In Memoriam CHARLOTTE CHALKER 1935 – 2025

By Jack Connelly

I sat at my desk in Mrs. Sheets’ second grade class at Idlewild Elementary in Lakewood—expecting an ordinary morning. Instead, the door opened and in walked two six-year-old girls who would immediately disrupt the natural order of things: Terri Nelson and Linda Chalker. Mrs. Sheets announced they’d be joining our class. We quickly learned why. Incredibly, these two had skipped first grade entirely. Straight from kindergarten to second grade. We were stunned, intimidated. How could anyone have been so smart? As it turned out, the hype was justified. Terri was the daughter of a renowned math teacher at Lakes High School, and Linda — the daughter of Charlotte and Ray Chalker — would go on to become a professor at Washington State University. (Go Cougs!)

That year we also came to know Linda’s mother, “Mrs. Chalker.” Not just as a parent, but as a presence. She was our room mother, our field trip leader, our quiet observer in the back of the classroom. She knew every child’s name. And there was something about her—something unmistakable. Even at seven years old, we recognized it. She carried herself with a quiet authority, a composure that made you sit up straighter. She had a “look” that made you immediately stop goofing around. When she called your name you immediately, and nervously, came to attention. We called her “Mrs. Chalker.” Always.

Years passed. I went through Idlewild and Junior High School with Linda and would occasionally see Mrs. Chalker at community events. Then life moved on and we lost touch. I went off to Stanford, then UC Law, and began setting my sights on a legal career. During my second year of Law School I had everything lined up. I had an offer with a Seattle firm and was ready to begin my career. And then — out of the blue — the phone rang.

It was Mrs. Chalker. I immediately came to attention. Unbeknownst to me, she had gone to Law School herself — at the newly-formed University of Puget Sound Law School — and was now a partner at Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson & O’Hern (Now Daheim) in Tacoma. She didn’t ask if I wanted to interview there. She told me the interview was already set up and I was to be there at 9:00 a.m. the next day. Not daring to risk her disapproval, I showed up early. I met with ten partners, with Mrs. Chalker accompanying me to every single interview. By the end, I had run out of intelligent questions and was dangerously close to asking someone about their favorite color. I liked the firm. I took the job.

That summer she pulled me aside and said, “From now on, you need to call me Charlotte.” That may have been the most difficult assignment of my entire legal career. Working alongside her for the ensuing years, I began to learn and understand who Charlotte Chalker really was.

Born in Albany, Oregon in 1935, Charlotte earned a degree in Education from Oregon State, married Ray Chalker of Tacoma’s Chalker Engineering, and built a life that balanced family, community, and — eventually — law. After raising her children and supporting her husband’s engineering firm, she went to Law School, becoming one of the first female graduates in 1977. She then became the first female associate — and soon after, the first female partner — at Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell. But titles only begin to tell the story of who Charlotte Chalker was.

Charlotte practiced law for over 40 years, and even in retirement, continued serving others through pro bono work. She was a force in the legal community, serving on state bar committees, judicial conferences, and disciplinary boards. Within and beyond the law, she poured herself into the community. Charlotte was known as an outstanding lawyer and advocate. Even more so was her ability to use her legal acumen to benefit groups throughout the community and region. She served on numerous boards focused on law, arts and culture, animal welfare, health and wellness, and education. She was politically active and named to the Governor’s Commission on Washington State Growth Strategy. Legal service included the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, the Board of Visitors of the UPS Law School, the Washington State Bar Association Committee on Rules of Professional Conduct, and the WSBA Disciplinary Board. Within the community she served on the Board of Trustees of the Tacoma Art Museum serving as President in 1986. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University, and served and represented Pacific Lutheran University. She served on the Board of the Washington State Historical Society as well as numerous other community organizations — and still somehow found time for Rotary, the Rose Society, and even early morning boot camp workouts with Charlie Davis at the YMCA. Shortly before her passing, Charlotte established endowments supporting youth, music, and the arts — because even then, she was thinking forward.

At her Celebration of Life, one word came up again and again: regal. It fit. Not because she was distant — but because she carried herself with dignity, discipline, and an unwavering respect for others. And she expected the same in return. She somehow made you want to be your best. She also had a remarkable ability to get people to say “yes.”

I learned that firsthand. Shortly after I graduated from Law School and joined the firm, she stopped by my office and mentioned that the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association was considering restarting the Young Lawyers Division. I told her I agreed. It was a great idea. She said, “Good. We’d like you to help start it.” I hesitated. “Well, I’m pretty busy right now, but I’ll certainly consider it.” She gave me that look. Suddenly…There I was again in second grade. “Well, it’s good you’ll consider it,” she said, “because I’ve scheduled a meeting for this Thursday. Jim Degle will be President, Paula Olson Treasurer, Kathryn Nelson Secretary — and you’ll be Vice President.” Two days later, we had that meeting. Oddly, Jim Degle became President, Paula Olson, Treasurer, Kathryn Nelson, Secretary and yours truly Vice President. And just like that, the Young Lawyers Division was back — still going strong today.

That was Charlotte. Decisive. Persuasive. Effective. She made things happen. And if you ever doubted her resolve, you didn’t for long. As Federal Magistrate (ret.) Rick Creatura noted at her Celebration of Life, she was a strong lawyer — and a tough one. You didn’t cross her lightly. But she also changed things. Mark Honeywell noted that she became the first female member of the Tacoma Club after her firm’s leader, Joe Gordon Sr., made it clear they would no longer support an institution that excluded women. She didn’t just work within systems — she improved them. Looking back, it’s remarkable to think that the same woman who once sat quietly in the back of a second-grade classroom would go on to shape so many lives, institutions and communities.

To us second graders, she was Mrs. Chalker. To her colleagues, she was Charlotte. To the community, she was a leader. And to many of us—whether we realized it at the time or not — she was something even more enduring:

She was the standard.

And once you’ve met someone like that… you spend the rest of your life trying to live up to it. 

Jack Connelly practices at Connelly Law Offices, a plaintiffs’ firm with offices in Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane. After graduating from Stanford, he received his JD from UC Law, and spent 25 years with Gordon, Thomas before starting CLO. He and his wife Angela are active in the community. An owner of the Tacoma Rainiers, and the Highlands Golf Course Jack is a past President of the Tacoma Library Board, Tacoma City Club, and Pacific Harbors Scouting Council. He is Board Chair at Bellarmine Prep and serves on the Gonzaga Law Board of Advisors. Jack has been honored by a number of legal organizations including Best Lawyers in America, the American Board of Trial Advocates, he is a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and American Bar Foundation, and has been repeatedly honored as one of the Seattle/Tacoma area’s lead attorneys. He is a former President of both the Washington State Association for Justice and Damages Attorneys Roundtable.