CLASS NOTES
2017
Dr. Desmond Neff, Edmonds, Wash.: My wife, Beverly, passed away in March 2016. She worked the first eight years of our marriage putting me through college. We were married 64 years. (Spring 2017)
Dr. Desmond Neff, Edmonds, Wash.: Bev and I are working on our 65th year of marriage. (Spring 2016)
Dr. Desmond Neff, Edmonds, Wash.: My wife and I enjoyed our 55th class reunion on Oct. 7. It was great to see some of our classmates. (Spring 2015)
2012
Dr. Arild Hammer, Seattle: I am practicing two days per week in the office of my classmate, Dr. Edward Sutter. Seeing patients from my former office, along with new patients from Dr. Sutter’s practice. I still enjoy dentistry and feel the quality has not dropped off. (Spring 2012)
2011
Dr. Desmond Neff: Retired in 1998. My wife, Beverly, and I are still enjoying retirement. I continue to do volunteer work for Medical Teams International and Provail (the Johnny Johnson Memorial Dental Clinic). (Spring 2011)
Dr. Desmond Neff: I am still enjoying retirement after 11 years. Our class had a 50-year retirement party in September 2009. It was special to see so many of our classmates. (Spring 2010)
Dr. Desmond Neff: Bev and I are enjoying retirement. It has been nine years. Des does voluntary dentistry about two days a month on a mobile van for Medical Teams International. Bev’s cancer has been in remission for a year. She is feeling great. (Spring 2008)
REUNIONS
The Class of 1959 held its 55-year reunion on Oct. 7, 2014 at the Waterfront Activities Center on the UW campus.
IN MEMORIAM
DR ROBERT C. BEAULIEU, CLASS OF 1959
Dr. Robert Charles “Chuck” Beaulieu died on Jan. 26, 2015 of pneumonia. He was 83.
Dr. Beaulieu was born on March 24, 1931 to Olga (Youngquist) and Frederick Beaulieu in Sappho, Wash. His father died when he was a teenager, and he, his older sister, Yvonne, and his mother moved to Seattle. He attended Roosevelt High School, where he played football and met his cheerleader-wife-to-be, MaryBeth Hoban. He served two years in the Navy before attending Seattle University and the School of Dentistry. The couple married in 1955 and had five children by 1964. The family split time between their home in Seattle and a beach cabin on Mission Beach near Marysville, Wash.
Dr. Beaulieu practiced nearly painless dentistry for almost 50 years in the Capitol Hill and Northgate neighborhoods of Seattle and later in Kingston, Wash. “Generosity” would be the one word many think of when remembering “Dr. B,” as his office staff called him. He provided free or discounted dental care to many patients.
He enjoyed boating and boat repairs, sailing, fishing and sailboarding. He cherished many pets, from a Great Dane to a series of mini Dachshunds and a few cats.
Dr. Beaulieu is survived by his children Deborah (Boardman), Charles, Christopher, Joseph and Edward; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, MaryBeth, in 2004 and his sister, Yvonne (Sbory), in 2014. (Seattle Times)
DR. ROBERT L. DOTY, CLASS OF 1959
Dr. Robert Leroy “Bob” Doty passed away on Feb. 15, 2021 at his home on Mercer Island, Wash., with his wife and beloved dog Lucy by his side. He was 88.
He was born to Lloyd and Leora Doty on Nov. 22, 1932 in Seattle. He graduated from West Seattle High School and went to the UW, where he played basketball and rowed crew with passion. He worked hard getting into and putting himself through college. There he met Susie, the love of his life, whom he married in 1957.
After graduating dental school, he started his career in The Cobb building in downtown Seattle. Currently on the National Register of Historic Places, this was the West Coast’s first building designed for physicians and dentists. A few years later, he moved his practice to Mercer Island, retiring in 2019. His passion for dentistry and love for his patients led to a special and memorable career that spanned over 60 years in the community and generations of patients.
Growing up, his family and friends instilled in him the value of hard work and a zest for life. As life unfolded, he and his family enjoyed water skiing, snow skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho, hiking on Mount Rainier, tennis, boating and fishing in the San Juan Islands and Desolation Sound, and traveling. He even raised salmon at his Mercer Island home.
Dr. Doty was a student of his profession, a Little League coach, a mentor, a respected member of the Seattle Yacht Club, and a sports enthusiast.
He put his family, work, and the people in his life above all else, doing his best for everyone.
He is survived by his wife of over 64 years, Susie; sons Tim, Bobby (Emily), Mark and Chris (Jennifer); grandchildren Hannah, Marcus, JD, and Ashley; and a host of other family and friends. (Dignity Memorial)
DR. GLEN O. DUGGER, CLASS OF 1959
Dr. Glen O. Dugger died on Dec. 1, 2015. He was 88.
Dr. Dugger was born on March 26, 1927 to Guy and Velma Dugger in Centralia, Wash. He attended Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash., where he played varsity football and met his future wife, Dolores. After a brief stint in the U.S. Army, he attended the College of Puget Sound (now University of Puget Sound) and the School of Dentistry.
In 1962, he opened the Fircrest Medical Arts Center, where he practiced family dentistry until he retired. He was a longtime member of the Pierce County Dental Association, the Washington State Dental Association, the Fircrest Golf Club and the Elks/BPOE Tacoma. He was also a longtime member of the Fircrest Town Council, proudly serving one term as mayor. He was active in the Association of Washington Cities and served on the executive committee.
Dr. Dugger is survived by his children, Randy (Kathy), Erin (Bill) Reetz and Regan (Joani); grandchildren Kaiti (Chet) Lemon, Randi and Christopher Dugger and Max and Molly Reetz; great-grandchildren Carsten and Kyleigh Lemon and Amedea Dugger; special niece Kerry Farley (Rob) Rounds and daughter Maddy; brother Gregg (Gayla); sister Marlene Edwards; and aunt Areta Stoves.
He was predeceased by his daughter Jody, parents, brother John “Jack” and sister Donna Farley. (Haven Rest)
DR. JAMES V. GOURLEY, CLASS OF 1959
Dr. James V. Gourley passed away on April 6, 2011 at his home on Bainbridge Island. He was in the first group of dentists awarded national board certification in operative dentistry by the American Board of Operative Dentistry. There are more than 800 gold foil mallets around the world that he made with his woodworking skills.
A Tacoma native, he graduated from Stadium High School and attended the College of Puget Sound. He received his DDS from the School of Dentistry in 1959 and his MSD in 1970. Upon retiring as a captain in the U.S. Naval Dental Corps after 26 years of active duty, he was in private practice on Bainbridge Island for 20 years.
A lifelong learner and teacher, Dr. Gourley completed a rotating internship at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego and a postgraduate course in general dentistry at the Naval Dental School. He held certification by the Armed Forces Board of General Dentistry.
Early in his career, Dr. Gourley served as a clinical instructor at the UW, taught briefly at Northwestern University, mentored a gold foil study club at Great Lakes, Ill., and served two four-year terms on the ADA test construction committee. From 1994 to 2006, he was mentor to two cast gold study clubs affiliated with the Academy of R.V. Tucker Study Clubs, which practiced in Germany, Austria and Italy.
Through memberships in professional dental organizations and study clubs, Dr. Gourley operated or was on the program in many states and countries. He was an invited fellow of the American College of Dentists and the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry and past president of the American Academy of Gold Foil Operators, the American Board of Operative Dentistry and the Associated Ferrier Study Clubs.
Dr. Gourley enjoyed fishing, ice skating, golf and carving. He was a member of his college ski team and owned and raced a Lightning class sailboard.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Doris; daughter Bridget Gourley and son-in-law Robert Bruce; sister Ethelwyn Hoffman; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, James T.
DR. JAMES A. PULLIAM, CLASS OF 1959
A memorial service celebrating the life of Dr. James Arthur “Bud” Pulliam was held on Nov. 11, 2011 at the Snohomish United Methodist Church. Dr. Pulliam, one of the first dentists to participate in the ABCD Program and The No Cavity Club, passed away suddenly on Oct. 4, 2011 in Snohomish, Wash. He was 80.
Dr. Pulliam gave children as much time and attention as his regular patients, if not more. Once a week, throughout his career and after selling his Snohomish County practice in 2001, he taught pedodontics and supervised clinics at the University of Washington.
“Dr. Pulliam served with distinction as a volunteer attending faculty member in our pre-doctoral clinic for 30 years. He was a favorite of the dental students, as he was always there and supportive and maintained a practical approach to teaching and practice,” said Dr. Joel Berg, Chair of Pediatric Dentistry. “As a general dentist who was passionate about and who cared for many children in his own practice, he was able to convey that perspective to the majority of the students who would ultimately pursue general dentistry and not pediatric dentistry.
“Rarely does a department of pediatric dentistry get to have someone as passionate and capable as Dr. Jim Pulliam. In addition, Dr. Pulliam was a great supporter of the school and the department,” said Dr. Berg. “He gave generously on a continued basis and was in attendance each year at the graduation ceremony for our pediatric dental residents.”
Dr. Pulliam was born on July 25, 1931 in Nampa, Idaho, the second-oldest child of James P. and Beulah (Purnel) Pulliam. He spent his childhood with extended family in the mining town of Atlanta, Idaho, and on the family farm in Council, Idaho. Although he grew up during the Great Depression and through the war years, he always remembered these times fondly, particularly his youthful adventures with siblings, cousins and other relatives and summers in Council. He learned the value of family during these years and he never forgot its importance.
Active in football and baseball, Dr. Pulliam graduated from Boise High School in 1949. The next year he played on the Boise Junior College football team (now Boise State University), which went to the Junior Rose Bowl in Southern California. In 1950, he enlisted in the Marines and served in Korea during that conflict. He and Marilyn Marie Clark married in 1954.
After completing military service, he enrolled in the University of Washington and received his DDS in 1959. That year, the Pulliams moved to Snohomish County, where he set up his dental practice and they raised their five children.
Dr. Pulliam often participated in Washington State Dental Association events and lobbied for important dentistry causes in Olympia. He was also an active member of his community. He served on the Snohomish school district board from 1967 to 1983, with some years as president, and on the board of the Snohomish Education Foundation afterward. He volunteered for and performed in the annual Snohomish Vaudeville Variety Show every May since its inception in 1979.
Dr. Pulliam devoted much time and effort for the mission of the Snohomish United Methodist Church. His interest in sports never waned, be it UW Husky football season tickets and Seattle Mariners tickets or Snohomish athletics. Other interests included part-ownership in the Silver Lake Winery, working in his garden, keeping politically informed and involved and attending films, plays and other cultural events in Seattle.
Dr. Pulliam maintained a Facebook account, keeping in touch with relatives in Idaho and California, and always displayed his devotion for his grandchildren, who meant the world to him.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; children James, John, Jan van Leynseele (Pete), Jeff (Shellie) and Jay; grandchildren Griffin, Preston, Jenna, Karinne, Allison, Claire, Max, Ethan and Madeline; sister Lois Montgomery; and brother Lawrence “Pat.”
Dr. Pulliam was preceded in death by his sister Rosa Lou Jackson in 2007 and brother John “Dickie” in 2008.
DR. KEITH E. REDD, CLASS OF 1959
Dr. Keith E. Redd died peacefully on Sept. 1, 2019 with family by his side. He was 89.
He was born on Jan. 18, 1930 in Garden City, Kansas, to Frank and Olive Redd. In his youth the family worked many farms in the Kansas and Colorado areas. When he was 12 years old, the family escaped the hardscrabble life of the Dust Bowl and moved to the small town of Cowiche, Wash., where they raised cattle and worked a small apple orchard. He graduated from Highland High School in 1947, then spent two years at Linfield College in Oregon, where he played football and studied to become a physical education teacher. His plans were put on hold as the Korean War broke out, and he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After three years, when the war ended, he enrolled at the UW to finish his undergraduate degree. He subsequently eschewed the idea of becoming a teacher. His experience at the UW kindled a love of Husky football. As a 60-year season ticket holder, he rarely missed a home game.
Dr. Redd started his dental practice in Edmonds, Wash., in 1959. For the next 24 years, he served and cared for his patients in the area. After retiring for two months, he missed the patients and challenge of dentistry, and set up a new practice in Everett, Wash., where he worked for the next 14 years. In his free time, he loved to garden, watch his horses race, and visit family in Washington and Hawaii. Above all, he loved the Lord, his wife, Toula, and his family. The Redds were married for 26 warm, loving, laughter-filled years.
He is survived by his children, Pam (Mick), Phil (Annie), Maureen (Steve), Clark (Angela), Tamara, John (Sarah), and Christine (Jobbie); 19 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his younger brother, Sheldon. (Legacy.com)
DR. DONALD W. SPERRY, DDS CLASS OF 1959
Dr. Donald W. “Don” Sperry passed away on Nov. 20, 2022 in Vancouver, Wash. He was 90.
He was born on April 7, 1932, in Wenatchee, Wash., and spent a lifetime recalling fond memories of his hometown, many pertaining to the relationships he forged there and the athletic pursuits he shared with his friends during the lean times that accompanied the Great Depression. He played football, basketball, and baseball for Wenatchee High School and enjoyed hunting on Birch Mountain and fishing the rivers and lakes east of the Cascade Mountains.
Inspired by several teachers in the Wenatchee Public Schools system, he became a lifelong learner with a wide range of interests. He was educated primarily in the sciences, but also pursued less formal studies of economics, the world’s political history, and his father’s native Greek language.
After graduating from Wenatchee High School in 1950, he earned a degree in chemistry from the UW in 1954. After graduating from the School of Dentistry, he attended medical school at the University of Illinois.
In 1965, following residencies at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, he moved his family to Vancouver, where he entered private practice as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Before selling his practice in 1983, he helped start the Vancouver Cardinals, an American Legion baseball program that served as a springboard for dozens of local players who went on to play college and professional baseball.
In 1995, after spending the last 12 years of his career teaching oral surgery at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, he retired to a quiet life on Washington’s Hood Canal, where he fished for salmon and crab, restored a 1973 Boston Whaler, and spent time in the garden. He was a talented photographer, a lover of big band and jazz music, and an eloquent writer with an impressive vocabulary.
He and his wife, Violet, left Hood Canal in 2017. He spent his remaining years living near family in Vancouver. He was reciting long, obscure poetry passages and telling jokes to old and new friends until his final breath.
Dr. Sperry is survived by his wife of 69 years, Violet; children Michele (Brian) Rutherford of Woodinville, Wash., Mike (Betsy) of Issaquah, Wash., Dan (Monica) of Sonoma, Calif., and Chris (Andrea) of Vancouver; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by siblings George Sperry and Betty Mae Anderson. (The Wenatchee World)
DR. ROBERT W. THOMPSON, CLASS OF 1959
Dr. Robert W. Thompson passed away on June 14, 2014 at the age of 83.
Dr. Thompson was born to Bill and Germaine Thompson on April 17, 1931 in Seattle. He graduated from Enumclaw High School, where he lettered in three sports and was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” The first in his family to attend college, he worked several jobs to pay for his education. He graduated from Washington State College, where he pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. His aunt Hazel Medina encouraged him to pursue a career in dentistry and he graduated from the UW School of Dentistry.
Dr. Thompson practiced in Auburn for more than 30 years. He was gentle in his work and kind to his patients. He was among the last generation of dentists who “did it all,” from fillings and cleanings to braces and dentures. He would barter with patients who couldn’t pay their bills. After his retirement, Dr. Thompson loved working around his home and five acres of land, playing with his dog, Bogey, and helping care for the 4-H Club’s alpacas and llamas. He volunteered his time with the elderly in a cerebral palsy home and became a certified Master Gardener.
He enjoyed golf and was a founding member and board president (in 1976) of the Meridian Valley Country Club. He also was a founding member of the Shank City Invitational Golf Tournament, in which he played for more than 40 years. His other hobbies included reading, hunting, fishing, skiing and hiking. He was most proud of climbing Mount Rainier. He made the trek with his wife, Judy, two times and scaled the summit in 1987.
Dr. Thompson also loved the Seattle Mariners and Husky football. Later in life, he became a docent with the Black Diamond Historical Society & Museum. He enjoyed his weekly visits to Black Diamond and sharing stories about the town and his childhood.
Dr. Thompson is survived by his wife of 50 years, Judy; son Will (Helicia); daughter Sarah (Tim); grandchildren Robbie, Madison and Samuel; his brother John; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. (Seattle Times)
DR. ROBERT E. WILCOX, CLASS OF 1959
Dr. Robert E. Wilcox passed away on March 25, 2017. He was 86.
Dr. Wilcox was born on Oct. 10, 1930 in Powell, Wyo. He had four great loves in his life. First was his family. He was married to his wife, Dee, for 66 years. Boating was his second love. He spent many memorable hours sailing near the San Juan Islands and in the Canadian Gulf Islands.
Dr. Wilcox served the city of Monroe for 40 years in one capacity or another, including 23 years on the city council. He loved dentistry, too, and practiced for 47 years. He will be remembered for his wit, one-liners and passion for saving teeth.
Dr. Wilcox is survived by his wife, Dee; children Rob and Jill; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.