“Chairman Dillon spent his life serving the Puyallup Tribe with professionalism and dignity. I had the opportunity to see how his strong leadership was shaped by his personal character and by the strong values and culture of the Puyallup Tribe.
“He fought to retain treaty rights to fishing and hunting and was a tireless advocate for the social and economic betterment of the Puyallup Tribe and tribes throughout the northwest. And he did that with wit and humility.
“Chairman Dillon always pushed to ensure that the tribe’s young people had the opportunity to receive a quality education. He never forgot the value of an education and achieved his GED when he was 50 years old, having dropped out of high school to serve in the Naval Reserves and the U.S. Army.
“On behalf of all Washingtonians, Trudi and I extend our deepest condolences to Chairman Dillon’s family, friends and all the members of the Puyallup Tribe who mourn the passing of this great leader.
“To honor his lifetime of service, I have ordered the Washington and American flags at the Capitol flown at half-staff on June 1.”