
There will be a memorial service for Andy at Seattle Town Hall on Saturday, July 16th at 2:00pm, and I hope you will forward this to anyone who knew Andy or cares about the issues he fought for so they may join us. George Howland at the Seattle Weekly has posted an obituary at http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0528/050713_news_andy.php.
Information about Andy and a memorial photo album can be found at www.andythanksyou.com.
Ray Minchew
Executive Director
As the world struggles with loss from London to Iraq to our own towns and cities, we occasionally are faced with the loss of someone who, through extraordinary effort, brought about positive change in our nation. Today, our community has lost just such a leader and activist. After a battle with pancreatic cancer, Andy Stephenson passed away last night at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
On May 1, I sent an email asking for your help in raising money for Andy’s surgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. With your help, the necessary money was raised and Andy received the treatment he needed later that month, and soon returned to Seattle. I know Andy deeply appreciated all the support and assistance offered by our community, as well as that of the progressive community throughout the nation. In late June, Andy entered Virginia Mason with an infection, and unfortunately lost his fight last night.
Andy was an activist in the true sense of the word, and continued working for clean and transparent elections right up to the last. He was convincing the Johns Hopkins staff about the need for "voter verified paper ballots" the minute woke up from his recent surgery! Through his time with Black Box Voting, his run for Secretary of State and his work around the country afterward, Andy was instrumental in bringing electronic voting issues to the forefront of our political discourse as a key issue facing the nation. In the truest sense of “Don’t mourn, organize,” Democracy for Washington will honor Andy by extending the fight for transparent elections and universal health care in Washington state.
Andy is survived by his partner of 18 years, Ted, his mother Dorothy, two sisters, and his beloved puppy, Ballot. He leaves many more people behind to continue the fight. Everyone on the DFW board joins Andy’s friends, family, and the progressive community in mourning today, but we celebrate the life that Andy lived and the work that he did, exemplifying the activist and progressive spirit we share.
There will be a memorial service for Andy at Seattle Town Hall on Saturday, July 16th at 2:00pm, and I hope you will forward this to anyone who knew Andy or cares about the issues he fought for so they may join us. George Howland at the Seattle Weekly has posted an obituary at http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0528/050713_news_andy.php.
Information about Andy and a memorial photo album can be found at www.andythanksyou.com.
Ray Minchew
Executive Director
posted by T. Scott Brineman at 9:01 AM
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