Gretchen Mathers

Gretchen MATHERS Fabulous hostess, beloved relative and successful business woman, Gretchen Mathers passed away Aug. 7 surrounded by family and close friends at her Madison Park home. Gretchen was born in Spokane to Jim and Helen Mathers, grew up on Capitol Hill and graduated from Garfield High School. As a little girl she dreamed of becoming Betty Crocker and when her Mother went back to work it was Gretchen, world's best big sister, who made dinner for her brothers, Tom, Bill and Jack. She loved to cook and one of her first jobs was making candy canes for The Hyde Candy company. After graduating from WSU in 1962, with a degree in foods and nutrition, she accepted a position with Stouffer Restaurants in Cleveland and New York, and became the executive assistant dietician at the Top of the Sixes. Twice she worked for General Foods Corporation (1964 and 1974) in White Plains, New York, and as a part of the product development team brought Cool Whip and Stove Top products to grateful homemakers. From 1966 to 1974, she returned to Seattle with Western International Hotels (now Westin Hotels), becoming director of food and beverage, the first female in the chain to hold that position. Many corporations wanted to hire Gretchen, and she always wondered what it would have been like had she (in 1974) accepted the manager position of the Playboy Mansion in Chicago. In 1979, Gretchen said, "I knew what I wanted to do and I did it." She wanted to return to Seattle to open catering services and a restaurant. She refinanced her house and took out a loan from the Small Business Association, a courageous step for a single woman in those days. Her first contract was with Gray Line Tours providing salmon dinners on their Lake Washington summer cruises. There was only one problem: she didn't have a catering kitchen. Fortunately, her college sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, said the sorority house on the UW campus was empty and the kitchen was hers. Gretchen's of Course was born. From there her creative catering became the talk of Seattle's best hostesses as she introduced mini reubens and smoked salmon mold. That November she opened the first of her Gretchen's of Course restaurants at 94 Stewart in the Pike Place Market. A month before she opened, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She said, "I don't have time for this. I have a restaurant to open!" Her employees, family and friends were all there to support her. Each night her mother, Helen, would wash and iron the cloth napkins and occasionally scrubbed the floor. From 1979 to 1987 she had a total of five cafeteria style restaurants and a thriving catering business. Many remember her signature salads: chicken tarragon and her delicious ziti pasta with sausage. In 1987 when the opportunity became available to join forces with John and Bill Schwartz managing the combined catering operations for Gretchen's of Course and Schwartz Brothers Catering, she took it. Over time, her management responsibilities grew to include Gretchen's Shoebox Express, Schwartz Brothers Bakery and Columbia River Bakery, providing the food service on the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train and Schwartz Brothers Entertainment Services at Benaroya Hall. Gretchen found herself supported by a team of wonderful managers and hundreds of loyal employees. In 2003, John Schwartz also lost his battle to cancer. Gretchen received many awards and recognitions: first woman president of the Restaurant Association of Washington, Board member for the National Restaurant Association, the Nellie Cashman Award as Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, President of Les Dames d'Escoffier, Seattle Chapter, 1st VP Les Dames d'Escoffier International, Delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business 1986 and 1995, and in 2007 an award from the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management, as well as others. She traveled the world, made friends and kept friends. Her mentor was Julia Child and they enjoyed each other's company, "she remembers me, because we're both over six feet tall and we can talk eye-to-eye". Colin, the bartender at The Ritz in Paris knew her favorite scotch and when she strolled into the Carlyle Room in New York, Bobby Short interrupted his piano solo with, "why, it's Gretchen - of course!" But it was her loving family and friends who mattered most to her. Thousands of happy hours were spent in her gracious home, the celebration center for countless birthdays, weddings and festive occasions. It was her foodie friends, congregating in her kitchen, the Aqua Babes swimming together at The Seattle Tennis Club, the Decibels at dinner, and family reunions with her cousins at Loon Lake that were a priority with her. And, when she found her home in Maui and family and friends could congregate in that kitchen, it was paradise. A real joy filled her life with the addition of nieces, Murphie and Hailey, and nephew, Cooper and she taught them the importance of Turner Classic Movies and learning to swim. And, she promised to take each of them to Paris when they turned 16. Last September she was the keynote speaker at the Swedish Hospital Women's Wellness luncheon, and she talked about being a cancer survivor and what she had learned from that experience. Three weeks later, after 26 years, her breast cancer returned. She passed away from complications from this disease. She lived her life with elegance, courage and vivacity. When you pass the red van that says, "Gretchen's Shoebox", smile and say, "safe travels, Gretchen." She is survived by her father, Jim, her brothers, Tom (Carolee), Bill (Diane) and Jack (Maggie) and their children, Murphie, Hailey and Cooper. A Celebration of her Life will be held Aug. 26 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya. Her famous chocolate chip cookies will be served. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be made to The Swedish Medical Center Foundation Hospice Program at Swedish Care Services, 747 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122, or to a charity of your choice.