Obituaries
November 7, 2024
Frank Irigon, 1947–2024
Irigon, who has been a prominent activist since his time at the UW, is remembered for his passion for culture and community.
October 29, 2024
Mike Katell, 1965–2024
Katell left his mark on Seattle's arts community and fought for ethics in artificial intelligence.
September 13, 2024
Ron Simons, 1960–2024
A Broadway actor and producer, Simons staged works by and about people of color.
August 29, 2024
Never forget the Huskies
UW Magazine editor Jon Marmor reflects on two tragedies from September 2001.
June 4, 2024
Farewell to the founders
The University of Washington honors Eddie Walker, Eddie Demmings, E.J. Brisker and Lee Leavy, trailblazing activists who recently died.
May 14, 2024
Susie Tennant, 1962–2024
Susie Tennant was beloved for discovering and promoting bands such as Nirvana, Sonic Youth and Beck.
February 27, 2024
Colleen McElroy, 1935-2023
Colleen McElroy, 1935-2024, was the first Black woman to be promoted to a full professorship at the UW.
February 24, 2024
Nancy Bell Evans, 1933-2024
Nancy Bell Evans was an inspiration to UW students as well as one of the University’s biggest supporters.
November 29, 2023
Ann Streissguth, 1932-2023
Ann Streissguth made a name for herself after publishing an article describing what became known as fetal alcohol syndrome.
October 6, 2023
A hungry tiger fights best
Toshio Akamatsu began his career as a member of John Bonica's legendary team of pain management experts. Akamatsu died this year at the age of 89.
September 2, 2023
Joy-filled career
Former UW drama professor Aurora Valentinetti’s indelible impact still delights us today.
June 4, 2023
A protector of children
Carol Lace Jenkins dedicated her career to helping parents and guardians.
May 29, 2023
Lifesaving ideas
Dr. Leonard Cobb, a UW professor in the 1960s, devoted his career to lifesaving initiatives like Seattle’s Medic One paramedic program.
May 28, 2023
Joe Jarzynka had no fear
Gig Harbor walk-on Joe Jarzynka dazzled the Husky faithful with his fearless play.
May 19, 2023
Full of surprises
As UW mourns the loss of a beloved artist, we talk with a fellow Husky who saw first-hand how much the acclaimed painter cared about our campus and community.
February 25, 2023
Remembering John Pariseau
John Pariseau worked at the UW for more than 50 years and served as director of intramural sports.
January 27, 2023
Fond farewell to Fennema
Former New York Giants player Carl Fennema attended Husky football games for decades; his love for his alma mater never flagged despite age and injury.
November 27, 2022
A Husky who did it all
Rick Redman was a star on both sides of the ball for the UW football team, playing guard and linebacker, and he shined on special teams as a punter.
November 26, 2022
Dorothy Hollingsworth, 1920-2022
“She was a maverick, and she placed the most vulnerable and marginalized populations—primarily women and children—at the center of her work.”
November 9, 2022
Mountain man
John E. Kurnick, '67, climbed all 68 of the 14,000-foot peaks in the contiguous United States.
November 4, 2022
In memory
Viewpoint Magazine pays tribute to artist Lawney Lawrence Reyes and Cowlitz Indian Tribe Chairman Dave Barnett.
September 2, 2022
Environment’s friend
Philanthropist Harriet Stimson Bullitt’s advocacy for Earth knew no bounds.
August 10, 2022
MAP Maker
A “true leader,” Thaddeus Spratlen brought dignity, dedication and a scholarly approach to the Multicultural Alumni Partnership.
July 21, 2022
A tribute to John Hartl, ’67, Seattle’s greatest movie critic
Famed movie critic John Hartl had a thoughtful eye, an unusually high IQ and an encyclopedic knowledge of film.
May 30, 2022
JoAnn Taricani, 1953-2022
School of Music Director JoAnn Taricani brought joy to her students and colleagues over more than four decades before her sudden death Feb. 1.
May 17, 2022
One who dared
A gifted actor and director—and one of "The Five Who Dared"—Harvy Blanks made history.
March 11, 2022
Remembering Desmond Tutu
Twenty years ago, the human rights leader delivered a message of hope to Seattle.
March 4, 2022
Mentor to many
Millie L.B. Russell, who passed away in November, helped generations of BIPOC students become medical professionals.
December 4, 2021
Junior Coffey, 1942-2021
Junior Coffey, who passed away recently, overcame traumatic experiences to become a Husky football star and racehorse trainer.
November 19, 2021
Remembering the Spratlens
Thaddeus Spratlen and Lois Price-Spratlen were the UW’s academic power couple—excelling as scholars and opening up opportunities for others.
Nursing leader’s legacy
One of Seattle’s few Black nurses in the 1940s, Rachel Suggs Pitts helped create a network of support for her colleagues and nursing students.
September 4, 2021
The ‘Renton Redhead’
Kermit Jorgensen was part of a Husky team that notched back-to-back Rose Bowl victories.
August 31, 2021
A distinguished legacy
Thaddeus Spratlen was a trailblazing business educator, a prolific scholar, a mentor and role model for generations of students.
June 10, 2021
A Husky to the core
W. Thomas Porter, ’59, served in the army, earned his MBA from the Foster School of Business, taught at the UW, and loved Husky athletics with all his might.
June 7, 2021
RIP, Dubs I
Dubs I, an Alaskan Malamute who was the Huskies’ cheerful and beloved mascot for a decade, died on April 3. He was 12.
June 3, 2021
Joy Plein, 1925-2021
Joy B. Plein, ’51, ’57, dedicated her long life to researching, teaching and sponsoring pharmaceutical research at the University of Washington.
‘A child’s eye view’
By the time of her death at the age of 104, Beverly Cleary’s books had sold more than 85 million copies.
May 10, 2021
Remembering Bryan Monroe
Brian Monroe, ’87, headed a Pulitzer-prize winning newspaper team and being the first print journalist to interview the country’s first Black president-elect.
March 11, 2021
Charles V. Johnson, 1928-2020
Colleagues remember the remarkable life of Charles V. Johnson, ’57.
December 10, 2020
Voice of the band
Frazer Cook called his time with the Husky Marching Band “an honor, a privilege and a pleasure.” Husky fans everywhere felt the same way about him.
December 7, 2020
Inspirational figure
A titan of the law and a trailblazer on the bench, Judge Joseph Jerome Farris sat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for 41 years.
November 29, 2020
Bill Gates Sr.’s legacy
As a leader in public service and champion of the UW, Bill Gates Sr. leaves a legacy far beyond his legal contributions.
September 16, 2020
Golf legend dies
Edean Anderson Ihlanfeldt started the UW women’s golf team in 1974-75 and coached it for eight years.
Gentle giant
Rod Stanley, a Federal Way High School graduate who was a beloved member of the Husky football teams of the early 1970s, died in 2018.
September 11, 2020
Beauty by all accounts
To experience the true beauty of the University of Washington’s Seattle campus, look no further than the photographs of Loyd Heath.
June 10, 2020
The Wright eye
Virginia Bloedel Wright, 1929-2020, brought the Broken Obelisk to the UW and funded countless shows at the Henry Art Gallery.
April 2, 2020
Impact personified
Alum and former UW regent Jim Ellis was driven to serve the public good.
January 9, 2020
Remembering Rocky Yeh
He was the ultimate party host, a self-described bon vivant and a Husky superfan.
March 1, 2019
Blake Nordstrom, 1960-2019
A longtime leader of a family company, he went out of his way to connect with customers, employees and community members.
January 7, 2019
Barbara Bailey, 1943-2018
Two things mattered most to Barbara Bailey: reading and serving the community.
December 1, 2018
John Pettit, 1946-2018; Connie Miller, 1951-2018
John R. Pettit, ’73, was UW’s first risk manager and a longtime senior administrator responsible for police, personnel, publications and purchasing. He was predeceased by his wife Connie J. Miller, ’73, ’79, also a longtime UW senior administrator in student housing.
Don Covey, 1928-2018
Donald J. Covey, ’53, was a dedicated business and community leader who served as president and CEO of UNICO Properties.
Richard Haag, 1923-2018
Richard Haag was the only person to receive two Presidential Awards for Design Excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Robert Stevick, 1928-2018
Robert Stevick's research into early Irish and English manuscripts advanced the understanding of arts and literature more than a millennium old.
November 30, 2018
Paul Allen's legacy
To the late Paul G. Allen, the University of Washington felt like home.
A life in computing
We explore the legacy of Microsoft’s late co-founder by photographing items from one of his museums.
October 4, 2018
Seattle’s public policy professor
Remembering scholar, civic leader and former dean Hubert Locke.
Herb Bridge, 1925-2018
The UW's first Distinguished Alumni Veteran Award honoree was a success in business after his Navy tour.
Dorothy Simpson, 1924-2018
She teamed with her husband to make her mark at the UW through generosity and service.
June 2, 2018
Mr. Smith’s journey
With core values formed by his Chehalis upbringing, Orin Smith went on to become a business leader who knew how to treat people right.
March 13, 2018
Arno Motulsky (1923-2018)
The founder of the UW Division of Genetics in 1957 lived a life of twists and turns.
March 1, 2018
Donald Matthews, 1925-2007
In post-Vietnam America, when political activity on college campuses caused rising tensions, Donald Matthews used his passion for politics to ease conflict and create a lasting legacy. The political science professor died Nov. 3.
January 11, 2018
Woman in blue
After 30 years with the Seattle Police Department, Noreen Skagen, ’52, became the first woman U.S. Marshal of Western Washington.
November 9, 2017
A guardian of history
Karyl Winn preserved the stories of some of our region’s most important figures.
September 12, 2017
Putting people above profits
To many, he was a “famous entrepreneur” and “beloved boss.” To those closer to him, he was a mentor, role model and dear friend.
August 18, 2017
Bill Hardwick (1944–2017)
The ’67 grad "put his heart and soul" into carrying on his family's legacy in the U District.
July 26, 2017
Romance under wraps
Theodore R. Anderson Jr. (1937-2017) met his wife when they both were applying for positions at Ski Patrol.
June 15, 2017
A champion for higher ed
Rep. Helen Sommers protected funding and expanded opportunities.
March 24, 2017
Memorials: March 2017 Issue
To report an obituary, email columns@uw.edu or write to Columns Magazine.
February 28, 2017
Two giants, one legacy
Willis Konick and Al Sugiyama committed their lives to education and social justice.
Akio Takamori (1950-2017)
The sculptor was a master of making people smile with his beautiful and sometimes cartoonish works.
Esther M. Wilkins (1916-2016)
The founder of the School of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program, known as the godmother of modern dental hygiene, died Dec. 12 in Boston.
Indomitable spirit
Remembering Richard Cooley, a chairman of Wells Fargo who taught in the Foster School of Business.
Marching band man
Remembering Bert Pound, ’37, who played for the "boys in the boat" and did one-armed push-ups at UW football games.
June 1, 2015
Ivan Doig, 1939-2015
Whenever I wander by Smith Hall, I reflect about the home of the UW’s esteemed History Department, as well as the place where, in 1969, a doctoral student wrote a memoir about losing his mother at age 6 and being raised by his father and grandma in hardscrabble Montana. Of course, I am referring to Ivan Doig’s first book.
Jon Bridgman
In the 1950 film La Ronde, the narrator states: “I adore the past. It’s so much more restful than the present and so much more certain than the future.” History Professor Jon Bridgman said that this scene captured his perspective.
Norman Johnston, 1918-2015
Professor Emeritus Norman Johnston had the buttons on his blazers replaced by those bearing the University of Washington’s crest; such was his love for this University.
March 1, 2015
Gerberding's legacy
Though the longest-serving president in UW history (from 1979 to 1995) is no longer with us—the North Dakota native died Dec. 27 at the age of 85 after suffering a stroke—his imprint on the University is indelible.
Wayne Quinton, 1921-2015
Often referred to as UW’s “father of bioengineering,” Wayne Quinton drew upon his knowledge in electronics, physics and materials to address unmet needs, especially in the field of medicine.
Naomi Pascal, 1926-2014
Naomi Brenner Pascal was a legend, not only at the UW, but also in the world of international academic publishing.
Albert L. Babb, 1925-2014
Albert L. “Les” Babb joined the UW chemical engineering faculty in 1952 and spent more than 40 years at the UW. He led the development of a curriculum in nuclear engineering and chaired the Department of Nuclear Engineering from 1965 to 1982.
March 1, 2014
Sally Skinner Behnke, 1923-2013
Sally Skinner Behnke, who died Dec. 12 at age 90, made a huge difference in the Seattle community—and to the UW.
Debra Friedman, 1955–2014
Debra Friedman loved the University of Washington. She earned two degrees here, served as a UW faculty member and administrator from 1994 to 2005, and in 2011, became chancellor of UW Tacoma—a job she threw herself into.
Jack R. MacDonald, 1915–2013
When Jack R. MacDonald died Sept. 13 at age 98, a $187.6 million charitable trust was provided for three of this favorite causes in Western Washington: the UW School of Law, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and The Salvation Army’s Northwest Division.
September 1, 2013
Brewster Denny, 1924-2013
Brewster C. Denny, who died June 22 at age 88, held several key roles in the federal government before honoring the call from UW President Charles Odegaard to return home to Seattle to create an academic program in public affairs.
June 1, 2013
Bryan Pearce, 1958-2013
The University of Washington community lost one of its most beloved members when Bryan Pearce, longtime University Book Store CEO and UWAA board member, died April 20 at the age of 55 from cancer.
June 1, 2012
Norbert Untersteiner, 1926-2012
Norbert Untersteiner, a UW professor and legendary polar scientist who was considered the founder of modern sea ice physics, died March 14. He was 86.
Thomas James Pressly, 1919-2012
Thomas James Pressly, who taught history at the UW for almost 40 years, died April 3. He was 93.
Jeanne Quint Benoliel, 1919-2012
Jeanne Quint Benoliel, a longtime member of the UW School of Nursing faculty who was named a “living legend” by the American Academy of Nursing, died Jan. 23. She was 92.
March 1, 2012
Gordon Hirabayashi, 1918-2012
For 45 years, Gordon Hirabayashi, ’46, ’49, ’52, who died Jan. 3 at the age of 93, waited for justice after he was imprisoned for challenging the internment of thousands of Japanese Americans after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor at the start of World War II.
December 1, 2011
Albert Rosellini, 1910-2011
Without the help of politician Albert Rosellini, ’32, ’33, who died Oct. 10 at the age of 101, the University of Washington School of Medicine might not exist today.
Scott B. White, 1970-2011
State Sen. Scott White, ’01 who died suddenly Oct. 21 of an undiagnosed heart problem, was a rare individual who never met a person with whom he couldn’t find common ground.
September 1, 2011
Robert C. Canfield, 1922-2011
Robert Canfield, ’51, was a highly popular professor of restorative dentistry who spent 22 years on the faculty of the UW School of Dentistry.