In Memoriam—Spring 2021

Founder of Philanthropy International and author of Leaving Yourself Behind, a memoir based on his life as a philanthropist, Dale Bailey ’56, M.Ed.’74, P’85 died July 29, 2019, at the age of 85. After graduating from Puget Sound with his bachelor’s degree, Bailey joined the Air Force, ultimately retiring as a colonel in the reserves after 25 years of honorable service. He was the first weatherman on KNDO in Yakima before returning to campus to earn his master’s degree and serve as vice president of public relations under President R. Franklin Thompson. A connection with Sister Kathleen Ross and the outreach programs in Toppenish/Omak, Wash., led to the foundation of Heritage University, through which Bailey could help fulfill a mission to provide underserved first-generation populations with a college education. Bailey loved boating and was passionate about nature, spending most of his free time on the waterways of the Puget Sound and British Columbia. He also was a baseball fan, holding season tickets to the Seattle Mariners. Bailey is survived by his three children with his first wife, including Bradley Bailey ’85, as well as two stepchildren and several grandchildren. 

David Ernst ’56 graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma before attending Puget Sound to study history and music. He died Nov. 26, at the age of 86. After graduation, Ernst completed an architectural degree at University of Washington and became a practicing architect in Seattle, working on a wide range of public and quasi-public projects, in addition to teaching in the architectural design studios at UW. In 1981, he and his partner moved their practice to Bellingham, Wash., where they focused on projects including libraries, municipal and public works facilities, housing for victims of domestic violence, and more. His community involvement included an eight-year appointment to the Bellingham-Whatcom County Planning Commission, participation in the Bellingham Farmers Market, and advocacy for Washington’s Death With Dignity Act. A member of the Adelphian Concert Choir at Puget Sound, Ernst loved music, Pacific Northwest literature, and evening chats with his flock of sheep. He was preceded in death by family members J. Henry Ernst ’26, Hon.’26, P’51; Katherine Bradley Ernst ’27, P’51; Gretchen Ernst Parker ’49; Jim Ernst ’51; and former spouse Bev Sale Ernst ’58. He is survived by his partner of 45 years, two children, two grandchildren, and extended family and friends.

Born in Tacoma, Eugene Tone M.A.’56 graduated from Lincoln High School, completed a master’s degree in education at Puget Sound, and earned his Ph.D. from Washington State University. He served in the Korean War and had a 30-year career in Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) as a teacher, counselor, principal, and district administrator developing and implementing programs that directly benefited his students. One of his programs was the nation’s first publicly funded school of homeless children. It operated within TPS and was named The Eugene P. Tone School. Tone was fond of saying that, given a choice between talking to an adult or a child, he’d pick the child every time. He will be remembered for his kindness and gentle nature.

At Puget Sound, Glen Bos ’57, P’83 was an education major and a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He taught in Dupont, Wash., as well as in Tacoma, including at Mount Tahoma High School, as a reading specialist. Bos’ defining quality was his empathy for others. He doted on his family, never missing a recital, game, or event of any kind. A lover of sports, he was an avid golfer and loved to fish. He is survived by his children, including Mike Bos ’83, grandchildren, and an expansive network of family and friends. Bos died April 4, at the age of 86.

Marilyn Owen Warner ’57 studied piano and voice at Puget Sound before transferring to San Francisco State University. She died Jan. 6, at the age of 85.

Gene Gesch ’58 died March 7, at the age of 93. While at Puget Sound, Gesch met D’Ann Saferite Gesch ’52. The couple married in 1950 and had six children, eventually settling in California. He enjoyed a long career at IBM/McDonnell Douglas and the Chartist, and will be remembered for his storytelling, wisdom, and the way he touched the lives of all who knew him.

Lifelong Tacoma resident Gary Larson ’59 died Jan. 12, at the age of 83. He attended Washington, Mason, and Stadium high schools before earning his degree at Puget Sound and launching a 31-year teaching career at Lowell and Point Defiance elementary schools. After retiring from teaching, he parlayed his love of helping people make good memories into becoming a wedding coordinator at Mason United Methodist Church and event coordinator at the Washington State History Museum. Larson is survived by his wife of 54 years, Roberta Bennett Larson ’60, and numerous extended family members.

Born and raised in Tacoma, Glenn Tegen ’59 attended Lincoln High School and Puget Sound. Drafted into the Army from the reserves, he spent two years in Korea. A business-minded entrepreneur, he eventually founded six companies in the Tacoma area, including Pacific Northern Oil, one of the top 10 privately owned companies in Washington, which sold bunker fuels throughout the Pacific basin with terminals in Japan and Hawai`i, among other locations. Considered a “real gentleman” by all who knew him, Tegen will be remembered as a good friend with a great smile.

Larry Mills ’60 died Nov. 30, at the age of 83. After earning his degree in education at Puget Sound, he taught at University Place Elementary School in Tacoma, Wash. Mills spent much of his free time researching his family history, but his real passion was classic Studebaker automobiles. He was a member of the Tacoma Studebaker Club and loved driving any of the nine Studebakers that he owned.

Prior to attending Puget Sound, John Rummel ’61 joined the Naval Reserve and was a member of ROTC while attending University of Wisconsin. In 1950, he volunteered for the Navy, serving aboard the USS Bexar in Korean waters. He was honorably discharged in 1956. While studying business administration on campus, Rummel joined the Theta Chi fraternity. In 1975, he purchased Custom Boot Store in Tacoma, and ran the business until retiring in 1990. Rummel suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1987, resulting in the removal of a portion of his brain, but he was resilient, working hard to recover his mobility. He died March 27, at the age of 92. 

James Green ’62 died May 3, at the age of 81. Born and raised in Spokane, Wash., Green earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology at Puget Sound before pursuing a master’s degree from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from University of Washington. His anthropology doctorate fieldwork took him to St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and he consulted at the National Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan, on a Fulbright fellowship. Green taught anthropology students at UW for more than 30 years, where he was recognized with a Distinguished Teaching Award and was affectionately known as “Dr. Death” for his popular course on death and dying. His books, Cultural Awareness in the Human Services and Beyond the Good Death: The Anthropology of Modern Dying, have been widely used in college courses. In 2006, Green and his wife, Carol Chapin Green ’62, marked their retirement by walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail across northern Spain. In addition to Carol, Green is survived by their children, grandchildren, and extended family. 

Joseph Sohlberg ’62 died Oct. 24, a month after the death of his beloved wife, Julia. After their children finished high school, the couple moved around as Sohlberg’s career as a chemist took them across the country, from Alaska to New Mexico to Florida, but they returned in time for the birth of their first grandchild. In retirement, the Sohlbergs traveled extensively, always returning to their home base in Picnic Point, Wash., where they often hosted family and friends. 

Joy Baker Stohr ’62 died Jan. 27, following a 20-year battle with cancer and related illnesses. She was 83. A savvy businesswoman, Stohr was majority partner in Noble Mountain Tree Farm in Salem, Ore., a company she founded with late husband Robert Stohr ’58 in 1976. Prior to establishing Noble Mountain, the Stohrs owned and operated the Douglas Fir Christmas Tree Company in Shelton, Wash. After graduating from Puget Sound with a degree in elementary education, Stohr taught in Tacoma Public Schools. Once her children were grown, she pursued a master’s degree in psychology from Antioch University and fulfilled a lifelong dream of establishing a counseling practice in Tacoma. In 1996, after an automobile accident killed her husband, Stohr resumed a leadership role at Noble Mountain, developing new products and gaining customers around the world. She will be remembered for her resilience in times of challenge, thoughtfulness, concern for others, and a smile that lit up every room she entered. 

After graduating from Puget Sound, Philip Weller ’63 went on to earn his master’s degree from Washington State University and Ph.D. from Kent State University. He spent his entire career, more than 50 years, teaching British literature at Eastern Washington University, inspiring a love of Shakespeare in generations of students. Additionally, he created and maintained the website Shakespeare-navigators.com to share his love for the Bard of Avon with a worldwide audience. Weller died Feb. 1. He was 79. 

Alan Gray ’64 died Dec. 31. He was 78. After attending Puget Sound, Gray went on to earn his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from University of Washington and enlist in the Army. Following his honorable discharge in 1969, he opened a dental practice in Sierra Vista, Ariz., serving patients for more than 40 years. 

Karen Sell ’64 died April 7, at the age of 79. After graduating from Wilson High School in Tacoma, Sell earned her bachelor’s degree in education at Puget Sound. Most of her career was spent at North Kitsap High School teaching special education. She played the viola since childhood and was invited to play in Symphony Tacoma, which she did until she was 27. Sell’s love of learning included experiencing new places, and her travels took her around the globe to destinations such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Tanzania, and Kenya. She owned dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, peacocks, sheep, goats, turtles, fish, and more, and enjoyed gardening, crafting, and playing games. 

Anne Jubitz Munro ’65 died Dec. 31. She was 78. After attending Puget Sound, Munro went on to Colorado State University, where she earned a degree in occupational therapy. A longtime volunteer in the Kern Critical Care unit of Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Ore., she will be remembered for her gentleness, kindness, and willingness to look for the good in everyone. 

Janie Nelles Calvert ’67 died Oct. 15. While attending Puget Sound, Calvert pledged the Pi Phi sorority, making friends who would remain close throughout her life, and discovered her passion for the arts and theater. Following graduation, she moved to Southern California and began an elementary teaching career that spanned more than 25 years. While she often hoped to return to the Pacific Northwest, California allowed her to develop her love of the beach, running, design, and travel. In her later years, Calvert served on the staff at River Church of the South Bay, where she helped lead, serve, and mentor others. 

Johanna Goldschmid ’67 died Oct. 25, at the age of 75, after battling advanced lung cancer. She attended Puget Sound before transferring to University of Washington, where she earned a degree in English and anthropology, focusing on the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. In 2011, she retired after 42 years with the San Francisco Public Library. 

Helen Whiteford Gronquist ’69 attended Puget Sound, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, before transferring to University of Oregon. She died April 19, at the age of 74. 

Corine Aiken M.A.’71 was well-known as approachable, loving, and enthusiastic. An educator and librarian, she taught at Pierce College and Tacoma Community College, and served as manager of the Chehalis Timberland Regional Library. Aiken was instrumental in getting the current Chehalis library built with private donations and without accruing any debt or mortgage. It was also her idea to install a drive-through window at the library. Aiken died May 7. She was 71. 

Lyn Raphael Jessup ’71 spent her early life in Tacoma, before her family spent time in Germany and Spain. They returned to the U.S. during Jessup’s senior year of high school, and she returned to Tacoma the following fall to attend Puget Sound. After graduation, Jessup moved to the Los Angeles area, working for numerous companies, before settling into a long career as an executive secretary at Occidental Petroleum. She had a passion for travel, visiting Russia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Jamaica, and Paris, and was an avid reader—traits that served her well when she appeared on Jeopardy! in 1997. Jessup died Jan. 20, at the age of 71. 

Max McCormick M.F.A.’71 was a Navy veteran of the Korean War and graduate of UCLA before earning his master’s degree at Puget Sound. He joined the Chaffey Union School District (Calif.) in 1972, teaching high school art, photography, and ceramics until his retirement in 1955. Active in the community, he skiied, played baseball and soccer, and learned to pilot a small airplane. In retirement, McCormick and his wife of nearly 51 years, Jean, moved to Arizona and traveled the country in their motorhome. McCormick died Sept. 5. He was 88. 

Robert Brongil ’77 died Jan. 30, at the age of 65. After graduating from Puget Sound, Brongil was a successful entrepreneur for 30 years. He loved to travel, especially as a snowbird in Mexico. 

Michael Ritchie ’79 died Jan. 8, after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 64. A Tacoma native, he graduated from Mount Tahoma High School before earning a bachelor’s degree at Puget Sound and graduating from the University of Washington School of Law. He began his legal career at Ellis & Li in Seattle in 1982, and moved to Dolack & Hansler in Tacoma in 1989, which became Loran & Ritchie P.S. until his medical retirement in 2019. Ritchie is survived by first wife Janet Christensen Ritchie ’77, daughters Meredith and Allison, and wife Alexandria. 

Margaret Anderson ’83 died Feb. 20, at the age of 60. Raised on a ranch in Big Timber, Mont., Anderson attended Puget Sound before transferring to Montana State University and ultimately graduating from the California Culinary Academy. 

Richard Richardson M.B.A.’83 died Feb. 5, just days shy of his 88th birthday. After serving in the Army and completing his bachelor’s degree at Columbia College, Richardson earned his M.B.A. at Puget Sound. He served as postmaster in Clinton, Mich., then postal inspector, eventually retiring in 1984, after 24 years. He formed his own private investigative service, Richardson & Associates, for 15 years in Pittsburgh, Pa., and was an active member of Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church. 

Brian Smith ’83 died Nov. 19, at the age of 50. After graduating from Puget Sound, Smith worked as a network administrator, first for Mann Theaters, then for Baskin-Robbins, before leaving the field to earn an M.F.T. degree. He worked for the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health counseling incarcerated juveniles at risk for recidivism, and received many heartfelt testimonials about the lasting and positive impact he made in their lives. A tireless advocate for animals, Smith rescued nine dogs and two cats, providing them with a loving home. He obtained certification for two pups to be therapy dogs and volunteered in Huntington Memorial Hospital’s Pet Assisted Therapy program. In his spare time, he enjoyed building and flying RC planes, and attending air shows, auto shows, and classic car swap meets. Smith will be remembered for his sharp wit, ready smile, and enduring empathy. 

The first in his family to attend college, Chicago native Albert Copolillo M.S.’82 graduated from University of Illinois at Champaign- Urbana before earning his master’s degree in occupational therapy at Puget Sound. While a Logger, he developed professional skills in helping others and a passion for the outdoors. Copolillo returned to Chicago after graduation and worked as a clinician, clinical supervisor, and instructor for 15 years, ultimately earning a Ph.D. in public health from University of Illinois. In 1997, he joined the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University, rising to chair and program director in 2009, and retiring in 2019. Throughout his career, Copolillo was known for his caring, collaborative, and humble brand of leadership. He died May 21, after a long and determined battle with lung cancer. He was 67. 

Robert Polk ’90 died April 11, at the age of 54. Polk played football for the Loggers, receiving All-America honors, while he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education. He served as head coach for Olympic High School’s boys’ basketball team from 1997 to 2004, and athletic director from 2000 to 2004. For the past 17 years, he was director of athletics, activities, health, and fitness for Everett Public Schools. In 2015, Polk received a pair of awards for his work: the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) award of merit, recognizing him for “meritorious dedication to middle and high school athletics,” and the Washington State Secondary Athletic Administrators Association (WSSAAA) athletic director of the year award. He is survived by his wife, Tara Heuer Polk ’88, and two children. 

Patricia Lautenschlager M.Ed.’95 died March 14. After earning her master’s degree at Puget Sound, Lautenschlager began a teaching career in Rockford, Ill.; Urbana, Ill.; Tacoma, Wash.; and overseas that lasted more than 30 years. A curious student and a gifted teacher, she encouraged a love of learning and travel in her classrooms and challenged her students to achieve their full potential and share it with others for the greater good. Lautenschlager will be remembered for her compassion and the way she inspired her friends, family, and students. 

Prior to attending Puget Sound, Michael Daling M.A.T.’96 earned a bachelor’s degree in physics at University of Washington and joined the Navy, serving as a nuclear engineer in the submarine force until his retirement in 1995. In his second career, he taught math and physics at North Kitsap Junior High and High School. He retired from teaching in 2014, and spent the next several years RVing with his wife, Kay. He was active in the community, instrumental in developing Horse Harbor Foundation, and as a member of West Sound Cycling Club and Silverdale Dog Park.