1940s
Marian G. Donohue (’47 Socio.), 97, December 26, 2022, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Joyce Lorine Lee (’47 Gen. Stu.), 100, January 16, 2026, Colville.
Mary Jo Ann Minor (’48 Pharm.), 99, February 9, 2026, Meridian, Idaho.
Ruth Mary Petersen (’48 Home Econ.), 99, May 13, 2026, Federal Way.
1950s
Thomas Frank Paul (’50 Psych.), 100, November 9, 2025, Seattle.
Mary Joan Pratt (’51 Music), 95, March 24, 2025, Portland, Oregon.
Dolores Ruth (Plaster) Allen (’52 Home Econ.), 92, May 29, 2022, Burien.
P. Clarence Ames (’52 Chem. Eng.), 95, August 26, 2024, Vancouver.
Mary Ruth Howard (’53 Home Econ., Ed.), 94, May 6, 2025, Woodland, California.
Lorraine H. Albright (’54 Int. Des., Kappa Kappa Gamma), 94, May 4, 2026, Carmel, Indiana.
Mary Lou Guenther (’54 Elem. Ed., Pi Beta Phi), 93, January 17, 2026, Portland, Oregon.
Louis C. Torre (’54 Hort., Alpha Gamma Rho), 92, June 27, 2023, Puyallup.
Edward T. “Tom” Cooney Jr. (’55 Pharm.), 84, August 27, 2017, Woodinville.
Marilyn L. Swift Cranston (’55 Ed.), 93, March 13, 2026, Longview.
Henlof Gene Wick (’55 Arch.), 91, April 24, 2025, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Audrey M. Yoshinaga (’55 Nursing), 86, December 11, 2019, Kaunakakai, Hawaii.
C. Douglas “Doug” Brown (x’56), 87, August 24, 2021, Seattle.
Bud Etherton (’56 Psych., ’62 PhD Botany), 95, April 4, 2026, Shelburne, Vermont.
Roger M. Gardner (’56 Vet. Sci., ’60 DVM), 92, March 28, 2026, Castle Rock.
Joe E. Brewer (’57 Industrial Tech.), 89, March 31, 2018, Auburn.
James Carl Ellingsen (’57 Zool.), 91, April 15, 2026, Post Falls, Idaho.
John Everett Truax (’57 Geol.), 91, February 22, 2026, West Covina, California.
Donald Jack Lee (’58, ’61 MS Ani. Sci.), 94, March 29, 2026, Moscow, Idaho.
Ira Dale Branson (’59 Ani. Sci., ’65 MA Ag. Econ., Alpha Gamma Rho), 88, January 23, 2026, Olney, Maryland.
Donald R. Breitenfeldt (’59 Elem. Ed., ’72 EdD Higher Ed. Admin.), 94, May 1, 2026, Yakima.
Marilyn M. Dillsi (’59 Socio., ’91 MCE Cont. Ed.), 90, March 15, 2026, Pullman.
Sally Delight Kilpatrick (’59 Ed.), 88, December 21, 2025, Anacortes.
Jeanette Naomi Otis (’59 Chem., Delta Gamma), 88, January 1, 2026, Graham.
Gary Dale Pittman (’59 Mat. Sci. & Eng.), 91, March 19, 2026, Shelburne, Vermont.
Leslie Earl Stone Jr. (’59 Ag. Eng.), 88, November 18, 2025, Spokane.
1960s
Richard L. Brunner (’60 Gen. Stu.), 85, March 12, 2021, Ventura, California.
John J. Fanning III (’60 Phys. Ed.), 89, June 3, 2026, Spokane.
Kathleen R. LeMaster (’61 Soc. Stu.), 86, July 18, 2025, Mercer Island.
Judith D. McDonald (’61 Elem. Ed., Kappa Kappa Gamma), 85, November 30, 2024, Bellevue.
Patrick W. Siler (’61 Fine Arts) was an internationally known ceramic artist and retired professor at WSU. He died May 15, 2026, in Pullman at age 86. Siler’s first public art piece was a mural at Grand Coulee Dam. After many years in the Bay Area, he returned to WSU in 1973 to teach. His work was acquired and shown at the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Ceramic Arts, the Seattle Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, WSU, and elsewhere.
John M. Fabian (’62 Mech. Eng.), 87, May 21, 2026, Port Ludlow.
Dwight F. “Crow” Wilson (’62 Civ. Eng.), 88, March 6, 2026, Wimberley, Texas.
Harriet Marion Boyer (’63 English), 85, May 11, 2026, Seattle.
Susan Madge (Myklebust) Williams (’63 Elem. Ed., Kappa Alpha Theta), 84, April 2, 2026, Couer d’Alene, Idaho.
Judith Harris Campbell (’64 Music), 84, April 27, 2026, Pullman.
Gary William Pence (’65 Phys. Ed.), 83, April 17, 2026, Choctaw, Oklahoma.
Robert Charles Daniel (’66 Comm.), 81, March 26, 2026, Tacoma.
Darrel Wayne Stuver (’66 Police Sci.), 82, April 11, 2026, Redmond.
Joy Gaynell Glover (’67 Elem. Ed., Pi Beta Phi), 79, January 17, 2025, Kennewick.
Samuel W. Hunt (’67 English), 83, April 25, 2026, Olympia.
Ronald Stephen Rice (’67 Busi.), 81, April 9, 2026, Seattle.
John Edward Salisbury (’67 Psych., ’74 Elem. Ed.), 81, December 19, 2025, Oregon City, Oregon.
Thomas M. Clement Jr. (’68 Wildlife Biol.), 79, January 9, 2025, Baker City, Oregon.
Leonard J. “Butch” Bevaart (’69 Wildlife Biol.), 85, April 20, 2026, Enumclaw.
Janet Lee Elliott (’69 Home Econ.), 79, April 2, 2026, Silverdale.
1970s
Calvin “Cal” Henry Delegard (’70 Chem.), 76, February 19, 2026, Richland.
Pauline “Polli” E. Hamlin (’70 Ed.), 78, March 16, 2026, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Gary J. Heintz (’70 Gen. Stu.), 84, April 8, 2026, Hayden, Idaho.
David Eugene Howard (’70 Busi.), 77, July 23, 2025, Clarkston.
Forrest Alouis Miller (’70, ’72 MS Mech. Eng.), 78, April 6, 2026, Vashon.
Joel Keith Thorson (’71 Chem. Eng.), 76, April 17, 2026, Everett.
Rebecca Ann “Becky” Bailey (’72 Ed.), May 12, 2026, 75, The Dalles, Oregon.
Richard “Dic” J. Gribbon (’72 Comm.), 75, May 16, 2026, Sun City, Arizona.
Janice Ellen Lagler (’72 Fine Arts, Delta Delta Delta), 75, March 21, 2026, Vancouver.
Susan “Sue” Mahrt Perkins (’72, ’03 MN Nursing) trained generations of nurses at WSU after serving as a school nurse in Spokane for more than 25 years. She died April 19, 2026, in Spokane at age 76. Perkins put her students first and was known for her kindness, enthusiasm, and welcoming spirit. In 2018, Perkins was honored with the university’s Undergraduate Faculty Excellence Award. She retired as a full-time professor in 2023.
Richard O. Shelton (’72 History, Ed.), 76, August 19, 2025, Camano Island.
Ina Ames (’73 Math.), 75, April 17, 2026, Richland.
Greg Royer (’74 Busi.), 76, May 4, 2026, Clarkston.
Russell M. Frye Jr. (’75 Ani. Sci.), 74, April 2, 2026, Plattsmouth, Nebraska.
Dennis L. Pedersen (’76 Pharm.), 71, May 16, 2025, Kennewick.
Artis Vaughan (’76 Fine Arts), 94, December 16, 2023, Richland.
Claudia Mary McBride (’77 Fine Arts), 71, April 14, 2026, Deer Park.
Michael Lee Snodgrass (’77 Arch.), 72, September 20, 2025, Marysville.
Lewis Milton Chere (’78 PhD History), 79, January 6, 2024, Wysox, Pennsylvania.
Penelope Jean Hitchcock (’79 DVM) was a veterinarian, infectious disease researcher, and public health leader whose work advanced the study of sexually transmitted diseases and biosecurity policy in the United States. She died March 15, 2026, at age 78. Hitchcock led departments at the National Institutes of Health, and her work helped guide national and international research efforts focused on infectious diseases and contributed to initiatives addressing biosecurity and emerging health threats.
Kate Anne Overman (’79 Ed.), 64, December 6, 2020, Pasco.
1980s
Guadalupe S. Richardson (’80 Ed.), 71, March 20, 2026, Selah.
Jerry C. Keiser (’81 EdD Ed.), 88, May 29, 2026, Jefferson, Wisconsin.
1990s
Kathryn Leigh Wasem (’97 Pharm.), 67, March 9, 2026, Silverdale.
Darcy Marie DeBord (’98 History), 51, May 3, 2026, North Plains, Oregon.
2000s
Amy Christine Tams (’03 Nursing), 54, May 2, 2026, Vancouver.
Faculty and Staff
Marilyn M. Dillsi, 90, Music, 1990-2007, March 15, 2026, Pullman.
Richard “Dick” Fry, 103, Athletics and News, 1952-1985, May 27, 2026, Pullman.
Calvin Leroy Johnson, 85, Veterinary Medicine, 1986-2002, April 21, 2026, Lewiston, Idaho.
Joseph Judy, 82, Information Services, 1997-2008, February 25, 2026, Eagle Point, Oregon.
Michael Kenny, 81, WSU Police, 1969-2000, February 12, 2026, Lakeside, Montana.
Reba McCoy, 86, Custodial Services, 1986-2000, February 20, 2026, Tensed, Idaho.
Duane Mickelsen, 89, Veterinary Clinic Sciences, 1972-1998, March 3, 2026, Pullman.
Ray Nelson, 85, Agronomy & Soils, 1959-1989, March 16, 2026, Pullman.
Mary Ellen Radziemski, 81, Child Development Center, 1979-2010, March 20, 2026, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Greg Royer, 76, Business Affairs, 1973-2011, May 4, 2026, Clarkston.
Patrick W. Siler, 86, Fine Arts, 1973-2005, May 15, 2026, Pullman.
Malachi Trimble, 26, Northwest Public Radio, 2023-2026, May 24, 2026, Pullman.
Miguel Vasquez-Aguilera, 35, University Advancement, 2014-2026, May 8, 2026, Caldwell, Idaho.
Halvor Westberg, 85, Civil Engineering, 1971-2006, March 5, 2026, Kennewick.
Elia Whelchel, 99, Faculty Senate, 1973-1995, April 13, 2026, Waitsburg.