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Issue: 856 Date: 1/18/2007
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追念一位大學城社區的好朋友、好鄰居、好長輩
Willa Boisseau (May 30, 1932-Decmber 19, 2006)
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聖路易大學城社區2006年12月19日損失了一位獻身社區，摯愛朋友的善良女士Willa Boisseau。追思禮拜於2007年1月13日(週六)下午一時在大學城First Unitarian教堂舉行。Willa的家人、子女、孫子女和生前好友們在此默哀禱告，分享她一生服務人群的故事。
Willa Boisseau出生在密蘇里州堪薩斯市，12歲時全家搬來聖路易Webster Groves，她畢業於Central College，取得教育學士學位後在小學任教，同時志願擔任ESL英語班教師指導華裔、俄裔新移民學習英語，接著她創立Kingsbury房地產公司，並積極投入政治活動，1979年Willa和夫婿Marvin搬到大學城，迄今27年。在大學城社區Willa奉獻了她所有的時間和精力，一點一滴灌溉大學城社區的發展和成長。
Willa是一位忠貞的民主黨黨員，她為民主黨助選奔走，參加過無數次競選活動，她積極且成功地幫助Maria Chappelle-Nadal進入州議會，也曾支持Shelley Welsch競選大學城市長。Willa是民主黨Jefferson City婦女會會長。婦女投票聯盟、密州進步投票聯盟和全國婦女組職的會員，為婦女權益奮戰不懈。
在大學城，Willa創立了環保組職Green Center，擔任董事，積極參與Olive商業協會(OBA)，擔任秘書，Willa同時是大學城扶輪社、大學城聯合國協會會員、大學城之皇家銀行社區發展顧問、First Unitarian教會執事、及大學城歷史協會前會長。2002年，Willa應邀擔任在大學城之聖路易社區報聖路易時報英文版資深編輯，數年來她為聖路易時報撰寫專欄文章60餘篇，與大學城華裔社區和工商界朋友建立深厚友誼，在大學城華埠。Willa是一位大家公認既善良且熱心公益，又樂於助人的好朋友、好鄰居、好長輩。
Willa Boissean享年74歲，身後遺有夫婿Marvin Boisseau，三個子女Sarah Simpson, Cindy Bahr, Jim Roberts和五位孫子女。
A Celebration of the Life of Willa Boisseau(May 30, 1932 - December 19, 2006)
Eulogy for Willa Mae Fisher BoisseauMemorial Service January 13, 2003The First Unitarian Church of St. LouisCary Eustis, Lewis Ministerial InternThe Rev. Suzanne P. Meyer, Minister
Willa Mae Fisher Boisseau was born May 30, 1932 in Kansas City, Missouri to Arthur Fisher and Ida Wilson Fisher. Willa lived her early years with her brother, Harold Fisher and parents in Baden, Missouri. The family moved to Webster Groves when Willa was twelve years old. After graduating from Webster Groves high school Willa attended Central College in Fayette, Mo earning an education degree.
Willa married John Orville Roberts and they moved to Guam to teach elementary school. They returned to Webster Groves in 1955 where they raised their three children: Sarah Simpson, Cindy Bahr and Jim Roberts. Willa had retired from teaching when her children were born but, as was her style, she was still actively involved in local community service related to her children's activities. She served as a member of the PTA, was a Brownie leader and participated in school events and attended plays.
As a Mom Sarah said "She was Best! Always there with the band aid and methialate (the stinging stuff) breakfast, cookies snacks�she was there."
And Willa didn't stop being there in her children's high school years. She let her kids know she loved them even when they acted less than loveable as teenagers occasionally do. As a Mom she set the bar high always encouraging, boosting and telling her kids she loved them. And, she was the kind of Mom her own children's friend's sought out as a confidant and safe harbor.
Willa continued, what would be a life long love of teaching, as a substitute teacher at Webster Groves during her Children's teenage years. She later volunteered to teach English as a second language to Russian and Chinese adults. She even substitute taught at the City school in recent years.
In 1986 Willa entered the world of Real Estate eventually becoming the owner of Kingsbury Real Estate and more recently worked with Remax.
And Politics, Willa was always involved in political campaigns. And this is where she met her husband Marvin Boisseau. They met at a political fundraiser and were married in 1979 and moved to University City where they lived for the last 27 years. As Marvin and Willa shared interest in politics, they also shared a fondness for traveling together. They enjoyed trips to Antartica, the Soviet Union and with the Sierra Club on hiking and float trips. Marvin's devotion to Willa was clear, matter of fact and strong. He says "She was a good wife to him and a good cook." And we know, Marvin, that this good companion, Willa, is gone all too soon, for your liking.
Willa was a devoted Democrat. Her friend Shelley Welsch said of Willa's political involvement: "She believed in the values of the Democratic Party. And she worked, and worked and worked to get Democrats in office. I could not count the number of campaigns she worked on - walking door-to-door, being a Treasurer, and doing bulk mailings. Whatever needed to be done, Willa would do it.
And Willa was committed to helping women move into the political spectrum. She supported me - financially and otherwise - in both my campaigns. She was one of the greatest supporters of Maria Chappelle-Nadal in both her runs for the State House. Maria was younger than most when she first ran for the House of Representatives. Willa worked with her, sharing her knowledge to help this younger, deserving candidate."
Willa belonged to the Democratic Campaign Caucus, the Democratic Womens Caucus and served as the Democratic Committee Chairwoman of Jefferson County. She volunteered for local, state and national campaigns for nearly 40 years! She was also a member of the League of Women Voters, the Missouri Progressive Voters Coalition and the National Organization for Women.
We can understand what her family means when they say "She was always doing something, she never stopped and it was hard to be as great as she was?
And that's true, she never seemed to stop, because her civic involvement did not end with politics! Willa also took her citizenship seriously on a community level. She gave a great deal to University City community development.
She was instrumental in founding the Green Center, an environmental learning center located in Kaufman Park in University City with a variety of learning and demonstration gardens. As a Green Center Board member, Shelley Welsch says that Willa "Was the type of Board member who knew when something needed to be done, offered to do it, and then actually would do it. (Too, too often people don't step up to do the actual work.)"
Willa's University City community involvement also included her devotion to the Asian business community along Olive. Willa helped this community to become a part of University City. She was the first secretary of the Olive Business Association. She was invited to be the senior editor for the English-language part of the St. Louis Chinese-American News in 2002. Francis Yueh, from the St. Louis Chinese-American News, who first met Willa in 2001 said that Willa "Did a wonderful job and there are more than 60 news articles that she wrote for the paper." Francis also said that "not only our newspaper staff, but all of our Chinese St. Louis community and the Olive Street business owners and residents will remember her, a nice, warm-hearted, kind lady- we will sincerely, remember her forever."
Those who knew Willa knew a person who saw what needed to be done and helped to make that happen: in her family, in her political party and in her community. Willa leaves a legacy of one who believed an individual can effect change for the good in the world. She began with her family loving them with all she had to give. And, she believed in contributing as much as she could to the world beyond herself.
In what, none of us knew would be her last hours, when I visited Willa in the hospital, she was tired with her eyes shut. When I said her friends at the church were thinking of her she smiled and said that was nice. But, then her eyes really snapped open when she said "Oh dear, did you have to come a long way to get here? Was that parking lot a horrible mess? To the last hours of her days Willa Boisseau was thinking of others more than she was thinking of herself.
When such a woman, whose life was focused so much on doing for others, when such a woman has lived for 74 years and so deeply touched the hearts and lives of the ones she loved as wife, mother, grandmother, friend, activist and community leader, we cannot help but mourn the loss of such a woman, one who cannot be replaced in our affections. And, still in this loss, we cannot help but give thanks for one who loved and worked for others with such passion. We cannot help but give thanks for Willa who believed in loving and working with all she had, to help make the world a better place.
Let us offer our support and care to Marvin, Sarah, Lucinda and Jim and brother Harold and Willa's grandchildren and nieces and nephews today, as we all mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Willa Mae Fisher Boisseau.
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