Washington state lawmakers found themselves united in mourning on the last day of session Sunday.
A week after the sudden death of Sen. Bill Ramos, D-Issaquah, legislators were also grappling with the death of the wife of Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup. He was called away from the Legislature the day before, upon learning that his wife of 31 years, Autumn, was found unresponsive at her workplace. No cause of death has been released.
“Legislators are people first, and at a time like this, our families are more important,” Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, wrote in a Saturday post on X. “We hold Chris and his family in our hearts and pray that they will find comfort and peace.”
The post generated dozens of heartfelt condolences.
“You won’t find a kinder, more supportive spouse than Autumn. This is gut-wrenching news," wrote one commenter.
“Autumn was such a young, vibrant woman. Great sadness for Chris, family and friends,” wrote another.
“She always had pithy comments and knew how to make everyone smile around her,” Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, told The Center Square on Sunday. “Life is fragile, and we should embrace our loved ones. We’re never guaranteed another minute. Always second-guess if you need to say a terse word to a loved one.”
Griffey said he’s made a point since taking office 11 years ago to never leave the house during legislative session without sharing kind and loving words with his wife.
“I wouldn’t know what to do without my dear wife,” Griffey said. “She’s 50% of me, and I would guess, seeing Chris and his wife, it’s the same for them.”
Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, also spoke with The Center Square.
“Just super unexpected and devastating. You hate that bad things happen to good people,” he said. “I think the important thing is we’re really a family; we spend 105 days together, and Chris Gildon is my budget counterpart, so I’ve spent a lot of time with him this session, and when I heard the news, I thought my legs were going to fall out from under me. I can’t even imagine what he’s going through, and I wish I could be there to just wrap my arms around him.”
As the House of Representatives gaveled in for the last day of session, Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, ushered in a moment of silence for Gildon’s wife. Lawmakers bowed their heads as some visibly wiped tears and comforted each other.
In the state Senate, members took to the floor at 1:30 p.m. to pass a resolution honoring their fallen colleague, Ramos, who passed away April 19 while on a trail run.
Several bouquets of white flowers were draped over Ramos's empty desk as many members stood to speak about their relationship with him, his sense of humor, and his kind smile.
Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Federal Way, supported the resolution. She garnered laughter from fellow members as she talked about the late senator's diminutive stature.
“He was one of the very few on this floor I could really look eye to eye with,” she joked. “His votes were about his heart, and he meant it. I think his glass was always half full.”
Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, also drew laughs from fellow senators when he shared how Ramos would often call him and start every call by saying, “Hey John, it’s Bill.”
“I would tell him, you know, Bill, I can see on my phone that it’s you calling,” he said, sharing that Ramos helped drive him around and get him to some events late last year after Lovick’s knee replacement. “Bill can’t call me anymore, but I can always call him."
“Hey Bill, it’s me, John," he said, holding his cellphone to his ear.
Flowers and cards also covered Gildon’s empty desk in an acknowledgement of the sudden loss of his wife on Saturday.
