Bob Stremba
1947–2022
At Puget Sound, Bob Stremba is probably best known as one of the founders of Passages, the community-experience portion of orientation. Stremba, who served 17 years as director of Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services, was a scholar of experiential education, psychology, and the outdoors. It was his ambitious vision to take the entire incoming first-year class on a backpacking trip. Beginning in 1982, he tracked a small group of new students each year to collect data showing how a shared outdoor experience among incoming students would improve retention rates, academic success, and class cohesion. In August 1985, Passages was born, with Stremba as its co-director.
As director of CHWS, Stremba shifted the university in another way that remains recognizable today: He led the effort in the mid-1990s to merge the counseling center and health center—previously separate entities—into one. Stremba was ahead of his time in moving to provide workshops on sexual assault prevention and LGBTQ empowerment—programs that, in the 1980s, were not yet common on college campuses. Decades later, Puget Sound has been recognized as one of the best campuses in the country for queer students, and workshops on sexual assault prevention remain part of orientation.
After leaving Puget Sound, Stremba taught adventure education courses at Fort Lewis College for 18 years and co-authored the book Teaching Adventure Education Theory: Best Practices (2009). Colleagues and friends remember Stremba for his quiet persistence, his constant support, and his dogged willingness to give new ideas a try.
Stremba died April 7, at his home in Durango, Colo. He was 74.
— Zoe Branch ’18; photo by Carl Levi
Ken Rousslang
1948–2022
Ken Rousslang was a friend and mentor to a legion of students in his 33 years on the Puget Sound faculty. In 2009, after he retired, a number of them—including PhD candidates and young faculty members at various universities—returned to campus to present at a daylong research symposium in his honor. “It was an amazing demonstration of the impact that Ken had on his students and on the field of physical chemistry,” wrote several colleagues in an email to the university community in June following Rousslang’s death. Rousslang died June 23, while doing one of the things he enjoyed most: bicycling with his wife, Mary Magee, and friends. He was 74.
Rousslang joined the faculty in 1975 as professor of physical chemistry. He served a stint as department chair and was popular with both colleagues and students. Ken Brown ’98, now a professor at Duke, was one of many who stayed in touch with Rousslang after graduating. “I will miss his advice,” Brown said in a tweet this summer. Rousslang received the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2002; four years later he received a new appointment at the university: professor of natural sciences.
Outside of his work, Rousslang was an amateur weatherman, grew a prolific garden, and created a shellfish farm on his beach access in Gig Harbor, among other pursuits.
“His loss is incalculable,” said his newspaper obituary. “He was a brilliant, witty, wise, kind, loving man.”
—Tina Hay
Marta Cady
1968–2022
Marta Ann Palmquist Cady, former associate dean of students for student support, died June 3, surrounded by her family at her home in Tacoma. She was 53.
Cady worked at Puget Sound from 1993 until her retirement last January. She helped develop and manage the orientation program (now known as Passages), working to help welcome generations of new students, and worked closely with ASUPS to support and advocate for student activities and programs. She also oversaw Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services and, later, the Office of Intercultural Engagement, and advised multiple student groups. She was known for her work fighting sexual assault and harassment, and was especially proud of Peer Allies, a peer-to-peer support group she started for students who have experienced assault or harassment.
Cady’s impact on students is exemplified by Emily Menk ’14, who met her when Menk was hired as an orientation leader. “Marta became my mentor, my cheerleader, my go-to for advice, and sometimes my unofficial bonus mom,” she says. Inspired by Cady, Menk now works in student affairs at Macalester College.
Those who knew Cady recall the way she threw herself into everything she did with complete devotion and generosity, as well as her joyful spirit, her wry smirk, and her contagious laugh. “Marta could sit with a student in deep crisis, feeling all sorts of personal and human hurt, and be present to both care and support and to aggressively advocate for justice alongside them,” says University Chaplain Dave Wright ’96, noting her “bone-deep commitment to the care, well-being, and growth of Puget Sound students.”
—Julianne Bell ’13
William Bean MS’51 died Dec. 9, as a result of complications with COVID-19. He was 97. Bean attended Beloit College for a year before entering the military during World War II. He became a Navy medic, serving with the Marines at Iwo Jima and Nagasaki. Following the war, he completed his undergrad at Beloit before earning a master’s in chemistry at Puget Sound. Most of his career was spent in research and development in the paper industry, with Marathon and Weyerhaeuser. Following retirement, he worked part time for Kwik Trip for 16 years. Bean loved the outdoors and enjoyed fishing, snowmobiling, and gardening. He was always good for a joke and loved to entertain family and friends.
Harold Wolfe ’55 died May 18. He was 93. Born in Olympia, Wash., Wolfe enlisted in the Army in July 1951, serving in the Korean conflict as a forward observer, for which he received a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star with Valor, for meritorious service in a combat zone. He returned to Washington in 1953, and in 1954 he married Barbara Bell Wolfe ’51, whom he met at Puget Sound, and who preceded him in death. The couple shared three sons. Wolfe enjoyed a career in banking, serving at American Savings and, eventually, Capital Savings & Loan, where he was employed from 1961 through his retirement as CEO in 1987. He served as chair of the Thurston County Planning Commission, was a founding member of South Sound Community College, was commodore of Olympia Yacht Club, and was a longtime member of Olympia Kiwanis.
Whether you knew him by “Al,” “Alfredo,” “Guido,” or something else, Alfred Frederickson ’56 and his larger-than-life personality, great laugh, and big heart were always the life of the party. After earning an occupational therapy degree from Puget Sound, he spent the first third of his career working with individuals with special needs before switching gears to open the Bacchus Wines wine cellar in Everett, Wash. That soon grew to The Back Door Deli and, eventually, a full-service restaurant, Bacchus By the Bay, on the Everett waterfront. When the restaurant closed in 1993, Frederickson took a position as cook at the German Retirement Home in Kirkland, Wash., then moved on to Trader Joe’s, from which he retired in 2002. He died May 5, at the age of 89.
David Peterson ’61 died June 12, at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sharon Muir Peterson ’62; their two sons; and extended family and friends. After graduating from Puget Sound, Peterson went to work at Weyerhaeuser for the next 41 years. He was awarded the Weyerhaeuser Presidents
Citizenship Award for being active in civic organizations, including local business groups, youth sports activities, and hospital support groups. A loving husband, father, and grandfather, Peterson had a passion for sailing and being outdoors.
Billy McCrabb ’63 died July 10. He was 91. After attending Emporia State University, McCrabb began his career with Boeing in the early 1950s. He took a brief hiatus to serve four years in the Air Force, then moved with his family in 1958 to Washington, where he worked in industrial engineering for Boeing and enrolled at Puget Sound. In 1989, having worked on B-47, 727, 737, 747, 757, and B-2 airplanes, he retired from Boeing. Aviation was not just his professional life; McCrabb built and flew radio-controlled planes, earned his private pilot’s license at age 70, and even went sky diving to celebrate his 80th birthday. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, and loved woodworking and travel.
After a long, happy life and a brief illness, Marjorie Beadles Tuell ’61, Hon.’91, P’69 died Feb. 9, just a week after turning 96. At Puget Sound, she earned a bachelor’s degree in music while raising three children with her preacher husband. She would drive to campus in her bright-yellow ’36 Ford pickup, affectionately called “the canary.” Tuell used her education to become an expert in hymnody, eventually putting together a national hymnal, leading worship services, and teaching courses. In 1991, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Puget Sound. Tuell was preceded in death by her husband, Bishop Jack Tuell ’61, Hon.’61, P’69, and is survived by three children, including Jackie Tuell Joday ’69, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Frank Bower ’64, P’90 died April 11, at the age of 81, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. At Puget Sound, he was an active member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. After graduation, he was commissioned into the Air Force, and continued his education in meteorology at San Jose State University, University of Michigan, and Texas A&M, serving the military as meteorologist for 23 years. Bower was stationed in numerous areas of the United States, as well as Guam and Korea. After retirement at Hanscom AFB in 1987, he worked several years with Digital Research Corporation. Lifelong interests included earning his private pilot’s license and flying, sports, investment clubs, classical music, and reading. Bower is survived by former spouse Janet Hinton Bower ’62, P’90; two daughters, Tracey Bower McCarthy ’90 and Carrie Boyer; brother Gary Bower; and seven grandchildren.
Tacoma native Tom Wekell ’64, ’65 died May 13, due to complications from a head injury. He was 80. Wekell attended Stanford University and Puget Sound, then went on to work for family business North Star Glove Company for nearly 65 years. Wekell was an active member of the downtown Tacoma YMCA and was
an avid runner, though that turned to walking as he got older. He especially enjoyed walking at Point Defiance. Wekell is survived by brother Robert Wekell ’66 and numerous loved ones.
John Marshall ’65 died Dec. 9 of cancer, at the age of 80. Marshall earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Puget Sound, and spent 25 years teaching the subject at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma, Wash. After teaching, he and wife Nancy MacMahon Marshall ’64 owned and managed the Episcopal Bookstore in Seattle for 25 years. Marshall is survived by Nancy, two sons, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Robert Garlett ’67, MEd’72 died May 25, at the age of 77. Garlett’s first teaching job after graduating from Puget Sound was teaching sixth grade in Tacoma Public Schools, where he played a vital role in developing the Outdoor Education Program. Later, he served as vice principal and principal in schools across the region, retiring from Camas School District in 1998. Later in life, he and his wife, Pamela, traveled to national parks, wildlife refuges, and other places they could camp, hike, and bird-watch. For 10 years, they traveled with RV Care-A-Vanners, building homes with Habitat for Humanity.
David Campbell ’75 died Feb. 23, at the age of 68. At Puget Sound, he studied political science, served as ASUPS vice president, and was a founding member of the independent fraternity of lifelong friends known
as the D.B. Hoopers. After graduation, he worked as an admission counselor, then earned a master’s in public administration from Indiana University. He worked as the city manager in Chehalis and Longview, Wash., and most recently as chief deputy assessor in Lewis County (Wash.). His passions included his wife, Debbie; children and grandchildren; and service to Rotary and the United Methodist Church. Campbell was an active alumnus, a regular at Logger basketball games, and an advisor to students in the Alumni Sharing Knowledge program.
Patrick Riggs ’75, MBA’76 died April 20, after a five-year fight with multiple myeloma. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration and an MBA in finance from Puget Sound before marrying and settling in Lakewood, Wash., where Riggs served as a trusted financial officer for numerous companies over the course of his career. He and wife Marla also raised a son and daughter in Lakewood. Riggs loved golf, photography, and woodworking, and will be remembered for always going the extra mile for his many friends and loved ones.
Tacoma native Paul Wohlhueter ’76 died May 15, at the age of 69. A lifelong athlete, Wohlhueter was selected to play in the Annual Shrine Football (Auburn, Wash.) game as a high school senior and was named Defensive Player of the Game. At Puget Sound, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta and earned a bachelor’s in business administration. In 2018, he retired from a career in sales and marketing. Known as an attentive listener and loving husband, father, and grandfather, he loved to travel, watch and play sports with his grandkids, and stay active outdoors.
R. Gregg Rodgers ’78, JD’83 died Aug. 31, 2021, after a yearlong battle with cancer. After earning his bachelor’s and law degrees from Puget Sound, Rodgers enjoyed a career in immigration law with a focus on China. He received the 2021 Sidney Rittenberg Award for Lifetime Achievement for his work to enhance relations with China. He spent 20 years working for Garvey Schubert Barer, retiring in 2017. Known as “Magic”
by friends and family for his love of magic, Rodgers traveled the world, loved the arts, and especially enjoyed his garden.
Known as a poet, warrior, foodie, and mentor, Stephen Bates ’85 died May 21. At 17, Bates joined the U.S. Army, and was deployed to the Vietnam War, returning two years later with a Purple Heart. While earning his bachelor’s degree in English at Puget Sound, Bates and his wife raised four children. He was a published writer, a musician, and an adventurer, and he could often be found mentoring struggling veterans and others who needed a hand. Food was Bates’ great love, and he enjoyed nothing more than serving up a delicious dish for family and friends—except, perhaps, dishing out funny one-liners to make his loved ones laugh.
South Kitsap (Wash.) High School graduate James Piatt ’85 earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Puget Sound. During the summers between terms, he traveled to Alaska and worked as a “Skiff Man” on purse seiners out of Kodiak. After college, Piatt worked for local and national companies in sales, earning recognition as the No. 1 sales associate on a number of occasions. He was an expert snow skier and motorcycle rider on both dirt bikes and road bikes, and, while working for a water ski manufacturer, developed a back brace ski vest for which he was granted a patent. He lived life to the fullest, won nearly every competition he entered, and loved to travel with his family. Piatt died June 2. He was 59.
Brian Jolin ’93 died July 6, after a long battle with colon cancer. He was 51. A resident of Texas for nearly 30 years, Jolin worked as a manufacturer’s representative for several lines, establishing Jolin Promo in 2009. In addition to his career, Jolin was active in the community, serving as an inaugural member of AIM Smarter’s Diversity Council and working with PromoKitchen as a mentor. A longtime volunteer with Room in the Program at the Forth Worth, Texas, First Street Mission, he also coached youth sports, was active in First United Methodist Church, and served as a court-appointed special advocate. In recent years, Jolin spent the holiday season as the in-demand “Santa Brian,” visiting neighborhood events dressed as Santa Claus. Jolin will be remembered as a passionate advocate of social justice issues who always sought to be a good ally.
Jim Wisnewski ’08 died July 2. He was 37. Wisnewski grew up around the world, graduating from Shanghai American School before attending Puget Sound and earning a bachelor’s degree in business. During his brief career, he was a lead member of the startup team for a live music and dance club in Shanghai and an account executive at Red Moon Marketing in North Carolina. Wisnewski was an avid traveler, writer, runner, hiker, and scuba diver.
Jennifer Dominguez Quintanilla ’11 died Feb. 18. Known for her love of science and nature, Quintanilla was active on campus, working in the biology lab and volunteering at Slater Museum while earning her bachelor’s in natural science. She was a member of the Logger crew team and had a soft spot for the elephants at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Quintanilla worked at the Literacy Coalition of Texas to help create a more literate community, and was appointed to the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council for her community education efforts as a nutritional health coach. She was 32.
FACULTY & STAFF
Shady Bauer, retired history professor and associate academic dean, died April 3. He was 93. Bauer was known for his love of learning, always remembering everyone’s names, and his secret-recipe pork loin roast. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Marlene, and is survived by three siblings, two daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Richard Hodges, professor emeritus of education, died Feb. 4, at the age of 92. After serving in the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division in occupied Japan, Hodges entered college on the GI Bill, first studying forestry, then switching to education. During his doctoral work at Stanford, he conducted one of the first computerized analyses of English sound and spelling patterns, a study that informs literacy instruction to this day. In 1975, Hodges joined the Puget Sound faculty as dean of the School of Education. During his nearly 20-year career at Puget Sound, he helped establish the Master of Arts in Teaching Program and edited, with colleague Ted Harris, The Literacy Dictionary: The Vocabulary of Reading and Writing for the International Literacy Association (ILA). Upon retirement, he was inducted into the ILA’s Reading Hall of Fame. A voracious reader and compulsive punster, Hodges adored baseball, fly-fishing, British roadsters, jazz, and vanilla ice cream. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lois, and his children and grandchildren.