Remembering Justice Mary Fairhurst
“When you see that justice is not being achieved you do something about it.”
We reflect on and celebrate the legacy of Mary Fairhurst, retired Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court, who passed away on December 28. She was 64 years old when she died peacefully at her Olympia home, surrounded by family and loved ones. She retired after a recurrence of colon cancer in 2020.
Justice Fairhurst was a long-time supporter of the Center for Women & Democracy. As Chief Justice, she hosted us for tea as part of our annual Kicking Up Our Heels celebration of women leaders in Washington state. We were honored to give her two awards for her exemplary leadership and outstanding public service. We know that she had touched the lives of many friends of CWD so we reached out to learn more about her and her legacy. Read their tributes below to learn more about Justice Fairhurst and what she meant to so many women in Washington.
The Center for Women in Democracy joins those who mourn the passing of Justice Fairhurst and offer condolences to the love of her life Bob Douglas and to her brothers and sisters and all family that was so dear to her.
Friends of CWD, Jaime Hawk and Narda Pierce, have shared their tributes below.
Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst was a trailblazer, who served as a role model for so many women, especially in the legal profession. She was an early president of Washington Women Lawyers and later became, at the time, the youngest person ever to serve as president of the Washington State Bar Association. Her election in 2002 to the Washington State Supreme Court brought its first female majority to the Court, one of the first state supreme courts in the nation to have a majority of women on the court. She was recognized by Gonzaga Law School with the Myra Bradwell Award, its top award for alums leadership and making a difference in the lives of women and children. Throughout her service to the State of Washington, she was a mentor to scores of women lawyers and will be missed by all who knew her.
Justice Fairhurst was dedicated to increasing access to the justice system and promoting a better understanding of the foundations of democracy. Many of her contributions came during her service on the Supreme Court. She was especially active in civics education, including Washington iCivics, We the People, and the YMCA Youth and Government program. When the interactive web-based iCivics program was launched, Justice Fairhurst observed, “To keep our democracy functioning, citizens must feel free to actively engage with government and stop seeing themselves as spectators in the grandstands. Let’s take steps to make the democratic process more vibrant here in Washington state.”
Justice Fairhurst exemplified this active engagement in her public service career. She served 17 years in the Washington Attorney General’s office. Among her many accomplishments was her work on a constitutional amendment to increase the rights of crime victims. During this time, she also served as president of Washington Women Lawyers and on the board of the Washington State Bar Association. She later was elected as Bar President, the second woman and first public sector attorney to hold this position. Attorney General Christine Gregoire recognized her extraordinary contributions by presenting her the first Steward of Justice award. Justice Fairhurst once summed up what it means to be a Steward of Justice — “when you see that justice is not being achieved you do something about it.”
Justice Fairhurst received many honors and awards recognizing her outstanding public service and her indefatigable work to advance civics education and access to justice. Among other recognitions she was awarded the 2019 Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Ninth Circuit; the Council for Public Legal Education’s Judge William Nevins Award for distinguished service in public legal education; and the Washington State Bar Association’s highest honor, the Award of Merit. Gonzaga University, where Justice Fairhurst earned her bachelor’s degree in 1979 and her juris doctorate in 1984, has honored her legacy with the establishment of the Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst Bench and Bar Room at the School of Law.
Justice Fairhurst was also widely admired for her courage and optimism, and for the care and empathy she had for others. These qualities were remembered by her fellow justices in the Supreme Court’s official announcement of her passing, as they recalled her kindness, positive attitude and big heart. A “Joyful Celebration of Life” will be held soon.