Homeless Remembrance Project

A small but mighty group stood vigil yesterday, holding up 24 names of beloved sisters and brothers who died without shelter. In truth, it's hard to be so few remembering so many. We were blessed to be joined by relatives of Jonathan Gause. After the vigil WHEEL Trinity Shelter held an informal memorial service for Sandra "Sandy" Reyes, to whom the vigil was dedicated. We're especially grateful to Pastor Pat Simpson for her faithful witness and facilitation of the pastoral needs of our community.

WHEEL/Women in Black will stand vigil on the steps of City Hall (4th/James) from NOON to 1 PM Wednesday, June 17th for at least TWENTY-THREE of our homeless brothers and sisters who’ve died unsheltered, in public, or by violence this year. We’ll honor and remember:

**Mathew Trost, 34, died of fentanyl/m**h OD in the woods near Seattle Japanese Garden on 1/3
**Gabriel Jimenez Martinez, 27, died of fentanyl/cocaine OD in a vehicle near Elliott/Vine on 2/27
**Hannah Perez, 43, died in St Anne hospital of fentanyl/cocaine OD on 3/11; found in unk. location
**Isa Wallace, 45, died in an abandoned home near Fauntleroy Park on 3/11; cause pending
**Joshua Bricker, 38, found at Hoa Mai Park; died of m**h OD in hospital on 3/29
**Percy Comeslast, 47, died of fentanyl/m**hanol OD near the Rotary Viewpoint on 4/20
**Shane Brandvold, 52, died of fentanyl/m**h OD in a Redmond business park on 4/23
**Anna Gayle Nelson, 36, died of fentanyl combo OD in portapotty near W Dravus/21st W on 4/25
**Alfred Torres, 53, found in Juneau, died of blunt force injuries (homicide) at HMC on 5/2
**Damon Effenberger, 54, died of natural causes in a vehicle in Shoreline on 5/6
**Austin Chambers, 43, died of natural causes in a parking lot at 1625 E Jefferson on 5/9
**Jairo Corralles, 49, died outdoors in Tukwila on 5/11; cause pending
**Maxwell Molleker, 45, died by fentanyl/m**h-involved OD outdoors in Shoreline on 5/12
**Robert Osborn, 46, found at Westwood Village parking lot; died of hemorrhagic shock at HMC 5/16
**Saturnino Martinez-Marroquin, 63, found at 4311 NE 110th; died in hospital of nat’l causes on 5/17
**Anthony Pitts, 27, found at Lewis Park, died at HMC of natural causes on 5/18
**Salfrando Butler, 40, died by fentanyl/m**h OD outdoors in a Kent Park on 5/21
**Nathan Jewell Lee, 46, died by fentanyl OD in alley at 12th/S Jackson Pl on 5/22
**Katenda Ssemakula, 40, died by fentanyl OD in a U District stairwell on 5/25
**Marshall Evan Tucker, 41, found in RV at 9000 Olson Pl SW; died at HMC of nat’l causes on 5/28
**Donny Lynn Mitchell, 59, died by combo OD in RV at MLK Way S/E Cherry on 5/28
**Roberto Cavasos, 52, died of m**h OD in tent at 6th S/S Snoqualmie on 5/30
**Brian Cimprich, 53, hit by cars and killed at I-5/Mercer on 5/31

This vigil will be dedicated to Sandra Reyes, beloved of WHEEL, who died in housing in January, and Jonathan Gause.

WITHOUT SHELTER, PEOPLE DIE! AT LEAST 104 PEOPLE ALREADY THIS YEAR, AND 271 IN 2025. PLEASE JOIN US IN CALLING FOR SHELTER FOR ALL, and stay tuned for specific Calls to Action soon!

Our thanks to all who joined today’s WHEEL Women in Black Vigil for 15 Beloved Community members who died recently. We're especially grateful to participants of our own SHARE/WHEEL Tent City3 for standing with us. Tent City3 is moving from King County Wastewater Treatment Division land at 2720 S. Hanford to University Congregational United Church of Christ (45th/15th NE) NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 26th!! Help is needed, ESPECIALLY at the S. Hanford site, all day! Move day food (snacks, breakfast and lunch) would be welcome! Also needed are blankets, tarps, & tents. Gratitude for your solidarity and support!

WHEEL/Women in Black will be standing vigil on the steps of City Hall (4th/James) from noon to 1 PM Wednesday, May 20th for FIFTEEN more of our homeless/temporarily housed brothers and sisters who’ve died unsheltered, in public, or by violence this year. These deaths include another by hypothermia, another by su***de and two homeless homicides. This has been a terribly rough year. Next Wednesday we’ll honor and remember:

**Rodrick Ward, 52, died in a tent near 6400 Marginal Way S on 2/28; cause pending
**Robert L. Williams, 78, temporarily housed, died by su***de in Auburn on 4/1
**Glendora Satterwhite, 66, died by combo OD in parking lot at 2100 2nd Ave on 4/3
**Jimmie Shawn Patrick, 32, found at 12th/S King; died of toxic effects of fentanyl at HMC on 4/9
**Michael Pope, 54, found in a tent near 4432 35th SW; died by fentanyl/m**h OD at HMC on 4/9
**Brandon Williams, 45, died by combo OD in alley behind business in Des Moines on 4/13
**Shawn Price, 59, died by fentanyl/m**h OD in North SeaTac Park on 4/13
**Dominick Desimone, 68, died of natural causes in a vehicle in North Bend on 4/13
**James Alexander, 59, died on sidewalk in Kent on 4/15; cause pending
**Shaina Marie Stewart, 31, died by fentanyl/m**h OD at Maynard/S Jackson on 4/15
**David C. James, 61, found at SW Andover/Delridge Way; died of hypothermia at HMC on 4/19
**Doyle Eaglen, 71, found in unk. location; died of natural causes in hospital on 4/24
**Desman Abran, 45, found in unk. location, died by fentanyl/m**h OD in hospital on 4/28
**German Velasquez Torres, 27, shot to death in Renton on 4/29
**Miracle McKenzie, 35, shot to death in tent at Cheasty/S Winthrop on 5/7

WITHOUT SHELTER, PEOPLE DIE! AT LEAST 81 HAVE DIED UNSHELTERED OR BY VIOLENCE ALREADY THIS YEAR and at least 271 in 2025. PLEASE JOIN US IN CALLING FOR SHELTER FOR ALL!
Quick Update on Mayor/Council Shelter Expansion Plans & Legislation: Bills that authorize funding and ease permitting/leasing ne shelters have passed! One bill is still being discussed, which would change land use code to raise the cap on participants of tiny house villages or vehicle safe lots from 100 to 150 residents and allow 1 pilot site of up to 250 residents. Some good amendments have been proposed & approved by the Land Use Committee, but additional, last-minute amendments are coming that would create barriers and add costs to building more shelters. Please email the full Council before 5/19 and/or make public comment (in person or by phone) at the 2 PM May 19th full City Council meeting.

There’s SOME indication that at least one new women’s shelter is being developed and might open pretty soon! Stay tuned for into.

And finally, our partners at SHARE are moving BOTH Tent Cities this month. SHARE/WHEEL’s Tent City4 is moving TODAY, back to Seattle Mennonite Church (3212 NE 125th) for a year-long stay. Tent City3, currently on King County Wastewater Treatment land at 2720 S. Hanford, will be moving to University Congregational United Church of Christ (45th/15th NE) the day AFTER Memorial Day, Tuesday, May 26th. Move help is welcome and needed! Check out SHARE Seattle Housing and Resource Effort for updates, or call (206) 448-7889 for more info!

Thank you for your solidarity and witness.

Don Lowe was a Renaissance man. He had a mathematics degree from Cal Polytech, worked for Timberland Library System and DSHS, and studied philosophy, astrology, and classic literature, amassing a collection of thousands of books that he spent the end of his life donating to local schools. He also made a point of keeping up on current affairs, and was active in the peace movement.

Don sold Real Change at the Columbia City PCC, where he met a circle of friends who helped him move from the streets to permanent housing, and then created the backyard shelter he's pictured in here. Dedicating a Leaf of Remembrance there in Don's honor was one of the highlights of last summer's Leaflaying season.

You can learn more about Don's life and share your memories of him by clicking the link below. His is our May Featured Leaf! We're currently planning this year's Leaf Dedications, and will keep you posted on this page.

https://fallenleaves.org/don-lowe-1948-2025-2/

On Tuesday WHEEL participant Anitra Freeman read into public testimony a letter the homeless women of WHEEL sent City Councilmembers the previous day: "WHEEL is a grassroots organizing effort of homeless women. We facilitate three low-barrier women's shelter--100 women a day/night. Our shelters are perpetually full, and we've been forced to turn women away at night, even elders. We also facilitate Women in Black vigils when homeless people die outside, in public, or by violence. At noon this Wednesday we'll stand for another 25 people who died this way, most just in March. It's a horrible list! In March THREE people died by hypothermia, one by pneumonia, and another person by su***de. Homeless deaths by su***de have gone up dramatically this year. We'll dedicate our vigil to a baby who died homeless last month.

Without shelter, people die. You are taking up and voting on bills that would expand and expedite shelter. We testified in support of these efforts last week. Today, on the eve of our Women in Black vigil and in the name of those who have died, we urge you to support this legislation without delay. We need this shelter, and we need the hope for the future it symbolizes for so many people who have no shelter at all."

Then, before the vote was taken, bill sponsor CM Strauss asked for a moment of silence in honor of the people Women in Black would stand vigil for. The bills passed unanimously.

We thank the Councilmembers who sponsored and passed this legislation, Mayor Wilson who proposed it, all who do the everyday, ordinary work of sheltering and remembering our homeless relatives, and all who stood vigil with us yesterday.

WHEEL/Women in Black will be standing another brokenhearted vigil on the steps of City Hall (4th/James) from noon to 1 PM Wednesday, April 15th for TWENTY-FIVE more of our brothers and sisters who’ve died unsheltered, in public, or by violence this year. These deaths include THREE by hypothermia, one by pneumonia, and another death by su***de. We’ll honor and remember:

**Daniel Kyles, 65, drowned in the ship canal near Shilshole in Ballard on 2/7
**Nathan Long, 39, died by fentanyl/m**h OD near Titusville Alley (Kent) on 3/2
**Jeramy Headley, 34, died by fentanyl OD in a tent in Auburn on 3/3
**Emmett Lyons, 47, died by fentanyl/m**h OD in an alley near Meeker/State (Kent) on 3/3
**Roger Phung, 67, died of hypothermia near Westlake/Roy on 3/3
**Stephen Hannon, 37, died by su***de in parked car in Redmond on 3/4
**Tyler Stedman, 31, died of hypothermia near S Charles/ Lewis Park Trail on 3/4
**Trenton Semmler, 33, died in hospital after being found near 15th/Magnolia Bridge on 3/7; cause pending
**Melinda Evans, 50, died by fentanyl/m**h OD in an RV near Westcrest Park on 3/7
**Adam Barghout, 36, died by fentanyl/m**h OD at City Hall Park on 3/7
**Brent Martinez, 36, died by fentanyl/m**h OD in a tent on S Bailey on 3/8
**Kenneth Hall, 48, died by fentanyl OD at Capitol Hill Library on 3/10
**Patrick DeMartine, 58, hit by a car in a parking lot at Lake City Wy/127th NE on 3/12
**Ronald Curtis, 56, died by fentanyl/m**h OD on the sidewalk near Dearborn/Maynard on 3/13
**Cameron Buchanan, 32, died by fentanyl OD in a tent near NB I-5/Jackson on 3/13
**Emmanuel Salters, 63, died in hospital of drug-related aortic rupture; found at a Tukwila bus stop on 3/15
**John Crane, 60, died of natural causes in a handmade house in the woods off Myers Wy S on 3/20
**Kevin Mickey, 64, died in a parking lot near 3rd/Lander on 3/22; cause pending
**Timothy Zanassi, 60, died of hypothermia at Discovery Park on 3/24
**Reynaldo Aguiar Salas, 55, died of pneumonia near Rainier Ave S/MLK on 3/25
**Michael Griffin, 59, died by combo OD near 200th/International Blvd S on 3/27
**Dirke Kersey, 69, died in a parking lot near Rainier Ave S/Hanford on 3/27; cause pending
**Justin Owens, 37, died by fentanyl/m**h OD on the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail at Holgate on 3/27
**Rachell Buske, 44, died by combo OD outside Kent Station on 3/29
**Maria Desersa, 33, died in an apartment building laundry room on 3/31; cause pending

This vigil will be dedicated to Baby OC, who died homeless in March.

WITHOUT SHELTER, PEOPLE DIE! AT LEAST 66 HAVE DIED UNSHELTERED OR BY VIOLENCE ALREADY THIS YEAR and at least 271 in 2025. PLEASE JOIN US IN CALLING FOR SHELTER FOR ALL! ONE IMPORTANT AND TIME-SENSITIVE WAY TO DO THIS IS TO SUPPORT NEW SEATTLE SHELTER EXPANSION LEGISLATION!!

We’re glad there’s been an emphasis on creation of more shelter with the new Administration. Mayor Wilson has three pieces of legislation under consideration by Seattle City Council that would be of considerable help in increasing available homeless shelter:

• CB121184 streamlines site leasing and cuts red tape. It grants the Director of Finance and Administrative Services the ability to identify and execute leases for properties up to 65,000 sq. ft., and could increase the size of tiny house villages and outdoor camps, reduce barriers in identifying properties, signing leases, and completing utilities so camps can be set up quickly.

• CB121185 authorizes funding for shelter by transferring unused funds from other City Departments now.

• Forthcoming legislation would increase limits on shelter size and make possible a large shelter (up to 250 spots!) to be located in every District in Seattle.

WHEEL has reservations about very-large shelter sizes—with our SHARE (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort partners), we’ve found that our own Tent Cities hit a “sweet spot” of self-managed community at around 100-120 spots.

BUT we whole-heartedly support cutting red tape, increasing funding, and providing shelters all across all neighborhoods of Seattle, since EVERY neighborhood is touched by unsheltered homelessness, and without shelter, people die. We thank Mayor Wilson for this serious push to restart Seattle’s efforts to end homelessness.

Please call/write Seattle City Councilmembers SOON to support the current shelter expansion legislation-- CB121184 (easing lease agreements) and CB121185 (authorizing funding for shelter).

D1 Rob Saka [email protected]
D2 Eddie Lin [email protected]
D3 Joy Hollingsworth [email protected]
D4 Maritza Rivera [email protected]
D5 Debora Juarez [email protected]
D6 Dan Strauss [email protected]
D7 Robert Kettle [email protected]
Position 8 (citywide) Alexis Mercedes Rinck [email protected]
Position 9 (citywide) Dionne Foster [email protected]

More information about Mayor Wilson’s vision, values, and plan—and a volunteer signup—are here: https://seattle.gov/mayor/vision-and-values/shelter-expansion

Thank you for your solidarity and witness.

Roland Pettengill is remembered for his sweet spirit and lively sense of humor. He was beloved by the people he stayed with at St. Martin de Porres shelter and SHARE/WHEEL's Licton Springs Village.

Every month we highlight a person memorialized on one of our Leaves of Remembrance; this month, we honor Roland. Like him, the people we stand vigil and lay leaves for are not faceless statistics; they were valued members of our Beloved Community, and had their own talents, personalities, and stories. To share your memories of Roland, or learn more about the Leaves and the people we remember with them, you can visit our website by clicking the link below:

https://fallenleaves.org/roland-pettengill-1964-2023/

Yesterday was windy and bitterly cold and we’re so grateful to the intrepid people who joined our Women in Black vigil--especially friends of Dene Kristyne McGehee who was beloved by so many, and TOPS middle-schoolers who joined us as part of their “Planting the Seeds” project.

At the closing gathering, WHEEL elder Anitra said, “When I became homeless, the worst part was feeling isolated and invisible. But at least I didn't feel HATED. I didn't have KOMO telling me I was the reason Seattle was dying.”

When WHEEL founded these Women in Black vigils in the year 2000, we prayerfully and deliberately decided to stand for deaths that occurred outside, in public or by violence, because at the time these deaths were treated with victim-blaming contempt. Over the years--through our work to humanize and dignify--we witnessed a slow change in perspective. But it feels like that progress is eroding.

Two weeks ago a simple post announcing our vigil's delay had the comments section devolve into a seemingly gleeful expression of vicious, very hurtful and hateful perspectives about homeless people and their deaths.

Our original Women in Black vigil leaflets had this Call to Action: “We will resolve to be a community, homeless and housed, together.” We call on all who visit this page and stand our vigils to be respectful, to have compassion as though homelessness could happen to you--or anyone--and to work towards community and economic/housing justice, together.

Close friends were in touch to let us know of another person to be honored and remembered at our Women in Black Vigil at noon this Wednesday. We will hold in our hearts--and hold up the name of--Dene Kristyne MeGehee, 30, who died by su***de outside on Capitol Hill on 2/10. She was beloved.