Cherisse Luxa has passed away. I didn’t know Cherisse, but others did. Condolences to her family.
Cafecito at Daily Kos:This morning, Washington’s netroots community lost one of its most wonderful and spirited activists when Cherisse Luxa, the founder of Burien Drinking Liberally, succumbed to stomach cancer. Cherisse was sixty two. She resided in the 34th LD, known for its strong and vibrant Democratic Party organization.
If you have ever attended Drinking Liberally, you almost certainly know of Cherisse’s incredible energy and her unstoppable drive to make our community a better place. From her decades as a King County Sheriff’s Deputy to her impressive track record as an activist an advocate, Cherisse made a huge difference, both for Burien and for the broader community.
Cherisse, like many of us, got religion with Howard Dean’s run.
Cherisse touched thousands of lives and was a role model for many of us. We will sorely miss her.
Will
Thanks for the meaningful post.
Happy holiday!
Damn. We lost a warrior today.
Cherisse Luxa was very good to me, helping me to find my footing when I got started, asking nothing in return.
R.I.P. Cherisse.
How heart rending. It was always a treat to talk with her, about politics, and whatever activism she was doing, but also about quirks of Vashon Island (where she had been a cop before I moved there). I can remember her ribbing me about the size of Seattle Drinking Liberally. She’s sent me some great emails over the years, recommending sites to make fun of, and saying wonderful encouragement when it was needed.
I’m very saddened by the news. Cliche or not, they broke the mold when they made Cherisse. She was a grassroots activist who knew Robert’s Rules. She was hell on wheels, but so calm and assertive that it took a while for people to realize that she’d persuaded you to change your mind or take some action because it made so much sense. She also was someone who unfailingly brought biscuits for my dog Hassle whenever she came to my house, a gesture that earned even greater adoration than Hassle usually bestowed on visitors. She wept with me when Hassle died.
Cherisse and I were Dean Delegates to the 2004 Convention in Boston, and believed that we had the power to take back America (though we had to wait until 2008 to start).
She was my touchstone when perplexing issues or hesitant politicians frustrated me. She always knew what to do next, and was always kind. I can’t say that about very many people.
Raising a glass to you, Cherisse!
Will, Goldy
May I suggest and request that the last two mean spirited and irrelevant posts be deleted?
@5
Cynical’s and Puddy’s posts were removed.
Cherisse was quite a lady and we’ll all miss her dearly.
Thankfully, I didn’t see the comments by those two scumbuckets. Thanks for removing them.
But you know what? Cherisse would have snorted in derision at infantile morons like Cynical and Puddy. And woe betide them if they’d ever come face to face with her. She was a powerful woman, and she could give it back just as well as the idiots tossed it out … except that she was right instead of Right.
I recall many a Dean event in 2003 and 2004. Cherisse was a force of nature, one of the many shining lights in those days. Later, we shared laughs (and lunch) during a few days of working on a recount at KC Elections.
I didn’t know she was ill, so this news comes as a total shock. My deepest condolences to her family and close friends.
I didn’t see the bleats from the moron corner either. Wish I had.
I could have saved them as weapons in the everlasting struggle against ignorance, reaction and batshit insanity.
Thanks anyway. It was appropriate. My condolences to the Luxa family.
@6 Lee
Tx.
[Deleted — see HA Comment Policy]
My condolances to her family and friends. From the comments, it sounds like she was a wonderful woman.
I’m going to be pretty diligent in deleting useless comments in this thread from here on out.
I met Cherisse when she worked on the Save Lora Lake effort in 2007. She was an inspiration, willing to take on the backwardness of Burien’s city politics on behalf of people who are homeless. She simply was the classic grassroots advocate. I miss her . . . . we all will even if we didn’t know her. Good bye, Cherisse. Thanks for all you did.