City of Tacoma Council Member Catherine Ushka dies

TACOMA, Wash. — The City of Tacoma announced the loss of Council Member Catherine Ushka, representative of District 4, on Thursday.

Council Member Ushka was elected to the District 4 seat of the Tacoma City Council in 2017. She was then re-elected to another four-year term on the City Council, and appointed to serve as Deputy Mayor in 2022.

According to a press release from the City of Tacoma, Ushka was deeply committed to public service, serving and deploying with the U.S. Navy Reserve, serving eight years on the Tacoma Public Schools Board of Directors, and holding various community leadership roles before beginning her first term on the City Council.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Council Member Catherine Ushka,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards. “She will be remembered by many for her works seen and unseen. Here in Tacoma, she will be especially remembered for her fierce advocacy for the Eastside and South End, her willingness to stand for those whose voices are so often left out, and putting her hands in the dirt as well as rising to the highest levels of policy to make lasting change.”

The Pierce County City Council offered condolences, stating they were “deeply saddened to hear about the loss of our friend and governing partner, Catherine Ushka. She was a dedicated and passionate community leader, and her unwavering commitment to public service has left an indelible mark on our community. Her legacy of service will continue to shape and inspire us for many years to come.”

Council Member Ushka served Pierce County through her leadership as Chair of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Board of Health, with her efforts honored on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, when Metro Parks Tacoma unveiled Catherine Ushka’s Gas Station Park.

In one of her last public addresses, Ushka said, “I was thrilled to advocate for this space. Now – watching the kids play and hearing parents and neighbors talk about how the park makes their lives better – that’s award enough for me. That’s why I serve and serving this community that I love has been the greatest honor of my life.”

Tacoma Pierce County Health Department also shared a statement, led by Director of Public Health Chantell Harmon Reed.

“We are greatly saddened to learn that our Board of Health Chair, Catherine Ushka, has passed away. In only a short time under her Board leadership, her legacy is clear. She was tirelessly committed to the Department’s mission of protecting and improving our community, especially in health equity and racial justice. Her legacy will continue to influence our Health Department for years to come.”

She had been involved with the Board of Health since 2018 and was remembered as a fierce advocate for equity and health even before she was elected to City Council. Notably, Council Member Ushka led the Board in declaring racism as a public health crisis, and even through bouts of personal illness, was unrelenting in her expectation that we make good on this commitment and serve our community compassionately and effectively.

The Board of Health also remembered her as someone who cared deeply about staff, believing everyone deserved to be healthy and live resiliently. According to the board, she advocated for this belief until the very end of her life.

“Her legacy will carry on in our work every day. All of us at Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department will miss her very much.”

She is survived by her daughter Amelia, son Gus, father Mike, brother David and partner Marty.

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