Dorothy Hager Barlow ’45 died Dec. 3, at the age of 97. After graduating from Stadium High School in Tacoma, Barlow attended Puget Sound before completing her nursing degree at Chicago Presbyterian Hospital. She was preceded in death by husband Robert Barlow ’45.
Joan Thompson Caillouette ’51 died Oct. 10. She was 93. Caillouette attended Smith College in Massachusetts and Reed College in Oregon before graduating from Puget Sound with a degree in education. She devoted much of her time to volunteer work, donating decades of service on boards for The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; Pasadena Planned Parenthood; and Pasadena Garden Club. She enjoyed reading, gardening, and playing tennis, which she did until the age of 91. Caillouette was preceded in death by husband James Caillouette ’50, and is survived by her brother, three children, and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Bruce Hunt ’51 died Oct. 24, at the age of 91. Hunt earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Puget Sound, where he was active in the Adelphian Concert Choir and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society. After graduation, he spent two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, then purchased the Western Auto store in Puyallup, Wash., working there until his retirement in 1981. Hunt was an avid fisherman, organizing the South Sound Fishing Society in 1990. He sang tenor in the Orpheus Club of Tacoma and was active in Kiwanis. Hunt is survived by wife Juanita Parker Hunt ’50, two daughters, and three grandchildren.
Cecil Reimer ’51 died Oct. 11. He was 93. After serving in France during World War II, Reimer earned a degree in economics from Puget Sound, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity and served as sports editor for The Trail. Upon graduation, he began a 35-year career with the Weyerhaeuser Company, working in several states across the U.S. Reimer and his wife were among the founding members of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Atlanta, where he was active as a parish council board member, a member of the choir, and a Eucharistic minister. In 1987, he was ordained as a deacon in the Catholic Church, and served as deacon at Holy Cross for the next 30 years. Reimer is predeceased by his brother-in-law John Du Beau ’56.
Margot Murray Webb ’52 died Oct. 22, at the age of 91. Born and raised in the Puget Sound area, Webb attended Puget Sound, where she met Duane Fleming ’51, with whom she would enjoy 47 years of marriage, until his death in 1997. An active volunteer, Webb took great joy in working as a costumer at Tacoma Musical Playhouse.
Mary Hjort Smith ’53 died Nov. 8, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was 90. After earning her bachelor’s degree in education from Puget Sound, Smith and her husband, Don (to whom she would be married for more than 60 years), moved to the Midwest, where she spent many years as a teacher in the Ann Arbor, Mich., area.
Louis Grzadzielewski ’54 died Dec. 2. He was 92. Grzadzielewski attended University of Wisconsin before entering the Army, where he served stints in California and Washington. After his discharge in 1951, he attended Puget Sound, earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He played three years on the varsity football team, and in his senior year was the team co-captain, voted Most Inspirational Player by his teammates. Grzadzielewski spent his career as a teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent in school districts in Washington, Wisconsin, Alaska, and Germany. During his 33 years of retirement, he enjoyed spending time with his family and watching college football games.
Roger Scott ’55 died Nov. 2. He was 92. After starting college at University of Minnesota, Scott was moving to Seattle when he was drafted into the Korean War. Upon his return, he studied business administration at Puget Sound, where he met Jane Andre Scott ’58, with whom he would share 59 years of marriage. A lifelong member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, he always enjoyed reuniting with his fraternity brothers. Scott began his career at Weyerhaeuser, then moved on to Boeing’s commercial sales division, in addition to owning various small businesses throughout his working life. Scott is preceded in death by wife Jane, and is survived by their four children and their families.
Robert Van Slyke ’56, MEd’60 died Oct. 31, at the age of 91. Born in Tacoma, Van Slyke graduated from Lincoln High School before earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Puget Sound. He earned a second master’s degree from University of Oregon and a doctorate from Washington State University, building a career as a teacher and school counselor in Tacoma and Alaska, and at University of Montana and Clark College.
Mardell Hodges Buffington ’57 died Sept. 29, at the age of 86. After graduating from Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Buffington attended Puget Sound, where she joined the Tri Delta sorority. She earned a nursing degree from University of Washington and enjoyed a 35-year career as a school nurse in Tacoma Public Schools.
William Seifert ’57 died Nov. 11. He was 86. After graduating from Puget Sound with a degree in economics, Seifert entered the U.S. Air Force as an officer. His military service took him across the country, as well as to Germany and Vietnam, where his achievements earned him the Bronze Star. Following his retirement from the Air Force, Seifert worked as a consultant and statistician for the Dallas Mavericks and part time as a basketball ref.
Lee McFarlane ’59 died Nov. 3. He graduated with a degree in biology from Puget Sound, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He is survived by wife Julie Peck McFarlane ’62.
Carl Mulvihill ’59 died Nov. 4, after battling cancer. He was 85. After graduating from Puget Sound with a degree in business administration, Mulvihill was drafted, serving six years in the U.S. Army. Returning to Skagway, Wash., in the 1960s, he went to work for the railroad as a dispatcher, then chief clerk, and became active in the local fire department. Elected to the city council in 1963, he became Skagway’s new fire chief in 1968, retiring in 1999 as the community’s longest-serving fire chief. An unofficial—but meticulous—historian and photographer of both the railroad and the fire department, Mulvihill penned a history of the Skagway Volunteer Fire Department that appeared in Skagway: City of the New Century. In summer 2021, with the assistance of railroad historian Keith Nore, Mulvihill completed his second book, Century of White Pass and Yukon Route Equipment. In the early 1970s, he became a police officer and later joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection Services. In retirement, Mulvihill set out to travel the world, venturing many times to Europe, South America, Russia, and Antarctica.
Thomas Nordi ’63 died Nov. 29, at the age of 82. Born in Tacoma, Nordi graduated from Stadium High School and studied business at Puget Sound, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. An independent insurance agent for more than 30 years, he was a passionate supporter of the Tacoma community and was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Tacoma North. Nordi had a talent for drawing people as cartoons, loved spaghetti and meatballs, and was a spontaneous traveler, creating a family legacy of yearly ski trips to White Pass with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Born in Chehalis, Wash., Thomas Pakar ’68 attended two other colleges before graduating from Puget Sound. He spent his career in banking, in particular, working with car dealers and their dealerships. He started at Puget Sound National Bank, then moved to First Interstate Bank, ultimately retiring from KeyBank. Along the way, he met many lifelong friends. Pakar’s great passion was sailing; he loved being on the water on a windy day. He died Dec. 7, at the age of 75.
James Crafton MPA’74 died Dec. 1. He was 88. Crafton studied at University of Louvain in Belgium and graduated from Puget Sound with a master’s degree in public administration. He and wife Joan raised their family in Tacoma before relocating in 1998 to Kettering, Ohio, where Crafton maintained a photography business.
Deborah Organt ’75 died recently, at the age of 68. Born in Baltimore, she moved across the country after graduating from high school to attend Puget Sound, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy. Years later, she continued her education at Lesley College, earning a master’s degree in expressive therapy. Organt spent her more than 30-year career taking care of others, including children, those struggling with mental or substance issues, and the elderly. A devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, she will be remembered for leaving the world a kinder and gentler place.
Roger Rowe ’75 died Oct. 10, at the age of 69. After graduating from Puget Sound with a degree in sociology, Rowe worked for the Tacoma Urban League and Boeing. Later, he began a career in corrections with King County, retiring in 2017 after 35 years of service. While at Puget Sound, he competed on the football and track teams for the Loggers. His record for the longest triple jump, set in 1974, is still standing. Rowe loved to fish and to travel in his RV. He especially enjoyed time at home with his family. Rowe is survived by wife of 45 years, Elizabeth Reed Rowe ’78, two daughters, and two grandchildren.
Charles Manuel MFA’76 died Oct. 18 of cancer, at the age of 70. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Graceland College, Manuel graduated from Puget Sound with a master’s degree in art and design, specializing in ceramics, and then earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic. One of his greatest joys was teaching ceramics for 11 years. Known as a jack of all trades, he loved tinkering and creating. He constructed boats for the Iowa Cardboard Boat Regatta; founded the first chiropractic practice and gym in Lamoni, Iowa; volunteered as a first responder; and won in his age bracket at the IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in 2018. He will be remembered for his kindness and indomitable spirit.
Theodore Escobar ’77 died Oct. 6, after a short illness. He was a day shy of his 86th birthday. Born in Makaweli, Kauai, Escobar attended University of Hawai`i and served in the U.S. Air Force, eventually earning his bachelor’s degree in business from Puget Sound. He worked for NASA and the Air Force as an aircraft mechanic, and enjoyed a successful career in aviation maintenance and technical services with companies including DynCorp International, Hawaiian Airlines, and Lockheed Air Terminal in Guam, ultimately retiring as regional maintenance manager at San Francisco International Airport, after more than 20 years with Continental Airlines. An avid sportsman, Escobar surfed, windsurfed, competed in triathlons, trained with the UH Masters Swimming Team and the Paluman Tasi (Guam) Paddling Team, and had a passion for golf.
Jean Kuntz ’84 died Oct. 26. She was 67. After earning her associate degree at Bismarck Community College, Kuntz completed her bachelor’s degree in business administration at Puget Sound. Her career was primarily focused in human resources within several Seattle-area municipalities. She was known for enjoying her co-workers, who often became lifelong friends. Kuntz will be remembered for her kindness and generosity.
Tacoma native Nancy Gepke ’88 died Sept. 9. She was 65. Gepke attended Sherman Elementary, Mason Junior High, and Wilson High School in Tacoma before pursuing a teaching degree while raising her young family. After graduating from Puget Sound, Gepke began her career as a substitute teacher, later working in the Even Start Program at Bates Technical College, and retiring in 2004 due to health issues. She will be remembered for her love of all cats and children.
Donielle Watkins ’89 died Nov. 5, after a two-year battle with cancer. She was 54. Watkins enrolled at Puget Sound to pursue a degree in biology before attending the Washington State School of Veterinary Medicine and earning her DVM. She is survived by her parents, husband Joe, sons Wiley and RJ, sister Darcy Watkins Donovan ’91, JD’94 and numerous nieces and nephews.
Jennifer Noles ’92 died Oct. 2, at the age of 52. Noles studied at Puget Sound for two years before completing her bachelor’s degree at Oregon State University and her master’s degree in occupational therapy at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, Calif.
After attending Chico State and Diablo Junior College, Jennifer George ’97 completed her English degree at Puget Sound. A passionate and creative person, she loved literature, music, poetry, and the outdoors. In addition to being a published writer and mom, George excelled at growing orchids, earned her beekeeper certification, and helped 24 women earn their GEDs. She will be remembered for her kind heart, her bright smile, and her infectious laughter. George died June 18, the victim of a tragic incident. She was 47.