There will be a memorial service on Saturday, April 24, 2010 for long-time Green Lake resident Maybeth Pressley.
The service will be held at 2 p.m. at Green Lake United Methodist Church, a.k.a. “the castle” (6415 1st Ave NE, across the street from Green Lake Elementary School).
Mrs. Pressley lived in the Green Lake neighborhood for over 80 years. Her home at 6509 Sunnyside Ave N is currently on the market.
She was a graduate of Roosevelt High School and the University of Washington. At the age of 22, she won a spot in the Seattle Symphony’s first violin section, where she remained for 43 years.
Her daughter, Margaret Pressley, is a violinist and the founder and director of the Seattle Conservatory of Music (SCM). SCM offers a chamber music program at the Green Lake United Methodist Church on Thursdays.
Maybeth Pressley’s obituary was published in The Seattle Times on March 12th:
Mrs. Pressley [...] drew attention for her considerable beauty. Once, when the legendary comedian/violinist Jack Benny was appearing with the Seattle Symphony, he grabbed the unsuspecting violinist during a curtain call, threw her into a tango back bend and gave her a big kiss on the lips.
Fellow musicians remember Mrs. Pressley as a generous and convivial colleague. Seattle Symphony violinist Mariel Bailey, one of her frequent stand partners, calls her “the epitome of style and class, and as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. I will always remember her for her dignity, musical integrity and calm confidence. She was generous with compliments and encouragement.”
Ms. Pressley died on March 5th, 2010 at the age of 90.
