From The Seattle Times April 10, 2022
Local author Mary Daheim passed away after a brief illness.
Mary was born to Hugh and Monica Richardson in Seattle, WA. She grew up in the Wallingford neighborhood surrounded by relatives in houses within blocks of her own.
Mary knew her vocation as a writer very early. She wrote her first book at the age of eight and never looked back, graduating from Lincoln High School and then the University of Washington, where she was the first non-wartime female editor of the UW Daily. After graduating from the UW, Mary immediately went to work for a small newspaper in Anacortes, WA, an experience that would later provide great fodder for her Alpine book series. Small town life was not for her.
Mary enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city and worked for the phone company for many years in public relations. She passed on a management job in New York with the phone company to marry David Daheim, to whom she was married for over 40 years. They had daughters Barbara Resnick, who predeceased Mary in 2020, Katherine Evanson (Dennis) and Magdalen Daheim (Paul Webber). Mary’s grandchildren are Flynn Resnick, Clara Resnick and Loki Webber.
Mary wrote and published more than 60 books; historical romances and then mysteries. Her Alpine and bed and breakfast mystery series were set locally. In 2000, Mary won the Literary Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. In October 2008, she was inducted into the UW’s Communication Alumni Hall of Fame.
Mary never retired or stopped writing. As she said on many occasions, “I don’t know how to do anything else.”
Mary was a woman of faith her entire life. She always tried to find common ground with people. That made her extremely compassionate.
Mary did not want a funeral. She would be delighted if you shared a memory of her clever wit, sense of fun, creativity and talent over a strong drink (or a root beer float) and a good meal, or to curl up with a good book. A real one, with paper pages preferred.
Donations in Mary’s memory can be made to the Little Friends Barbara Resnick Scholarship for Little Friends Preschool on Queen Anne Hill, Seattle, WA. Checks can be made out to “Little Friends Preschool” with “Barb Resnick Memorial Fund” written in the memo.
If you would like to share memories about Mary, there is a virtual guestbook.
I have been a penpal of Mary for many years and we emailed each other approximately 3 times a week, we knew of each others history and loved ones, It was only when I hadn’t heard from her after a couple of emnails did I find out she had died. I will really miss her and all the things we told each other on our correspondence. I wish her family all the love
from a very good friend of Mary and wish you all well.