2020 Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage

Subject: Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Aug 20 - 11:04 AM

News has come in of the recent passing of Maggie Savage, an important voice in the Seattle Folk movement. (As a child I met her by what I think was a married name, Maggie Moloso).

More details to follow. This was sent in by Everett folksinger and collector of songs, Deckman (aka Bob Nelson).

Subject: RE: Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Deckman
Date: 26 Aug 20 - 11:45 AM

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS STILLY RIVER SAGE!

YES INDEED, MAGGIE MOLASO SAVAGE WAS A HUGE FOLK MUSIC FORCE IN THE NORTHWEST FROM THE 1960'S ONWARD. SHE AND HER THEN HUSBAND MIKE MOLASO OPENED "92 YESLER" DURING THE 1962 WORLD'S FAIR. IT WAS A FOLK CLUB THAT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.

MAGGIE AND I WERE VERY FOND OF EACH. WE SHARED MANY PERFORMANCE STAGES TOGETHER. LATE IN HER LIFE, SHE MARRIED HER WIFE, SHARON WOOTEN. MY WIFE JUDY AND I SPWNT MANY HAPPY TIMES WITH THEM, SINGING SONGS AND TELLING BAD STORIES.

SHE WAS A VERY POWERFUL FORCE AND I KNOW WILL BE GREATLY MISSED. BOB NELSON

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Deckman
Date: 29 Aug 20 - 06:29 AM

RE-FRESH

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Aug 20 - 09:04 AM

Can any of our Seattle or Pacific NW folks find an obituary to post?

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Deckman
Date: 29 Aug 20 - 09:43 AM

NONE HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED YET, BUT HER DAUGHTER MARY TOLD ME SHE IS WRITING ONE. BOB NELSON

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 30 Aug 20 - 06:15 AM

I have added Maggie to the "in Memoriam" thread. There is a lovely piece on the Internet about the time Maggie and her husband Mike recorded a song poking fun at the Seattle Space Needle. Do check it out! My condolences to all who know and love Maggie.

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 20 - 06:52 PM

From the Seattle Times:

Margaret (Maggie) Savage

Margaret (Maggie) Ann Savage was the adopted daughter of US Attorney Anthony Savage Sr. and Washington Pioneer Florence Barr Hopkins, and the genetic daughter of John Lewis Kaseburg and Margaret Marlow Howard.

She survived 3 spouses (Michael Reeve Moloso, Richard Dean Unrue and Sharon Hughes Wootton) and both brothers (criminal defense attorney Anthony (Tono) Savage Jr. and Canadian Olympic men's swimming coach Paul Arthur Savage). She is survived by her sister-in-law, Canadian Olympic women's swimming coach Margaret Cant Savage, her former partner Judith Lee Fogelquist, 3 children (Michael Anthony Moloseau, Mary Moloseau Goetz, and Sara Ellen Koulen) and 3 grandchildren (Margaret Rose Koulen, Gina Elizabeth Goetz and Richard Heinrich Koulen.)

The Savage family hailed from north Seattle. Maggie was a Girl Scout and a graduate of Roosevelt High School. She went on to study literature at Whitman College and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She later received a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Washington.

Maggie was musically talented, singing and playing the piano, guitar, and occasional kazoo. She early enjoyed singing at St. Albans Girl Scout summer camp. Highlights of her music career include a Whitman College production of "Guys and Dolls," the 1962 Seattle hit "Wasn't that a Mighty Day when the Needle Hit the Ground," 25 years of Folklife performances, inclusion in the UW Bob Nelson folk music archives, touring with feminist theater group The Co-Respondents to promote the Equal Rights Amendment and performing with Orcas a Cappella.

In addition to music, she was a guidance counselor at both Interlake High School in Bellevue, WA, and the UW Law school. She loved raspberry jam, homemade applesauce, and sunset colors in the trees.

In the 90's she started living her dream on Shaw Island in the San Juan Islands. The property was purchased by her father in 1946, undeveloped and unseen, from the Seattle courthouse steps. After decades of planning, saving and pounding nails, she retired to her forever home. The picture windows overlook a University of Washington biological preserve on Parks Bay. She split her time between watching birds and hosting music and writing workshops and nature retreats. She also co-authored "You Know You're in Washington When..." and "Washington: Off the Beaten Path."

She died 22 Aug 2020 after a brief illness, at the age of 84. She will be buried on Shaw Island. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the nonprofit Shaw Respect scholarship charity, PO BOX 343 Shaw Island, WA 98286.

Published in The Seattle Times on Sep. 6, 2020.

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Deckman
Date: 07 Sep 20 - 08:19 PM

YEP … THAT'S THE MAGGIE I KNEW AND LOVED.

I WELL REMEMBER ONE OCCASION WHEN I WAS SINGING A LIVE SET ON KRAB RADIO, IN SEATTLE. I WAS INTRODUCING A SONG, SAYING: "THESE SONGS ARE LIKE OLD FRIENDS TO ME. I SING THEM FOR COMGORT AND JOY." MAGGIE CAME INTO THE STUDIO, I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS THE NEXT PERFORMER, TOOK OVER THE MIC AND SAID: "YES, THESE SONGS ARE LIKE OLD FRIENDS, JUST LIKE YOU BOB!"

SHE IS GREATLY MISSED. BOB(DECKMAN)NELSON

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Seattle Folksinger Maggie Savage
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Sep 20 - 07:24 PM

Lovely bio.