Delphine Delacroix Haley
December 15, 1935 - December 7, 2013
Obituary
Delphine Delacroix Haley, age 77 died peacefully on December 7th, 2013 in Seattle.
Dede, as she was known by her friends, was born in 1935 in Washington D.C. She was the first child of Andrew and Delphine Haley. Dede attended Holy Cross High School and then Rosemont College in Pennsylvania, where she earned a degree in French Literature. Upon graduating she took a job at the Renault Automobile Co., but quickly grew restless and in 1962 moved to Seattle, her father’s birthplace, to begin a career in teaching. In the growing city of Seattle, and in the nature of the Pacific Northwest, Dede created a home.
Dede found a true calling via her relationship with the Bullitt family. Her father had been the communications lawyer for the family’s KING broadcasting empire and when Harriet Bullitt founded a nature magazine called Pacific Search, Dede offered to contribute. Ever a lover of animals, wildlife and nature, Dede reveled in the opportunity to write articles about a myriad of wildlife subjects. Her work as a field correspondent took her to many corners of the world, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico in search of such wonderful creatures as the Humpback whale, the Blue-footed Booby and the elusive wolverine. Dede wrote prolifically for a number of journals, including Defenders of Wildlife, National Parks Magazine, Natural History, Science Digest, Christian Science Monitor, Oceans, Washington Wildlife, B.C. Outdoors, Pacific Wilderness Journal and Pacific Northwest Sea. She also compiled and edited two authoritative books on marine mammals and seabirds, the latter earning the Washington Governor’s Writer Award.
Dede’s relationship with the great outdoors and all of the animals she studied and wrote about remained one of the key elements to her adult life. In the 1970’s she build a log cabin on Mowgli Island in British Columbia where she could commune with nature and observe the Orca Whales migrating through. She had many adventures hiking in the Cascade Mountains and canoeing around the San Juan Islands. Later, she bought a house on Guemes Island and divided her time between her home there and the houseboat she owned in Portage Bay in Seattle. Dede had a close relationship to her brother, Andy, and his family. She enjoyed spending time with her three nephews and brought them along on many of her adventures in the wilderness.
In 1981 the Bullitt sisters approached Dede about writing a biography of their mother, Dorothy Bullitt. Over the course of fourteen years Dede crafted an unbending and nuanced portrait of the extraordinary woman, who was a significant contributor to the early development of the City of Seattle. Entitled Dorothy Stimson Bullitt: An Uncommon Life the biography was acclaimed by critics and the public alike. It represented the capstone of her literary career and professional life.
Dede was a lively and captivating storyteller and made friends everywhere she went as she explored the world. Her adventurous nature and vitality pervaded everything she did. She was a staunch advocate and defender of nature and in her latter years devoted much of her time towards conservancy.
Dede is survived by her brother Andrew (Mabel); nephews, Nicholas, Brian (Deidre) and Lucas (Jina) Haley and extended family, Andrew Vogt and Mary Bevoni. The family thanks the many valued friends who helped care for Dede in her final years. Of particular note are Barton Churchill and Linda Gallegos whose affection and compassion for Dede was remarkable.
There will be a celebration of Dede’s life, to-be-announced. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dede’s name can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
We will miss you and that wonderful laugh. You were my mom’s best friend and knew each other since 1st grade. She still has all your silly letter. Love you always!
Sheila Ann and Slim
We will miss you, sweet and wonderful girl, and thank you for your compassion and humor. Safe journey.
Mary and Tom
Delphine was one of the most special people I met in life; a special friend and confidant through my years at Sasquatch Books. She will always be alive to me.
Chad
When Delphine entered a room, it quickly began to spark and crackle with her energy and wit. And we all became co-conspirers in her storytelling. A gem of a woman has left us.
Dear Delphine – I will miss you terribly, and will always cherish that summer day in 68 when we first met at your houseboat at Portage Bay Place. I will never forget you – you added so much to my life.
To be with NDD was always entertaining, always adventurous, always on the edge of chaos, always humorous, always fun.
You will be missed, always.
(… needs editing.)
In the brief time I spent with Dede she welcomed us with waving open arms and led us into adventures, including helping a cat with grass up its nose. I caught a glimpse of her adventurous, full, loving, and zany life. Dede’s joy and humor were contagious.
One of the greats! Give Vera Darlene a rub from us. We’ve missed you. xoxo…..
Delphine served on our board of directors and remained a supporter, advisor and friend for the rest of her life. She was instrumental in protecting some of the most beautiful places in our San Juan Islands, including Peach Preserve on Guemes Island and Turtleback Mountain on Orcas Island (among many more). Sweet, beautiful, effervescent and whip-smart, we are going to miss her so, so much!
On behalf of the San Juan Preservation Trust and the people, plants, animals and landscapes that we represent, thank you Delphine. You have left lasting fingerprints in these islands that you loved…
I am forever grateful to have known Delphine. She was a rara avis…simply one of a kind. We worked together on her SEABIRDS book and other projects and shared many an adventure; she could definitely kick up some dust! SO much fun and vitality. Miss her a lot.
In addition to brains, insight, great humor, and creativity–Delphine had tremendous heart and compassion. She threw so many people just the right life line when they needed it, including me.
Here’s the conclusion Delphine wrote in her Preface to the SEABIRDS book–a touch of Delphine:
“Amid wind and wave, the marine birds exist in an evolutionary pact with two worlds to which we humans can never fully belong–the exhilarating reaches of sea and unbounded expanses of sky.”
All love to Delphine as she heads out into her beloved open waters.
Deb
The world needs more characters, not less. We’re down one, and worse off because of it. Dede neatly reconciled traditional and contemporary values. She was first and foremost a teacher, nature was her classroom, and I was lucky enough to be one of her many students. We’ll miss you greatly dear one…..
To Delphine’s Family,
Mike Storie and I enjoyed knowing Dede, our next door neighbor for many years. She was witty and funny and we all loved cats. (Our cats got along with each other.)
She was kind and generous. It was an honor to have known her. Sincerely, Rachel
Dede and I attended college together back in the fifties in Pennsylvania and later shared an apartment with two others in NYC where she continued to regale us with her goofy storytelling and wonderful sense of humor. But one of the things I remember most about those days was her curiosity about the world in general and her love of French literature. We lost touch for many years until I surprised her at a book signing in Bellevue following publication of her book on the Bullitt family. What fun that was, as were the many times we met for lunch and rehashed old times while getting updates on each other’s lives. I was surprised and saddened to learn of her passing through the Seattle Times and send my heartfelt condolences to her family and many friends. I will always remember the many laughs we had and treasure always the copy of Seabirds she gave me.
I first met Delphine when she was 16. Her father was to host a Russian space scientist in Boston and invited my family to join a party at a cabaret. We were to. Pick up Delphine en route. She was a reserved young girl, and at the party, with very loud music, her father required her to ask, the professor to dance. She was rescued by the communist lady interpreter who announced, “Dr Sedov does not want to dance.”. We became friends that evening, which continued over a lifetime, when she moved to Seattle. Her writing career began and grew. Her final and biggest project was the biography of my mother. She alone could have accomplished this. She had the diplomatic skill,
daily patience and determination to finish. It’s a good story.
Its hard to believe that a friend with such boundless spirit will not be around anymore. She had love to give to animals, to friends and to family. Hard to say Goodbye
My thoughts go to all her dear ones that she leaves behind.
I first met Delphine when I was asked to write an article for Pacific Search magazine. She was so full of life, and so knowledgeable about nature. I was a Mom and volunteer for Woodland Park Zoo then, and treasured her generously sharing her knowledge with me. I still have the prayer plant she gave me a start of in the 70’s, and think of her every time I see it.
Knowing Delphine was such a fun, lively and interesting experience for me..Even though we spent time together it was never enough time. She was both friend and neighbor..
Delphine could capture a mood with one word and weave stories that I still reflect on and chuckle about today.
I miss you very much my friend…BUT what a pleasure to have known you. You DID enrich my life…
Delphine was my first cousin. First in many ways. She was fun to be with. Generous in humor. Political talk was always civilized and in good nature. We had some really good times. I’d call her and we’d talk for hours. When I was in the area I made a point of visiting with her. Lunching in a nice quiet restaurant; but our laughter and joy made every one around us happy. I will surely and sorely miss my dear “peasant cousin” Delphine. May she rest in peace and be with her mother an dad, numerous aunts and uncles. Bless you, dear cousin Delphine. Miss you sweetie!
Dede was one of my best friends in Chevy Chase in the 50s. It sounds like she had a great life and I’m proud of her accomplishments. I became an Army wife. I was born in Seattle in 1936.
Priscilla V. S. Noah