Bernice Velategui | Obituary

Bernice Lillian Velategui

Sep, 10, 1922 – Oct 9, 2025

Bernice Lillian Velategui, our mother, left us with love on October 9th, 2025 after more than 103 years of adventurous life. Born in 1922, Bernice set out from her four sisters and parents in Chicago traveling across the country to marry our father in 1943. Together they camped and explored the forests of Washington and the beaches of Mexico. After our father’s passing,

Bernice continued the traveling tradition, riding camels in Egypt, elephants in Africa, and dancing on barges through the canals of Europe. She and her sisters had rejoined for drives to Alaska on the Al-Can gravel highway in her convertible that sported questionable tires.

For 27 years, Bernice owned and operated Mercer Island Fabrics where she sold myriad textiles including wools, furs, stretch ski materials and nylon for kite building. She sponsored classes in sewing from the basics to pearl encrusted wedding dresses. Some of her favorite customers were the gay men, including her hairdresser, who travelled from Seattle and beyond to style themselves in her gorgeously elegant silks and satins.

Volunteering kept Bernice’s hands at work after retiring her store. Hunting the wily chanterelle,

Bernice was awarded the Golden Mushroom after serving the Seattle Mycological Society for decades as membership director. Bernice was first woman president of the Island Chamber of Commerce and president of the Businesswomen’s League. Never deterred, as a member of the Mercer Island Beautification Committee, she delayed the I-90’s crossing of the island until a roof and park were included in the design. She worked on layouts and selling ads for the Mercer Island Children’s Hospital phone book, scheduled speakers for PROEBUS, supported Opera Plus,

was docent at Bellevue Botanical Gardens and drove patients to cancer treatments, all the while, cooking for years in Saint Monica’s Church kitchen for Friends of the Needy. She was indefatigable.

Bernice’ children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, sisters and friends will miss her forever and treasure the lessons she taught throughout her adventurous life. She is survived by her sisters, Mary Spradlin and Evelyn Retherford; her sons, Carlos Velategui and Rick Velategui; her daughter, Victoria Velategui; daughter-in-law, Babs Velategui; 4 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Preceded in death by her husband, parents, sisters Florence Mals and Albie Alexander, daughter-in-law Gavi Velategui.

Memorials may be made to Friends-of-the-Needy or a charity of choice. Her memorial’s date will be announced in the spring.