Christopher Brucker believes his mother, Mary, was a “trailblazer” for women to make their own mark in the legal profession.

Mary rose above the resistance she faced as a woman in law school in the 1950s and, along with working in copious positions in the law realm after joining the bar, she was appointed and then elected as a Mercer Island District Court judge and to the King County Superior Court in the 1970s and ’80s, respectively. She retired after a robust and intellectually-challenging career in 1997.

At age 90, Mary Wicks Brucker died peacefully in her sleep on June 5 at Sunrise of Mercer Island after a long decline with dementia and aphasia, according to her obituary.

“She was compassionate and interested. She was fair-minded,” said Christopher, who enjoyed watching his mother during court proceedings. “She had a lot of interesting cases over the years, so we would talk about law and societal norms and challenging those and all kinds of things at the dinner table.” Christopher’s father was an attorney and his grandfather was also a Washington state Superior Court judge.

Mary, who lived on the Island for approximately 60 years, earned a bachelor of arts degree from Stanford University in 1955 and then returned to her birthplace of Seattle to attend the University of Washington School of Law.

In 1962, she married Thomas Brucker and the couple purchased its Island home the following year.

While residing on the Island, Mary chaired the park board and was involved with the Soroptimists, the Seattle Ethics and Election Board, the Mountaineers Foundation and the Stephen Ministries at Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, and served as a middle school tutor.

“I think she really loved the sense of community that you got from living here. I think she loved the nature of the Island,” said Christopher, noting that she appreciated the area’s trees. To display their affinity for the Island landscape, Mary and Thomas joined a group of people in the late 1960s to help save Pioneer Park from being developed into golf courses.

The Bruckers’ children followed in their footsteps to embrace nature’s offerings, whether it be on foot, wheels or hardwood.

“I think all of us children developed a love for the outdoors: skiing, backpacking, hiking, bicycle riding. My parents were very outdoor people. They would go backpacking until she fell and broke her back in 1973,” said Christopher, adding that one of his mother’s favorite quotes was, “Just do it.”

After relocating to San Francisco after college, Christopher moved back to the Island to care for his father, who passed away in 2020, and his mother.

Christopher touched upon the best piece of advice that Mary ever sent his way: always listen to others and never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

“She was a wonderful person. She drew people to her, she accepted all different kinds of people,” he said. “I can remember lots of dinner parties and gatherings at their house with all kinds of different people. We had exchange students (from Japan, Germany and Denmark), we had friends of friends come through. Just was a very warm and caring environment.”

Mary was preceded in death by Thomas, daughter Sydney and sister JoAnn Thomas of Omak. She is survived by daughter Allison, Christopher (Walter), daughter Rachel (Jeff), grandchildren Lillian and Olivia, nieces, nephews and many friends.

A service will be held at 2 p.m. on July 30 at Mercer Island Presbyterian Church (3605 84th Ave. SE) with a reception to follow. Remembrances may be made to Family Law CASA (familylawcasa.org) or to any nonprofit that benefits those in need.