Virginia Burnside made her mark in civic, literary affairs

On her coffee table, a stack of 15 books sits as a testament to the life and love of Virginia Burnside.

A civic and literary leader, she used her passion for books, reading and politics to shape and enrich her community.

"She really tried to make this a better city and better state," said the eldest of her two sons, Robert Burnside Jr. "She fought hard for the things she believed in."

Mrs. Burnside died Tuesday (Nov. 14) at the age of 81.

The Seattle native graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington, and there met her future husband, Robert L. Burnside, a colonel in the U.S. Army.

After having two sons, Robert Jr. and Gregory Burnside, she established a career as a syndicated political columnist and staff writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

In the 1950s, she produced and moderated a television talk show on politics, "Question Before the House," where state and local leaders discussed issues of the day.

"For a woman of her time, that was quite an accomplishment," said Gregory Burnside.

Mrs. Burnside was also involved in the political campaigns of Gov. Albert D. Rosellini and Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman. As their consultant and speech writer, the life-long Democrat was instrumental to their successes.

Finding a niche in other positions, Mrs. Burnside also served as an account executive and writer for the Seattle World's Fair in 1962 and was appointed assistant to the director of the Washington State Department of Commerce and Economic Development.

Her love of politics most recently kept her anxious and excited about the ongoing presidential election, said her friend Anne Voorhees.

"We had always gotten together on election nights and she would have liked to have lived to see the end of this one," Voorhees said.

Her friends and family also wish Mrs. Burnside - who founded the Seattle Public Library Foundation in 1980 - had lived to see the completion of the Seattle Public Library's Central Library, scheduled to open in 2003.

"She wants it to be the best in the world and we think it's going to be," said Terry Collings, director of the foundation. "Virginia never thought in small terms."

When foundation members told Mrs. Burnside they planned to name the new library's boardroom after her, Collings believes it brought a victorious finality to her 20 years of work with the library.

"For her that knowledge closed the circle on a life-long love affair with books and reading," Collings said.

In addition to her sons, Mrs. Burnside is survived by her husband, Robert; grandchildren Christopher and Tarsi Burnside of Seattle; and her sister, Dorothy Dakan of Seattle.

At Mrs. Burnside's request, no memorial service will be held.

Remembrances can be made to the Seattle Public Library Foundation, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104.

Lisa Rivera's phone message number is 206-464-3665. Her e-mail address is lrivera@seattletimes.com.