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Louise DeWald
Born July 18, 1921
This website was lovingly created by Louise's family for you to (1) read about Louise, (2) watch a photo slide show, photo albums and videos of Louise, (3) write your own memories of Louise to share with others ("Post a Comment"), and (4) test your knowledge of Louise with a quiz. Scroll up and down to see it all.
Louise DeWald
My Quiz from QuizYourFriends.com
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When I think of Louise, my mom, I think of a person who was good company, a fun-lover who always found something to smile about, and would love to talk to my friends, her friends, and strangers. She cherished “getting personal.” She had a religious faith in the goodness of most people. She had a magical effect on my children. She won the admiration of my wife. She was the most steadfast spouse for my father I can possibly imagine. And one night, when my young family took her to a Chinese buffet, there was one of those gadgets that you feed a quarter, put your hand on it, and it tells you what kind of lover you are. Well, “Grandmo” was off the chart, past “too hot to handle.” At first it was funny, thinking of dear old grandmother as a hottie; but then it seemed right that her heart got the warmest rating of everyone.
ReplyDeleteMy mother in law ("Mom") was my only parent after I married Scott, and what a parent she was. I couldn't convey all the wonderful things about her even if I had 10 times as much space as I do, so here are a few of my most important memories. She was effervescent and always upbeat. She never gave advice unless we asked for it. She was always there for us and our two daughters, giving 110%. She spent a lot of time with our daughters, yet managed to follow our rules and wishes rather than impose her own. She waited 7 years for grandchildren from us yet never once said a word about it. She welcomed me into her life and made me feel like I was one of her own children. Despite our many differences in personality and life choices, she respected me. We had a 28 year friendship that we cemented every year with an hours long lunch for my birthday at one of our many favorite restaurants. She was one of a kind and her shoes simply cannot be filled.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who has stepped into Louise Dewald's home has seen how passionate she was about the things she loved. Every nook and cranny filled, all rooms outfitted with comfy place after comfy place for guests to recline. She used her space - all of it. And yet she saved the corner under the stairs for us, all the children who ever entered her home. With squishy comforters and southwest-themed rugs on the floor, this little space felt like a secret we shared with Grandmother (I don't know why we never came up with a more fitting name for her - it's always felt a little lackluster for her). It was a space reserved for kids and the kids hiding inside adults, a nook filled with toys never contrived and always imaginative. Excess of money was not spent on this area - toys from her childhood, her children's childhood, odd McDonald's giveaways, generations of homemade stuffed animals populated the small shelves built under the stairs. It was a magical land my sister and I could stay in for hours, days it felt like. After spending the night at Grandmother's house, we used to race down the stairs into the nook before breakfast, and only Grandmother's special eggs could coax us out. She built relationships like she crafted that nook, like there was a bit of a delightful secret shared just between the two of you.
ReplyDeleteMy strongest memories of my grandmother revolve around the special days that were reserved just for her in my schedule, days when she would pick me up from elementary school and we would go to Baskin Robbins for ice cream. Getting ice cream was great, of course, and she always encouraged me to get whatever I wanted, but the best part was after we'd gotten the ice cream: just talking together. She would ask about my day, what was going on in my life, and she'd offer little nuggets of wisdom or humor in between my stories. Most of all, I enjoyed hearing about her life, which seemed so far removed from what I was living. She told me many times of when she lost the class ring of her boyfriend (Bud) through a grate outside of a store, her travels as a home cooking journalist, and the much beloved story of how our ancestor, Robert Gray, had shown General Washington where to cross the Delaware. Somehow, by the end her stories always proved to be very relevant to my life.
ReplyDeleteI remember looking at Louise’s cookbooks and reading about the interesting places she wrote about and thinking “I have to go there.” I remember when Louise would pick up her granddaughters from preschool. I always thought – someday I want to be a grandma like that.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Pam Watts
I remember the day Louise came to interview me for a story of cooking. We had fun visiting and the article was flattering. I always enjoyed her stories.
ReplyDeleteMavis Youngman
Louise was one of the residents who had an important part in my ministry while I was at Beatitudes. Her kind words and gentle spirit would brighten my day. Her positive attitude and gracious willingness to help in anyway was always appreciated.
ReplyDeleteRuthanne Cochran
I remember Louise in many roles, all of which boil down to two words: good friend. Here are some of the roles:
ReplyDelete- Outfielder (or baseball retriever) when some of us practiced our batting skills.
- Fellow skater on the Wide Water (part of an old canal).
- Waitress and manufacturer of milkshakes, etc. at Frenchie Vallott’s Sweet Shop.
- Companion in a dark room in my parents home (when she, Bud and I were learning the basics of developing film and producing prints and enlargements).
- Photographer’s model to provide material for the previous activity. Poses took place in countless outdoor spots and in our “portrait studio” in Bud’s home.
- Chaperone (with Bud) when Ellie and I got married. Louise was advised not to travel because she was carrying Terry.
Don & Ellie Hausknecht
I recall so many fun times with Louise and Vi Rukkila. I can’t forget our visits to The Pioneer Village or the Sweet Onion Fest at Rock Springs.
ReplyDeleteBobbie Holaday
Louise was – far and away – the most interesting “friend’s mom” I have ever met. Most moms baked cookies – she wrote whole cookbooks! Most moms kept tidy but bland homes – hers was a treasure of color and light and constant surprises! Most moms showed a passing interest in the lives of their sons’ and daughters’ friends – she could engage in detailed conversation about politics and religion or just chat about Friday night’s football game or our latest hike.
ReplyDeleteThough our encounters have been few and far between over recent years, I always felt like Louise was in touch with my life and that she cared. (Few folks outside my own congregation were as astute on Presbyterian issues as she). Just as she did when Scott and Matt and I and others were young high school boys, she always took me seriously, received me genuinely, and celebrated my life joyfully. Her smile, her laugh, her great questions were always an encouragement to me. When I saw her, I always experienced genuine care and compassion.
I know too that she was a special encouragement to my mom in her last years. I think, though she was at times shy and did not reach out, Louise never lost touch with her. Words cannot express how much I appreciate that.
Something about her always helped me know that life was good and that the world was worth exploring. I am certain she had a hand in the person I have become and the paths I have taken.
She brought rejoicing into the lives of so many others – celebrate Louise!
Jim and Lena Zazzera
Those of us in Arizona Press Women who worked with Louise, shared high and low moments during our monthly and annual meetings, can only look back on pleasant memories. We remember her wonderful laugh. We remember her thoughtful comments.
ReplyDeleteHer achievements included being a guiding light for her sons and a loving companion to husband, Bud, as well as a writer sharing stores with us – her readers.
We say: Well done!
June P. Payne
Louise and Bud were at every game in Tucson or Phoenix when Terry and I played at the U of A. They became great friends with my mom and dad, June and Jim. Louise always had a positive word for all of us, no matter what the outcome of the game. As we all know, she was never at a loss for words!! At the end of one game in the parking lot, Louise gave me a newspaper clipping with the attributes of a centerfielder on it. The thing I remember about the clipping was how hard it was (as the article said!) to read the arc, distance, and speed of a ball off a hitter’s bat from centerfield and make the catch. I will always remember her for that day!
ReplyDeleteJerry Stitt
What a lovely tribute site to Louise. I'll always remember that smile, and how warm and friendly she was when we would be included in DeWald gatherings. (And it always blew my mind that she remembered my name!) We won't be able to make the memorial, but we will be wearing something red in her honor at the bar mitzvah we're attending! Our thoughts are with all of you.
ReplyDeleteI remember great-aunt Lousie as a vivacious and fun-loving woman with a heart as warm as her smile. She could captivate an audience for hours with her quick wit and amazing stories. I loved her dearly, as did so many others that were blessed by her time on earth. We love you, Aunt Weeze!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of Louise DeWald, my Mother, so many things come to light.
ReplyDeleteBeing born eight years ahead of Scott, I was able to receive an unlimited amount of love and attention from Mom. We spent a ton of overtime together because of Dad's work and travel schedule. Days reading books together, having men whistle at her when we went
downtown, walking down to the beach after school in La Jolla,
journeying back to Pennsylvania in the summers on The Santa Fe Railroad, even her attempting to teach me how to dance in the living room on Friday nights when Dad was working at the office. Throughout all of the memories one thing was always present: her never ending encouragement and constant compliments in everything I would attempt.
When Scott was born I was even happier: my prayers were answered in getting a great brother to play with, and definitely not having a sister around the house for the next decade. Even better was seeing Mom sharing that positive gift she had with both of us. I loved watching her nurse Scott as a pre-mature baby, washing him in the kitchen sink, and shoveling green baby food into his mouth. I'm sure that's a reflection on why he has such a positive outlook on life. We were always going somewhere or doing something. Always cared for, always fed well, always tucked in at night.
Both Dad and Mom were always there for us. Mom's cheerful efforts were so numerous. Always a letter with clippings when I was away to college or far away playing baseball, always a helping hand as she cared for both her Mother and Mother-In-Law as they aged, she was the sole ambulance driver when I needed to be transported from Tucson to Phoenix after a knee operation, and she would paint many a wall also
in Tucson when Peggy and I were building our first house. Automatic.
Always giving. Her devotion to Dad during his two serious health issues was inspirational. Seeing then still so much in love as Dad was fading in the hospital in Mexico has always stayed with me.
When our kids were born she was constantly in Tucson supporting them for any special occasion. After Dad died, Tiffanie and Tad would spend weekends with her in her waterbed in Scottsdale and create joyful memories. When Scott and Debbie had Alix and Dinah, they received just as much care and attention. And when her great grand- daughters Isabella and Kaitlyn came along her love for them was equally as strong, as she traveled all the way to The Caribbean to lend a hand to Tiffanie and Aaron.
Then, during the last years of her life she was truly re-paid. Both Scott and Debbie gave precious hours, days, weeks, and months in
assisting her with her numerous difficulties and handicaps.
Everything always landed in Scott's lap, and he and his family constantly made the correct decisions. Scott unselfishly gave countless hours to Mom, which other wise could have been spent with his family or at work. I am so proud to have a brother with such devotion who intelligently set up Mom's last apartment and nursing home close to his house. Getting up at 5:30 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to take Mom to dialysis before work, then rushing home to eat breakfast with Dinah and Alix, then taking them to school shows the kind of man he is. And for Debbie to have made the doctor's appointments, been Mom's private driver to the hospitals, chemo therapy sessions, kept all of her medications square, cleaned her apartment, and picked her up from the dialysis sessions was equally as honorable. And lastly, Norma Dominguez was the best possible care- giver who stayed next to Mom over the good and bad times during the last several years.
Louise DeWald was a spark in most of the people's lives that she met.
She was a true people person, intelligent, friendly, happy, and a
gifted writer. Most importantly, she knew how to share her goodness.
And that sparkle in her eye coupled with her faith and praises for everyone made her so lovable. She appreciated life, and life appreciated her joy.
Terry
She has had many names: Mrs. DeWald, Louise, Weeze, Ellen Cooke, Mom, Mom #2, Dede (her Grandmother name by her 2 Tucson grandchildren & her
ReplyDelete2 great-granddaughters) and Grandmother (by her 2 Phoenix granddaughters); and all of them are surrounded by love. She has given love to everyone she meets, and given it unconditionally. As her daughter-in-law, Mom has been an inspiration to me in ‘Motherhood’.
She & Bud, and then she alone attended birthday parties, holiday celebrations, soccer games, swimming meets, basketball games, baseball games, softball games, performances, school functions, roller skating rink sessions, and about anything else you can name - - - - - and all those took place in Tucson, not her home city of Phoenix. She would travel to the ‘ends of the earth’ to be with her family - - - - she may be late, and usually was, but she came & she participated fully in the occasion.
Mom/Dede was also a ‘spitfire’ of a writer - - - - and luckily for me, most of it revolved around food & recipes. She eagerly shared food ideas, cookbooks & recipes with me, and who knows, maybe that’s the subliminal inspiration today behind why her Granddaughter Tiffanie is studying and cooking her way to some culinary degrees. Her cookbooks are and will be treasured, as well as her enthusiasm for ‘all things kitchen’ - - - and don’t forget her chocolate, which was an extra special love of hers!
Her enthusiasm for life always showed through, even when her health started declining & she needed to start dialysis. Her contagious smile and polite mannerisms were still present, even up until her death - -
- - a terrific lesson for all of us.
Thank you, Mom, for warmly welcoming me into your DeWald Clan and for being a wonderful Mom, Grandmother, listener, teacher, friend and cook - - - - your love and legacy will carry on! Terry, Tad, Tiffanie, Aaron, Isabella, Kaitlyn & I will miss you, but lucky Bud for getting you back with him! Love, Peggy
One day while grocery shopping I spotted Louise expertly surveying a pile of roma tomatoes. We'd met several times at Scott and Debbie's parties so I wanted to say hi and perhaps pick up a few produce tips. I wasn't the only one. As I neared her, it was as if Louise was holding an impromptu court, exchanging greetings, smiles and memories with at least a dozen others. When it was finally my turn, she smiled that beautiful smile and we joked that at this rate her shopping might never be completed. I walked away happy that I was able to spend a moment with her. Today I feel the same way.
ReplyDeleteTo all the family members whose memories of Louise are so vivid, I say you are so lucky to have been related and connected to her. The posted photos show the smiling face that I remember; in my mind, Louise is always smiling. I was privileged to meet her in the early years of the Heard Museum Guild. In the early 1970s, Louise chose to honor me with a column in Days and Ways. (I do wish the paper would bring back that magazine) it was great fun for both of us, and our friendship continued for a few years. I regret that after Guild days I lost track of Louise. But she will be remembered always, smiling and laughing, brightening up whatever space she occupies. My deepest sympathies for your great loss.
ReplyDeleteI first met Louise at the annual Rukkila holiday party. I enjoyed her stories about the people she met as she worked on articles or books. I remember we decided to try one her recipes that called for mesquite beans. My mother, sister and I took a road trip to find some. While picking them we ran into a hear of javalina! Louise was great fun!
ReplyDeleteBonnie Holaday
What a beautiful tribute, and what a profound loss. My sincere condolences.
ReplyDeleteLouise was a sweet person and a fine writer, always emphasizing the good in everyone. I loved seeing that big smile and sparkling eyes.
Our history goes way back. Bud published my first freelance article in AZ Magazine in 1969. That was a thrill but nothing like the time Louise wrote about my cooking in Cook's Carte a few years later. I had arrived!
Later, of course, I got to know Louise as a fellow food writer, and I always respected her wisdom and knowledge as one who had been there, done that.
In reading these loving tributes by her sons, I am glad to see that Louise never lost her sense of wonder and delight.
How inspiring it was to see the impact she had on her family and friends. Your resolution to keep smiling that warm smile is a great one.
The pictures you chose are priceless. What a looker! Now, when I think of Louise DeWald, I will think of her being whistled at as a young mom.
Congratulations on such a wonderful blog in tribute of Louise!
ReplyDeleteI first met Louise when I was the patient services coordinator at Golden Age Nursing Home in Scottsdale. She got some publicity out to help raise interest in volunteering there.
She always wanted to do an "Ellen Cooke" story about me for the Arizona Republic magazine section, but I told her I never had time enough to cook, so I would be a fraud. However, after I was first married in 1982, and was trying to raise volunteers for the Phoenix Municipal Court, I gave her a call again for some help with publicity. This time she insisted on an "Ellen Cooke" story with recipes. I agreed.
It was the end of summer and a deadline had to be met for the paper. I was cooking frantically when a monsoon storm hit, knocking out the electricity for miles around - and my oven and crockpot. The food was half cooked. It was getting dark and we feared the photographer wouldn't be able to find our house with no lights on, so we lit tons of candles around the house. Just before the photographer arrived, the lights came back on. He thought it was a sweet touch to have all those candles.
Somehow the camera didn't show that the food was only partially cooked, or that I, the cook, was drenched in sweat. Louise wrote a great story about my cause and our marriage. In the end, it was a unique wedding announcement. Once in a while, even today, someone will come up to me and tell me she is still using one of my recipes. Louise apparently gave me a title I certainly never deserved - gourmet cook!
It is apparent from this blog, however, that she cooked up something far better - a wonderful family. I know her love with always warm you.
Kathy Ulrich
P.S. Paul sends his sympathies as well.
To all the people who REALLY KNEW Louise, simple words can't describe her. That enduring spirit is alive and well in, I'm sure, the hundreds of people lives she touched.
ReplyDeleteLove your adopted daughter,
Sharon
What a remarkable woman! Louise brought joy to all who knew her, raised a loving family, and, through her articles and books, preserved a piece of Arizona history. She and I were founding members of Women in Food and Wine and had great fun together in many other food organizations. More than once, she boosted my career with one of her delightful pieces of writing, and I am forever grateful. I will miss her, but she left so many reminders of her fulfilling life that I shall never forget her.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Fenzl
It was a pleasure to have known "Dee Dee" That is who I knew her as. Always a happy go lucky lady with a smile from ear to ear and that is one thing I will always think of when remembering her.
ReplyDeleteI have known Louise since her son Terry was an infant. In all those years I never heard her say an unkind word about anybody. She has always been a Smiley Face--with oodles more personality than the yellow smiley face icon. She was herself an icon for warm friendship, good food, a happy family and superlative stories and recipes.
ReplyDeleteAs a childhood friend of Scott's I spent countless hours down the block at the DeWald home. It was an amazing place. The pictures took me right back there. The old adobe walls, the wonderful smells, the great native artwork and the love are all part of my most cherished childhood memories. I know I owe much my love of southwest art and architecture to my early exposure to it in that wonderful home. Louise's commitment to Southwest food and folkways was incomparable. And her ability to share her love and knowledge enriched the lives of some many here in the State and around the world.
ReplyDeleteLouise was a great neighborhood mom. She always had time to talk with us kids and shared her wisdom freely. She also did not hesitate to let us know when she thought we were headed in the wrong direction. Jim Zazzera mentioned above that she took us boys seriously, She did. I remember her asking one time whether I liked the Beatles or the Rolling Stones better. And when I answered the Stones she wanted to know why. This must have been in 1964 or 65. While I have not had much contact with her in a number of years, I have gotten periodic Louise DeWald reports from my mom and by all of them she continued to be that wonderful person who had such a positive impact on me as a child.
She has left a tremendous legacy in Terry and Scott, and their families, and in them she lives on.
Terry, Scott and all of the DeWald family,
ReplyDeleteYou were so lucky to have her in your lives. I remember Louise as a fellow baseball mom from many years ago, and her personality was as great to be around then. My best to all of you.
Terry and Scott - I remember your Mother, Louise, for the many times she welcomed me into your home on Meadowbrook. She had such an energy and spirit. I grew to appreciate her knowledge of Native American culture and began to study that culture based primarily on Louise's descriptions and her insatiable thirst for knowledge. She was a wordsmith. Her eagerness to share her knowledge and her encouragement to seek knowledge have been an inspiration to me. Not to mention her disarming smile. Her legacy lives in you and in her grandchildren. Thanks to the DeWald family for a lifetime of memories.
ReplyDeleteBarney Rouse
I've known Louise most of my life and she's been a wonderful friend and godmother to me. She's always been a very loving and supportive friend for my nana(Margaret Allen) when she took custidy of me after my mom died.
ReplyDeleteLouise was also there the day I had my first daughter 14 years ago, even though I was very young she always told me not to let that be an excuse to set me back, "just move on".
Louise was also the first to make my first daughter "Alicia" to laugh like crazy, and if you know Louise like we do then you know she can put a smile on anyones face. I dug up aot of pictures that are very speacil to my family and I, so I will be scaning them and posting to go aong with my memories of Louise and her life with my family.
Love you Louise (PorVida)
Kae,Alicia,Monica,and Anthony
My first exposure to her writing was Louise's "Cook's Carte" columns in the Republic's " Days and Ways" Sunday magazine. As a newcomer in the 1960s, I loved the combination of food, recipes and people of those feature articles. I was proud in 1971to be chosen as the subject, focusing on how I prepared gourmet meals while camping with my family.
ReplyDeleteLouise and I soon became friends through our journalistic career paths of writing about food and AZ travel. When I was restaurant critic of Phoenix Magazine (1986-89), she invited me to judge a chili competition. She laughed with her usual gusto when I showed up wearing a child's gunbelt with a amall bottle of Pepto Bismol in the holster.
Louise was always "on the move," but we often saw each other at food events and meetings of Arizona Press Women and Arizona Women in Food & Wine. Her "Arizona Highways Cookbook" is an incomparable treasure, and I have given copies to family members and friends through the years.
When I was Food Editor of the Arizona Republic (1989-95) I wrote a series of bimonthly cover-stories on the theme "Small Town Best Cooks" that combined food, recipes, people and places, just as her column did for so many years.
Louise was a special kind of person, stimulating and always enjoyable to be around. She left her mark on Arizona, and will be remembered by many for a very long time.
We could second a number of the memories recorded here. We most appreciated Louise for her loving support of many of our students when we were teaching Restaurant Management at Scottsdale Culinary Institute way back when. We'll treasure remembering the whirlwind of bright, positive energy that surrounded her always.
ReplyDeleteMartie & John Sullivan