Del Mead is petite enough to be buried underneath her faux fur coat and elegant black dress. At 93 she’s the kind of person who prefers hugs to handshakes, likes to wear her 1-inch heels (even though she has a bad knee) and gets straight to the point.

She’s also a force of nature, one who has had a great impact in Renton.

Her impact has been so grand and far-reaching that Mayor Denis Law proclaimed Feb. 24, 2016 to be “Del Mead Day” in recognition of her years of service to the city.

“That was so exciting! It pays to live to be 93,” she said with a chuckle.

Mead is best known for her work at the Renton Kiwanis Clothes Bank. Not only did she help start the clothes bank, she also served as board president from 2000. She stepped down four years ago.

Her involvement started in 1967, when she noticed that head start mothers in schools who were in need of clothing. Helping these mothers was a no-brainer for Mead.

“I was here. There was a need. And I could fulfill it,” Mead stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

And it is with that conviction that Mead has dedicated her life to serving her community. Her mantra in life is simple – if you see a need, fulfill that need. Mead says that following that mantra has brought her deep joy and fulfillment in her life.

She served as a city clerk for 23 years and has worked for eight mayors.

Mead grew up in Flint, Mich. and later in Oscoda. Her parents were Vaudeville performers, so Mead remembers being up on stage with them since she was three.

“My parents were in show business,” she said. “My dad was a drummer and my mom was a dancer. And I’ve danced since I was three or four years old. I’ve traveled since I was 16. I crossed to Canada and Mexico as a dancer.”

It wasn’t until years later that Mead stepped foot in Renton.

“[My husband and I] came here for vacation from Michigan to visit some friends… When we came home, he said, ‘We’re moving to Washington!’” said Mead.

Mead was thrilled to make the move. She had fallen in love with the pacific northwest and enjoyed the small-town feel in Renton.

“The population was 16,00 when I came here in 1957, but it’s now 100,000,” she said. “I’ve watched it grow from a small city to a large metropolis. But it’s got the small-town feel. The people are all friendly, like a small town!”

Ever since Mead’s husband died in 1986, Mead has made sure she keeps herself busy.

Currently, she is involved with Soroptimist and volunteers at the front desk at City Hall on Monday mornings.

“It’s fun working at the front desk,” she said. “You meet a lot of people. I guess I’m a people-person. I always have been.”

According to Mead, the question she gets asked at the front desk is where the bathroom is.