Editor’s Note: This article is part of The Beachcomber’s continuing coverage of candidates who will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot, seeking to serve as commissioners of taxing districts on Vashon.

Two candidates, Catherine Sullivan and Deborah Brown, are running to fill one open seat on Vashon’s Cemetery District board. The seat is now held by Jay Hanson, who is not running for re-election.

The winner of the Nov. 7 contest will join two incumbents on the board — Lisa Devereau, a longtime commissioner who is also the manager of Island Funeral Service, and Tony Puz.

Vashon Cemetery holds a remarkable distinction: it is the only publicly-owned cemetery in King County. As of this year, it also became the only cemetery in King County to offer completely green burials, developing a small section of the cemetery ground for this purpose.

The cemetery’s operations are funded by Vashon’s smallest tax levy, of .036 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

This sliver of tax revenues, amounting to approximately $120,000 a year, fully sustains the cemetery’s operation — and also keeps the prices of all plots in the cemetery extremely affordable, according to Devereau. Traditional plots are $1,000 to $1,500 — a fraction of the cost at many other off-island cemeteries, she said.

The cemetery truly belongs to Vashon — to purchase a plot there, either for green or regular burial, it is necessary to show a utility bill from Vashon.

Catherine Sullivan

In a statement, Sullivan described herself as an active and engaged member of the community, who has volunteered with island causes and nonprofits including the Vashon Sheepdog Classic, Vashon Island Pet Protector’s Fur Ball, Mukai Farm & Garden, and Vashon Unitarian Universalists.

She cites 15 years of financial and logistical oversight at Harborview Medical Center overseeing continuing education opportunities for medical staff.

“I also bring a personal commitment to this position,” she said. “I have three family members memorialized at the cemetery and one day I will be memorialized there.”

She described herself as a lifelong taphophile — a person who is interested in cemeteries, funerals, and gravestones.

“I am that person who visits cemeteries while on vacation, and I have done extensive research and exploration on how communities honor their dead,” she said. “…The Commissioner position seemed like a perfect way to combine my passion in this area with the life virtue of being in service to others and my community.”

Calling Vashon Cemetery an important part of Vashon’s community, she pledged to do her part to “help keep it a vital and vibrant organization that honors our past while looking forward by incorporating progressive funeral initiatives, such as the new green burial options.”

Deborah Brown

Brown is a 34-year Vashon resident, former Chamber of Commerce director, Park District commissioner, teacher, health care provider, and public servant.

Her intentions as a Cemetery District Commissioner, Brown said in a statement, are to provide well-maintained and honored grounds, while also working to include the Vashon Cemetery in the Nation’s distinguished Purple Heart Trail, honoring the island’s fallen heroes.

Brown, who is self-employed, has a master’s degree in organizational systems and environmental management from Pacific Lutheran University.

She can be reached by email at ddbrowndawg@gmail.com.