Glenda Mary Holden née McPherson

Glenda was born almost 87 years ago in the small town of Rockhampton, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia, right on the Tropic of Capricorn. Her father Robert was a baker; her mother Thyra was a homemaker.

A beloved matriarch celebrated for her refined taste, sharp wit, passion for travel, culinary expertise, and a devoted family, she was an early champion of the Pacific Northwest’s nascent wine industry and small-scale farms. She passed away in Seattle, Washington, on May 7, 2025, from complications of a heart-valve replacement.

Glenda spent her childhood near the sea during World War II, where she met American soldiers stationed in the area. Raised a Roman Catholic, she received her education from Loreto nuns and later earned a degree from the University of Queensland. She became a physical therapist like her sister Patricia, but she couldn't wait to break away from the constraints (and sweltering heat) of colonial life and soon boarded a freighter bound for the Mediterranean with vague plans to continue onward to London. A friend suggested she spend the winter in Mannheim, Germany, where there was real snow, so she took a job as a receptionist at a nearby US Army base. Here she crossed paths with an American journalist named Ronald Holden, who was doing his military service.

Two souls from opposite ends of the globe, they got married, settled in Portland, Oregon, and had two sons: Michael Isaac Holden and David Andrew Holden. Partway through Glenda’s five-decade career as a physical therapist and Ronald’s career in TV and radio, they took a detour to a medieval village in the southwest of France. The village was called Domme, and the baby Glenda gave birth to there was christened Dominic.

The family returned to Seattle, where Glenda resumed her work, specializing in geriatric rehabilitation, first at Group Health Hospital and later as a contractor for the Visiting Nurses Association of King County.

It also turned out that Glenda possessed an extraordinary palate and uncanny nose; she and Ronald became restaurant critics for the Seattle Weekly and wine columnists for a string of smaller newspapers across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Together they wrote a series of seminal guidebooks on the burgeoning wine country of the Pacific Northwest, and she launched weekend bus tours to the local vineyards and so-called Northwest Fresh tours to tiny farms. The pair would go on to lead tours across France, as well. Meanwhile, she deepened her expertise by putting herself through culinary school at South Seattle Community College — all while working full time and raising three boys.

Michael became a successful photographer, David a storied writer of television sit-coms, and Dominic an award-winning journalist. Glenda and Ronald went their separate ways at the turn of the century but remained in close touch. Likewise, Glenda parted ways with the Catholic Church after finding she could speak to God directly, while still remaining close with the convent of sisters at St. Therese Parish.

Based in Seattle's Madrona neighborhood after retirement, Glenda frequently embarked on solo travels to destinations ranging from England and Germany to more distant locales like India and back to Australia. In her final year, she resided at Murano Senior Living in Seattle, where she became a sensation with residents and staff. 

She is survived by her three sons, Michael, David, and Dominic; by Michael's two children, Kalea and Keegan; her daughter in law, Susan Holden; and by Kalea's two children, Auryn and Kieran. A memorial and Champagne toast were held in Seattle on May 10.