Josie E. Reichlin

1937 - 2022

Josie E. Reichlin
December 27, 1937 - May 30, 2022
Bellingham, Washington - Daughter, Sister, Aunt, dear friend, and enthusiastic supporter of family and friends.
Life-long advocate for peace, justice, dignity, kindness, and compassion for others; anti-nuclear activist and protester.
Educator, teacher, mentor, and ally; she taught many hundreds of children and adults how to read, especially those with special needs.
Josie was born to Swiss and Dutch immigrants in Ferndale, WA. She was the sixth of nine children and grew up in a devout Catholic family on a small farm on the Lummi Indian Reservation. She graduated from Ferndale High School and joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace community. She earned a BA at Seattle U., a MA at the U. of San Francisco, and a D.Min. at the Berkeley Graduate School of Theology. As a nun Josie taught elementary school at parochial schools in WA and BC. In 1981, Josie was appointed Director of the Peace and Justice Office of the Western Provence of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace (1981-1987) where she advocated against the nuclear arms race, poverty, racism, hunger, discrimination, and a range of human rights issues locally as well as around the Pacific Rim, Central America, Scotland, and South Africa.
As coordinator of the Pacific Peacemaker Project, Josie planned actions by the peace ship, PACIFIC PEACEMAKER, a 54 ft sail boat that sailed from Australia via French Polynesia and Hawaii to the west coast of North America to protest nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. The PACIFIC PEACEMAKER took part in the Peace Blockade of the first Trident submarine to enter Hood Canal (8/12/1982), conducted peaceful protests along the west coast of the US, Canada, Hawaii, and western Pacific and Australia. In 1985, Josie was an international delegate to the World Conferences Against the A & H Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
Josie also protested detonation of nuclear weapons at the Nevada Nuclear Test Site and was arrested as a peaceful demonstrator for crossing onto the base in Feb 1987 and Jan 1989. Both charges were dropped.
In 1989, Josie left the Sisters of Saint Joseph community and began teaching elementary school for the Seattle School District. Josie specialized in teaching children with special needs until her retirement in 2007.
Josie loved to read, so books were her constant companions. She loved giving and receiving hugs, flowers, and watching birds at her bird feeder. She was always gentle, kind, and although stubborn, never complained even during the pandemic lockdowns when her only contact with family was through her closed window and during zoom meetings. She loved to hear about family exploits, accomplishments, weddings, birthdays, babies, good jokes, and live music even playing along with her ukulele.
Josie is survived by her sisters; Catherine Finkbonner (Ferndale, WA) and Betty Deck (Eatonville, WA). She was preceded in death by her parents, Martin and Anna (Zaat) Reichlin; sisters; Sr. Mary Ann Reichlin, Theresa Johnston, and Margaret Cronk; and brothers; Marty, Leonard, and Leo Reichlin. Josie has 51 nieces and nephews; 144 grand-nieces; and nephews; and more than 60 great-grand-nieces; and nephews.
Please join us for a picnic potluck to remember Josie on Sunday, June 19, 2022 4-8PM at Lake Padden Park 4882 Samish Way, Bellingham, WA.
You may remember Josie by donating to a deserving charity of your choice.