A Passionate Woodinville Gardener Is Gone

By Lorrie Cain

Jill Murphy Goodsell, a long time Woodinville resident, died Jan. 19, after a nine-year battle with breast cancer. Jill was a member of the Woodinville Garden Club for 22 years. During that time, she served as club president, treasurer, secretary and co-chaired the greenhouse committee. 

Jill was a passionate, exuberant and dedicated gardener. Her love for dramatic form and texture along with color—especially her signature blue—was evident throughout her garden. Purchased in 1996, her Woodinville home was a diamond in the rough. In lovingly bringing her property to life, Jill composed a Monet landscape with the colors of sunset. The results vividly spoke of her passion for both flowers and fun. 

Jill’s fabulous garden was visited by hundreds of people on the 2006 Woodinville Garden Club tour and was also featured in two articles in Sunset Magazine. Her artistic and colorful container plantings were a specialty and earned her high praise from Fine Gardening Magazine.

In her professional life, Jill worked for 22 years for Michael G. Foster for whom the UW School of Business is named. She also served on the board and was Executive Director of The Foster Foundation—a family foundation that funds non-profit organizations which support human welfare needs, education, medical research and cultural activities throughout the Northwest. Her involvement with providing philanthropic support without a lot of public fanfare was a richly rewarding part of her life.

Jill is survived by daughter Katie Goodsell-Miller, son-in-law Adam Miller, brothers Kit, Alan and Ken Murphy, and countless friends throughout this community and across the country.