Long Time Peace Activist Dies

Earlier this month, Charlotte Utting, a long time volunteer with the Peace Corps, passed away in the Seattle area. Her cause of death was emphysema.

I hadn’t heard of Charlotte prior to this week, but when I read about her life and death, I knew she deserved a mention here because of her commitment to world peace.

Charlotte joined the Peace Corps after raising two sons. She went to Senegal and Cameroon during two assignments with the Peace Corps but her interest in world affairs and activism did not stop after her years as a volunteer. Throughout her life, she continued promoting peace and global understanding by joining protests against U.S. involvement in Central America, the Gulf War and, more recently, in Iraq. Even when her emphysema hindered her mobility, she attended protests in downtown Seattle with her oxygen tank.

After her retirement as a Peace Corps volunteer, she became a recruiter and was even honored with an award as outstanding returned Peace Corps volunteer in 1988.

A memorial service is scheduled for November 5, 2006 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the University Friends Center in Seattle. Donations in her name may be made to Doctors Without Borders, 333 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001.

Happy Travels!