Natalie Wells Rudolph

A memorial gathering for Natalie Wells Rudolph will be held from 1-4 p.m. Dec. 30 at Island Center Hall, with services to begin at 2 p.m.

Rudolph, of Bainbridge Island, died Nov. 14 at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle at age 74.

She was born on Nov. 17, 1927 in Salem, Mass. to Mr. and Mrs. Forest Wells and grew up in Beverly, Mass. She attended Endicott Junior College and went to Boston University, where she majored in art.

In August 1951, she married John H. Rudolph, who was then a graduate student in architecture at Princeton University.

The couple lived for a year in New Hope, Penn. before moving to Bainbridge Island in 1954.

She worked for many years at the Review under Walt Woodward. She also worked for St. Barnabas Church and the Suquamish Tribe.

A long-time political activist, she worked for equal civil rights for all American citizens. In the 1960s, she helped defeat a proposed missile launch site for the island.

She is survived by her former husband, John H. Rudolph of Bainbridge Island; Kristina Rudolph of Berkeley, Calif.; Mikael J. Rudolph of Minneapolis, Minn.; Jamaal Forest of San Rafael, Calif; and three grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters, Jeanne Winder of Denver, Colo. and Marie Knowlton of Hookset, N.H.

Remembrances can be sent to the Bainbridge Unity Coalition, c/o Junkoh Harui, 418 Wood Ave., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.