ALUMNI

Betty Kier ’50 of Pacific Grove, Calif., died Feb. 1, 2025. She studied music and business at Puget Sound, and was a member of Chi Omega, band, orchestra, Adelphians, and the Spurs service organization. Survivors include her spouse, Sam Kier ’50.

Nadine Mobley ’51 of Tacoma died Dec. 11, 2024. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology, wrote for The Trail, and was married to a fellow Logger (now deceased), Coy Mobley ’51.

Frederick Holmes ’54 of Lenexa, Kan., died Jan. 30, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology, and was active in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Adelphians.

Bob Coates ’57 of Tacoma died Feb. 25, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration. Survivors include his spouse Charlene Coates ’61.

Carolyn Cox Gargasz ’60 of Hollis, N.H., died Jan. 31, 2025. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and was a member of Tri Delta and contributed to Tamanawas and The Trail. After graduation, she was active as a class agent and a member of the Council.

Michael Plenkovich ’61 of Bellingham, Wash., died Feb. 17, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and was a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi honor society and the Theta Chi fraternity. Survivors include his spouse, Rochelle A. Plenkovich ’62 and a sister-in-law, Sandra L. Griffith ’64.

Charles V. Waid ’62 of Bonney Lake, Wash., died Jan. 27, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration. Survivors include his spouse, Barbara L. Waid ’60.

Gail Adams ’63 of Healdsburg, Calif., died Dec. 24, 2024. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and was a member and former president of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

Thomas Hammett ’63, MEd’63 of Tacoma died Dec. 8, 2024. He earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education at Puget Sound.

Mary Copple ’64 of Spokane, Wash., died Dec. 22, 2024. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in social science and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

Ed Garred ’64 of Post Falls, Idaho, died Feb. 21, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration.

Frank Harmier ’65 of Pipe Creek, Texas, died Dec. 2, 2024. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in business administration and in communication and theatre arts. As a student, he was active in drama, forensics, The Trail, and Tamanawas.

Glenna Glover ’67 of Boise, Idaho, died Feb. 10, 2025. She was a member of Tri Delta.

Linda E. Ortmeyer ’67 of Seattle died Nov 15, 2024. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and was a member of Alpha Phi and the Spurs service organization. Her brother, John Ortmeyer ’68 and a brother-in-law Sam Helgerson ’71 (both now deceased) also attended Puget Sound. Survivors include her spouse Steven Helgerson ’68, and a sisterin- law Betsey Helgerson ’70.

John Ortmeyer ’68 of Snohomish, Wash., died June 24, 2024. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, was part of the Honors Program, and was a member of Sigma Nu. His sister Linda E. Ortmeyer ’67 (now deceased) also attended Puget Sound. Survivors include a brother-in-law, Steven Helgerson ’68.

Bob Jones ’70 of Portland died Feb. 28, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree and played piano and trombone.

Sam Helgerson ‘71 of Evanston, Ill., died Nov 15, 2023. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics. His sister-in-law Linda E. Ortmeyer ’67 (now deceased) also attended Puget Sound. Survivors include his spouse Elizabeth (Betsey) Wells Helgerson ’70 and his brother, Steven Helgerson ’68.

Rick Keely ’71 of Sun City West, Ariz., died March 21, 2025. He grew up across the street from the university and attended Puget Sound for one year, where he was a starter on the men’s football team.

Jack Robertson ’71 of Scotia, N.Y., died Jan. 4, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and was part of the golf and skiing teams.

Loren Wilson ’72 of Tigard, Ore., died Jan. 20, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and was a member of Phi Delta Theta and the baseball team.

Ann G. Worswick ’72 of Gig Harbor, Wash., died Nov. 24, 2024. She earned a Bachelor of Education degree. Her spouse, Stanley W. Worswick ’50 (now deceased) also attended Puget Sound.

Claudia Hunter ’73 of Longview, Wash., died Oct. 9, 2024. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and was a member of the Phi Chi Theta honor society.

Dick Morton MEd’73, P’89, P’93, P’96 of Spokane, Wash., died Feb. 17, 2025. He earned a Master of Education degree. Survivors include his spouse, Dee Magnuson Morton ’66, and three daughters: Heather Pierson ’89, Heidi Morton ’93, and Roberta Morton ’96.

Doug Cowan ’74 of Wauna, Wash., died March 13. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in natural science and was a member of the university’s football team, where he was named an AP Little All-America 3rd-team defensive tackle and, by the vote of his teammates, the team’s most inspirational player that year.

Timothy Reid ’74 of Tacoma died Dec. 12, 2024. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration. Survivors include his spouse, Cathleen Reid ’73.

Carol Stockdale MA’74 of University Place, Wash., died Jan. 26, 2025. She earned a Master of Arts degree in art and design.

Danny K. Melton ’75 of Shoreline, Wash., died Dec. 4, 2024. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration.

We learned in February of the recent death of Richard V. Bologna ’77 of Edmonds, Wash. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration.

Ralph Esposito MFA’77 of Helena, Mont., died Dec. 8, 2024. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

Stan Magee MBA’80 of Issaquah, Wash., died Feb. 14, 2024. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree in international business.

Volney Ayers Spalding ’82, a longtime resident of Alamo, Calif., who had moved to Kennebunkport, Maine, in 2022, died Nov. 20, 2024. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication and theatre arts.

W. Houston Dougharty ’83 of Santa Fe, N.M., died April 27, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and was involved in student government, drama, intramural sports, Mortar Board, and more. During his senior year, he started working as a student tour guide at Puget Sound and, after graduation, spent more than a decade working for the university in a variety of roles, including associate dean of students. He remained active with the university throughout his life and received the Professional Achievement Award in 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Kimberly Pine Dougharty ’90.

Marilyn Watson MEd’86 of Tacoma died Jan. 12, 2025. She earned a Master of Education degree in counseling and was employed by the in the 1980s, working for the teacher education program the university offered on the campus of the Evergreen State College. Survivors include her children, Rick Watson ’87 and Kaaren Watson Winkler ’88.

Tim Pogar ’16 of Seattle died March 2, 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and government and was involved in a wide variety of activities on campus, including concert band, university chorale, residence life, and Sigma Chi.

 

FACULTY, STAFF, AND FRIENDS OF PUGET SOUND

Frank Cousens, of University Place, Wash., died April 29, 2025. He was a professor of English at Puget Sound from 1970 until his retirement in 1998; he also taught in the Honors Program for many years. He is remembered for his wry sense of humor and as an exceptional, accessible teacher who was challenging in the best ways.

W. Houston Dougharty ‘83 (see alumni listings)

Linda Everson of Tacoma died Jan. 13, 2025. She worked as a nurse and director of the Health and Counseling Center at Puget Sound for more than 30 years, and was remembered for making a lasting impact on students and colleagues.

Mark Harpring of Cincinnati died May 2, 2025. He spent almost 17 years teaching Spanish literature at Puget Sound before retiring in 2022. He is remembered as an energetic, brilliant scholar of 19th-century Spanish fiction and a generous mentor to junior faculty and students.

Darrell Medcalf of Gig Harbor, Wash., died Dec. 22, 2024. He was a professor at Puget Sound in the 1970s.

Richard (Dick) Overman of Tacoma died Feb. 1, 2025. He joined the faculty as a professor of religion in 1965 and taught until his retirement in 1993, inspiring generations of students. He is remembered for living a life dedicated to faith, family, education, and service.

Theodore (Ted) Taranovski of Tacoma died Jan. 24, 2025. He was a professor of history at Puget Sound from 1970 until his retirement in 2009. He is remembered for being loyal, generous, and having an ever-present biting wit that was always coupled with his deep love for history, teaching, and Puget Sound.

Cordelia Wikarski-Miedel, former professor of cello, died Dec. 17, 2024. She was an integral part of the region’s musical community, and founded the Seattle Bach Cello Marathon, an annual event where cellists perform Bach’s Six Cello Suites, in 1988. Marilyn Watson MEd’86 (see alumni listings)

Zuleika “Zulie” Witron died March 23, 2025, at the age of 29 after falling into the Carbon River while attempting to save her dog. She had worked as the university’s manager of occupational health and safety in Facilities Services since June 2022 and, before that, was a medic in the U.S. Army. She was remembered as a kind, strong, vibrant, and spirited individual who made transformative contributions in her work and in her life.