Walter W. Cole, the world’s oldest working drag queen, passed away at a Portland, Oregon hospital from natural causes on March 23.
He was 92.
Cole created Darcelle XV, a big-haired and bejeweled queen who became an icon on the west coast drag circuit. Shows continued throughout the weekend as fans flocked to Portland’s Old Town neighborhood to pay their respects.
Kevin Cook, who performs under the drag name, Poison Waters, told Oregon Public Broadcasting Darcelle was a mentor and great friend.
“Darcelle was very generous and so didn’t keep anything back as far as lessons were learned and how to be a person,” Cook said. “He taught me how to be a person. You know – a wild drag queen on the street – and just a very giving person.”
Cole had been performing until a few weeks before his death. He recently collaborated with the band Pink Martini and had his own beer flavor introduced. In February, Darcelle spoke with SFGN about the crackdown nationwide on drag shows.
“Those damn Republicans,” Cole growled over the phone. “Well, go ahead and screw it over and people will wise up and leave.”
A self-described, “four-eyed sissy boy,” Cole grew up in Oregon, married his high school sweetheart at 19 and served overseas in the Army during the Korean War. After his discharge, Cole started a family and went to work at the local grocery store, Fred Meyer.
In 1969, he fell for a Las Vegas tap dancer, Roxy Neuhardt, and came out as gay.
“There was a click that happened, like a light switch went off,” Cole said.
Together they transformed a dingy old tavern into an entertainment destination now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Neuhardt died in 2017.
Cole is survived by his wife, Jean, their two children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
“I can honestly say, and I mean this from whatever part of the heart that handles this sort of thing, I would not change one day of my life,” Cole told SFGN in February. “I’m happy and happiness will make you live a long time.”
You can listen to John’s interview with Darcelle XV on spotify.
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