Making the world a better place

Shirley Stirling

What is the best possible reason to gather friends for lunch? For Rita R. Robison and her friends, the answer came easily: to celebrate the naming of two parks for Jolene Unsoeld and Marj Yung and share memories.  

Both women, along with longtime Olympia community leader Bill Daley, were recently honored by the City of Olympia with public facilities named after them. All three have passed away, but their influence continues.

With these additions, Olympia now has 12 parks named for men and five for women, many honoring historical figures or citizens of exceptional public service. 

This story is about the two women, both of whom left remarkable legacies of public service — Jolene Unsoeld on the national and state stage, and Marj Yung through decades of local civic leadership in Olympia. 

Jolene Unsoeld (1931-2021) 

Jolene Unsoeld was one of Washington state’s most respected public servants. She was a teacher, mountaineer and environmental advocate.

In 1963, as she worked at the U.S. Nepal Embassy, her husband Willi climbed on the first American ascent of Mount Everest’s West Ridge, for which she coordinated logistics. An accomplished mountaineer in her own right, Jolene climbed many of the peaks of her beloved Pacific Northwest, and, with their four children, they explored the mountains as a family. She became the first woman to ascend the complete North Face of the Grand Teton.  

When the Unsoeld family moved to Olympia in 1970, and Willi became a founding faculty member of The Evergreen State College, Jolene joined the Thurston County League of Women Voters and began work as a citizen activist 

Jolene described herself as a “political meddler” who could not resist taking on causes to fight for open government, social justice, and environmental sustainability.  Jolene helped draft Initiative 276, the Open Public Meetings Act, in 1972. After it passed, she wrote a booklet listing the campaign disclosure information legally required of candidates. Of note, before public disclosure legislation, there was no way to discover who donated what to any candidate.

She served three terms in the Washington State Legislature, 1989-1995, and represented Washington’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Known for her independence and willingness to work across political lines, she championed environmental protection, government transparency, and responsible public policy. After leaving Congress, she remained active in civic life, mentoring young leaders and supporting community causes until her death.  

Marj Yung (1935-2016)  

Marj Yung devoted decades of service to Olympia through community leadership and civic engagement. A longtime member, and then president of the League of Women Voters of Thurston County, she worked tirelessly to encourage informed and active participation in government. In 1974, she was the first woman elected to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners.  

 As a commissioner, Marj helped modernize county government by overseeing the hiring of the county’s first administrator, the consolidation of three road districts into one (combating cronyism), and the creation of a central administrative structure for human services, budget development and data processing.

She was a constant advocate for comprehensive planning and zoning for the county. Marj was the sparkplug for establishing the 911 system, a difficult transition for all the individual police and fire dispatch systems, and led efforts to improve Thurston County’s park system.

A plant lover, artist, and environmentalist, Marj lived at Ken Lake for many years and wrote a booklet on the native plants of Ken Lake.  

Friends and colleagues remember her as thoughtful, determined and deeply committed to strengthening local democratic participation. Her steady volunteer leadership left a lasting impact on Olympia’s civic life.    

Development of the parks 

Work on the Unsoeld and Yung parks will begin 2026-27. 

The 83-acre Jolene Unsoeld Community Park on Yelm Highway will be Olympia’s first with dedicated soccer fields. Construction begins with a park maintenance facility, 13 pickleball courts, walking paths, two full-court basketball courts, a dog park, playground,  restroom and shelter. 

The 70-acre Marj Yung Park, behind Marj’s Ken Lake neighborhood, will be Olympia’s first to have dedicated mountain bike trails.  It will include moe than 5 miles of hiking and biking trails, with skills areas and features for beginners to advanced riders. This project will also include new access from Black Lake Boulevard, a 25-stall parking lot and restroom. 

Legacies recognized 

The luncheon brought together friends and also family, who shared memories of the two women and their efforts to strengthen the community. 

Rita Robison, who organized the luncheon and participated in the 18 month effort through city meetings, said, “It’s wonderful to see the city honor these two women, whose work benefited the entire community. I’m excited to see their legacy recognized.”