Emily Farley Award Recipient Lorraine Glowczak, South Portland Each League member offers a level of commitment, active participation, and leadership that contributes to the success of the League and its mission. Without these qualities, there would not be a LWV as we know it today. On occasion, certain individuals come along whose level of devotion and contribution create an impact with a punch. Their energy and passion are contagious and mere presence, genius. One such person is Karla Wight, a member of the League of Women Voters of the Portland Area, who was the recipient of the 2016 Emily Farley Award* at the LWVPA Annual Meeting on May 11th.
Karla comes to the Portland Area League by way of Seattle. In fact, the LWVPA would not have celebrated their 3rd Annual meeting if Karla had not moved to Maine. In 2011, Karla was disappointed to discover that the LWVPA was a dormant organization. She immediately set out, working diligently to reignite the spark that had been absent for 10 years. The third annual meeting is proof of her success. Who is this exceptional Karla Wight?
Born Karla Dona Lothrop in 1934 in Wakefield, MA, Karla was the first child of Donald Lothrop, a Unitarian Minister and Helena Lukomska, a Polish Immigrant and Social Worker. When Karla was four, the family moved to Brookline, MA to be near the Community Church of Boston, of which her father became the new clergy. As a result, Karla, as well as her sister and brother, became a part of the "family business", working on duties of community efforts that comes with the obligations of a minister's family. Additionally, her outgoing father and studious mother were both politically active. Mr. Lothrop ran for town office while Helena was active in her own right, picketing for things that mattered to her such as the right to father and studious mother were both politically active. Mr. Lothrop ran for town office while Helena was active in her own right, picketing for things that mattered to her such as the right to birth control. This community active and civic engaging family set the stage and prepared Karla for her adult life.
Karla attended Boston University and graduated with a degree in nursing in 1956. After working briefly in the nursing field, Karla returned to BU to begin her Master's in Social Work. There she met law student, Dick Williams. Upon his graduation in 1957, they married. Immediately following the ceremony, they headed west to Seattle where a job was waiting for her husband.
Karla completed her Master's at the University of Washington and worked as a Psychiatric Social Worker until she had her first daughter, Kelly, in October 1959. As was expected of a woman of the 1950's, Karla quit her job to become a full time mother. Although she dearly loved her newborn child and enjoyed being a mother, it wasn't long until Karla felt something was missing. Her conversations with others now included subjects such as potty training and other homemaking topics. Not having the intellectually stimulating discussions she once had, Karla asked a friend out of frustration; "Is this all there is?" It was that friend's recommendation that led Karla join the LWV and changed not only Karla's life, but the life of the League itself.
Without hesitation, Karla quickly became involved and joined the League of Women Voters of Seattle in January 1960. In no time, she became a Unit Leader, Board Member, and Membership Chair, working persistently on civic issues facing her new home's community. The civic work with like-minded and equally passionate individuals was the intellectual stimulation she so dearly missed and provided the opportunity to serve the needs of the community that one cannot do alone. Additionally, Karla believed she became a better mother as a result of her work with the League. Her second daughter, Lael, was born in 1965.
Karla remained an active and full time member in the Seattle League until the age of 62 when she was diagnosed with cancer. As a result of the diagnosis, she and her second husband, Joe, retired early and spent their summers at their camp in North Conway, New Hampshire. They would return to Seattle in the winter where Karla resumed her volunteer work. Karla is now cancer free.
In 2007, Karla and Joe moved to Portland to be near his sons as her husband's plight with Alzheimer's began deteriorating. Upon his death in 2011, Karla was ready to join and meet members in her new League home. It was at this point she was saddened to discover the inactive Portland Area League. She turned that disappointment into action, and through hard work and dedication, re-established a thriving, fully active organization. It is for this very reason that she was the recipient of the Emily Farley Award, the first given since the LWVPA re-launched.
Karla is still an active, passionate, and motivating member with the LWVPA and remains an honorary member with the LWV-Seattle. Thank you, Karla, for your enthusiasm, dedication, and incredible, extraordinary spirit.