NORTHAMPTON — Whether protesting defense contractor L3Harris in Northampton, fighting poverty in the United States and abroad or pursuing high-speed internet for her Greenfield apartment building, longtime activist Paki Wieland built relationships.
“She brought people together, she made sure people got involved and seen, and she always made sure that that made it into action,” says Marcelle Morgan, Wieland’s daughter.
On Thursday morning, Wieland died at Morgan’s Conway home, having moved there two weeks ago. She previously lived at the Weldon in Greenfield and in Northampton for years. Morgan announced her mother’s passing on the CaringBridge website, where regular updates about Wieland’s health struggles have been posted for the past few months.
Wieland, 82, served as an inspiration for those interested in pursuing peace and social justice issues, according to her friends.
“She talked the talk and walked the walk more than anyone I’ve ever known,” said Linda Gordon of South Hadley, a friend of Wieland’s for 50 years. “She didn’t just talk about it; she did it. That’s Paki.”
“She knew how to make a community out of disparate people,” Gordon said.
Born in New Orleans in 1943, Wieland worked professionally as a social worker and taught a master’s program at Antioch University New England.
Wieland, though, may be best known for her activism. Arrested a number of times in her long career, Wieland faced trespassing and disturbing the peace charges following an action inside the lobby of Northampton’s L3Harris Technologies last March.
In December, a judge found Wieland and others taken into custody, including Priscilla Lynch of Conway, not responsible, using a necessity defense that their actions were critical to prevent people from dying in the Middle East.
“I never had a better time, I never had a better co-defendant,” said Lynch, who traveled internationally with her to advocate for peace and to make a better world.
Lynch said many are mourning because she was such a force for good. “She’s definitely missed,” Lynch said.
Among those paying tribute throughout Thursday were members of Raging Grannies, the group that Wieland sang with at community events and rallies.
“Paki was a good friend and just so conscious and aware of humanity, of people everywhere,” said Sally Chaffee of Amherst. “Trying to bring people together was what she did so well.”
Chaffee said that she first met Wieland when they approached U.S. Congressman John Olver about the Iraq War. At that time, she asked how to audition for the Raging Grannies. “She said all you have to do is rage,” Chaffee said.
Gordon, also a member of the Raging Grannies, said Wieland was the “flaming spirit” of the singing group.
Wieland ‘s scope of actions ranged from calling for Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to be shut down, fighting poverty in Mexico, Cuba and the West Virginia mountains and promoting racial justice in the South. She was also a regular attendee of the Saturday morning peace vigil in Northampton.
“She became ever present in so many things,” said Bob Gardner, a host of Occupy the Airwaves on Valley Free Radio.
Gardner, who met Wieland while the Iraq War was underway, said that she was selfless and putting herself at risk, whether it be traveling in 2009 with fellow activist Marty Nathan to the Gaza Strip or in 2019 joining CodePink on an excursion to Iran.
As a member of WesternMass CodePink, she spent two years in Washington, D.C., running the PinkHouse, a place where those coming for actions at the U.S. Capitol could stay.
“She was respected and appreciated and admired,” Lynch said.
Upon returning, she led training on civil disobedience; Gardner noted it was always a priority for her to make sure that events were kept peaceful.
While at Antioch University New England, she and her partner of 12 years, Dusty Miller, took eco-psychology trips to Tobago, Panama and Curaçao, 10-day excursions that connect with people and ecology, meeting with local healers.
Miller also recalls traveling to see the wonderful roots of where Wieland grew up in New Orleans.
She said Wieland changed her first name from Pat to Paki while they were traveling in Hawaii, appreciating the spiritual practices.
Carolyn Toll Oppenheim of Northampton, a longtime friend, said that at the end of each day’s Democracy Now broadcast she and Wieland would speak, reflecting on what they had just heard and seen.
“I’m going to be bereft without her,” Oppenheim said.
Wieland’s final days featured a steady stream of visitors, allowing her to relive her life in their company, Oppenheim said.
Many leaving comments on CaringBridge, such as Ann Ferguson of Leverett, called her “such a special person — warm, loving and such a force for social justice that she made you always want to live up to your higher self and commit just a bit more to your own efforts. I have lost not only a special friend for insight and organizing for good, but also for fun and games and cheer.”
Wieland recorded an interview about her life 12 years ago, remembering attending Catholic schools as a child where Catholic doctrine ingrained in her a drive to combat racial inequities and apartheid.
“I think it’s really important for people to stand up against whatever we see as injustice,” Wieland said at the time. “Protesting, I think, is a very important piece of that, in part because it does strengthen our communities.”
Even with her dedication to various causes, Wieland spent time on vacations with her family and grandchildren and ensured she were part of their lives. Lynch said she also loved to play Scrabble.
Wieland had hoped to attend an International Women’s Day event on March 8 at First Churches in Northampton, where instead organizers paid tribute to her.
“We will really miss her, but she will be with us,” Chaffee said. “She’ll always be with us.”
Lynch said Wieland’s actions and words will continue to resonate for those who want to make the region, the United States and the world a better place.
“Paki said, ‘We still have a lot of work to do, and we have to do it with love,'” she said.