Former Gig Harbor mayor passes away

Gretchen (Swayze) Wilbert was a beloved and well known figure in the Gig Harbor community.

A retired kindergarten teacher and mother of three, Wilbert served as mayor of Gig Harbor for 16 years, the longest tenure for any other mayor to date.

Wilbert died Sunday at age 87 after a period of declining health, according to family members.

“She was one of the most positive people I’ve known,” said her son, Jeff Wilbert. “She was always willing to help anybody.”

Wilbert was born February 15, 1928 at St. Joesph Medical Center in Tacoma. Her mother, Frances Swayze, was one of the first women to serve in the House of Representatives in Washington state.

Her brother, Thomas Swayze, also served in the House of Representatives.

Wilbert graduating from the University of Puget Sound with a Bachelor of Arts in 1949 and moved to Gig Harbor in 1954 with her husband, Bill, to raise their three children in a beach house on Wollochet Bay.

Once her children were in school, she earned her teaching certificate and went on to teach kindergarten at Artondale Elementary School, where she was instrumental in establishing the kindergarten program in the Peninsula School District. She retired from teaching in 1988.

Wilbert began her tenure as mayor of Gig Harbor in 1989.

Current mayor Jill Guernsey first met Wilbert during her campaign for mayor.

“She was a wonderful, sweet woman who taught me a lot,” Guernsey said. “She was very strong willed and did wonderful things. She was a woman who always had the best interest of Gig Harbor at her heart.”

Wilbert’s tenure as mayor saw dramatic growth in the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula areas, with the development of Gig Harbor North and the Uptown Gig Harbor shopping complex beginning while she was in office.

Chuck Hunter — who succeeded Wilbert as mayor in 2005 — remembers working with her during this time of growth.

“Gretchen had a vision. It was all about shaping Gig Harbor,” Hunter said.

He remembered a determined woman who knew what she wanted and would work until she achieved her goal.

“She was a good person and was dedicated to the quality of life in Gig Harbor,” he said.

According to her son, the foundation of the Boys and Girls Club in Gig Harbor is the accomplishment Wilbert was most proud of, though she had many causes she championed.

“(She was) hugely instrumental in shaping Gig Harbor as we know it today,” Jeff Wilbert said.

Council member Ken Malich remembers growing up down the street from Wilbert and learning a bit about politics from her mother when he was younger.

“(Wilbert) was always engaged with the city to the end. It was always refreshing to hear from her,” Malich said. “I’m shocked and sad she’s gone. She’s a fixture in our community.”

Wilbert finished her final term as mayor in 2005, but remained active in the community that she helped to shape.

She moved to an apartment in Harbor Place in 2011, where she lived unassisted until three weeks ago.

A public celebration of life service will be held to celebrate Wilbert’s legacy, but the details still in the planning stage, Jeff Wilbert said.

While the formal celebration of her life has not yet been organized, the former mayor is remembered fondly among her colleagues and friends.

“We loved her as our mayor,” Guernsey said. “The town was lucky to have her as mayor for 16 years ...(she’s) a loss, a real loss. It makes me very sad.”

Wilbert is survived by her three children: Jeff Wilbert, Cindy Greenfield and Mart Lambert; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Former Gig Harbor mayor passes away."