Mildred Jeane Wilkerson Ollée was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on June 24, 1934 daughter of Robert Wilkerson and Pearl Hebert Wilkerson. Growing up in Alexandria with her sister Robbie Gertie Wilkerson-Jones was a special time for the extraordinary girls. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education, English, and Social Science at Xavier University of Louisiana. This is where she met her soul mate, Henry Ollée, whom she married in 1957. Their first son, David, was born while living in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1959 she taught high school in St Martinsville, La. The Ollée family moved to Walla Walla where their second son, Darrell, was born. While raising two young boys and teaching elementary school, she earned her Master’s degree in education from Walla Walla College.
She began her career in higher education as a faculty member at Walla Walla Community College. In 1970, she became a counselor at Seattle Central Community College and rose to the position of Vice President of Student Services, a job she held from 1987 to 1995. Mildred earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Seattle University in 1988. In 1995, she became The Executive Dean/CEO of Cascade Campus in the Portland Community College system. In 2003, she returned to Seattle Central College as President. Retirement in 2010 did not mark the end of Mildred’s career, just a pause during which she found time for travel to see family and friends and travel to Europe even going to the London Olympics in 2012 with Darrell and his family.
Mildred believed in giving back to her communities she was a member of The Links, Incorporated Seattle and Tacoma Chapters, various boards including the Seattle Central Foundation, Sound Transit Citizen Oversight Panel, the Federal Way Rotary and served on the candidate nominating committee for the US Naval Academy. Most recently she was appointed to the Federal Way School Board and served as the Interim Director for the Northwest African American Museum which allowed her to indulge in another of her passions: bringing the talent of Artists of African descent to a wider audience.
Mildred was preceded in death by her husband Dr. Henry Ollee Jr., MD in 2010. Her memory will live on through her son David Michael, his wife Millicent (Williams) and their 3 children Rachelle, Jordan, and Michael of Seattle and son Darrell Jacques, his wife Dr. Sharon (Charles) and their children Miles and Natalie of Aurora, IL. She has many loving nieces and nephews, in-laws, friends and colleagues who will remember her generous spirit, kindness, wit and tenacity.
SHE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
Visitation will be held Wednesday October 17th, 2018, 4pm-7pm at Bonney-Watson Funeral Home 1732 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122. A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday October 18th, 2018 10am at Our Lady of Fatima Parish 3218 W Barrett St, Seattle, WA 98199 with a reception to follow.
Please send donations to the Mildred Ollee Scholarship fund at Seattle Central College Foundation, c/o Jessica Norouzi, 1701 Broadway, BE4180, Seattle, WA 98122.
