CLASS NOTES
2021
Dr. Robert Monsen, University Place, Wash.: I am finishing a restoration of a 1909 Ford Model T Town Car started by a friend in Monroe, Wash. This is one of several Model T’s that I have, along with a 1906 Cadillac one and a 1908 Maxwell. There were only 236 Town Cars built, and I have not been able to find another one that has most of the original parts like mine does. I have had Model T’s since I was 14 years old, and I have been a member of the Horseless Carriage Club of America since 1954. (Spring 2021)
Dr. Robert Monsen, Lakewood, Wash.: Had a great cross-country trip with my son and his wife and my two grandkids. We went from Seattle to Minnesota and back. Lots of people on the road – some masked, some unmasked. Seem to be getting out of the cabin before “cabin fever” sets in! (Fall 2020)
Dr. Robert Monsen: Looking forward to 2020 and the 60th reunion of our graduation from the University of Washington Dental School. (Spring 2020)
2019
Dr. John Ruud, Wenatchee, Wash.: Dr. Ruud continues to practice two days a week at age 90. He is finally contemplating retirement this year, and would like to turn the practice in Wenatchee over to a recent School of Dentistry graduate if possible. Anyone with interest is asked to contact his daughter, Carol Ruud-Tillery, at carol@tilleryresorts.com. (Fall 2019)
2009
Dr. Curt Smith, Bellingham, Wash.: I’m still working a day a week for WDS as the Associate Dental Director. Retired from private practice in 2005 and now have gone back to it on a limited basis, running Meridian Dental Access, treating DSHS adults. (Spring 2009)
REUNIONS
Members of the Class of 1960 and their spouses gathered on June 5 at the Ram Restaurant and Brewery in University Village for an enjoyable lunch. And, of course, plenty of reminiscing was also on the menu.
IN MEMORIAM
DR. RICHARD BATES, CLASS OF 1960
Dr. Richard Bates passed away on Dec. 3, 2010, from lung cancer. (No further details were available.)
DR. VANCE F. BINGHAM, CLASS OF 1960
Dr. Vance F. Bingham died peacefully on March 25, 2015, surrounded by his family and pastor. He was 85.
Dr. Bingham was known for his quiet, consistent love and care for his church, family friends and patients. Born on May 27, 1929, in Tampa, Fla., to Vance C. and Dorothy D. Bingham, he lived in Alaska as a child and later moved to Seattle, where he graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1947.
Dr. Bingham earned a degree in business from Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., in 1951.
While at Linfield, he developed lifelong friendships, most significantly with Rosalee Guy. He and Rosalee were married on March 3, 1951, in Olympia, Wash. After a marriage spanning nearly seven decades, this loving, caring couple celebrated their 64th anniversary shortly before his death. During the early years of their marriage, they lived in Seattle while he served two years in the U.S Navy. After an honorable discharge, they went to Anchorage, Alaska, to work in his family’s auto parts business.
In 1955, he decided he wanted a new career path and returned with Rosalee to Seattle to pursue a career in dentistry. After receiving his DDS degree, he and Rosalee, along with their first two children, moved to Port Angeles, Wash., where Dr. Bingham opened his dental practice on Oct. 31, 1960 on East Caroline Street. He retired in January 2008 after a 48-year career.
Dr. Bingham was active in the Olympic Peninsula Dental Society. His deep Christian faith was an example to his family and others who entered his life. He was a mentor to many through his example as a caring, loving, trustworthy husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was an active member of Port Angeles First Baptist Church until the day of his passing. As building committee chair, he coordinated construction of the educational wing.
Dr. Bingham’s great recreational loves were sailing, flying, downhill skiing and later cross-country skiing, and hiking, all of which he enjoyed with his family. He was a member of the Port Angeles and later Sequim Bay yacht clubs, and loved to race sailboats of any size. He raced in numerous regional sailing events, winning the Juan de Fuca division of the Swiftsure regatta multiple times, as well as the Great Equalizer and Cal 29 Nationals. He served as an appeals judge for the Pacific International Yachting Association, serving the Northwest and southwestern Canada. He served his community as president of the Olympic Ski Lift Board (Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club) as the ski program grew and the Poma lift was installed at Hurricane Ridge. He was also active on the YMCA board, serving as president when the current YMCA gymnasium was built.
While hiking on Stuart Island at the age of 80, he was asked about going on a four-mile hike at his age and replied, “You just put one foot in front of the other.”
Dr. Bingham was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Evelyn White. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Rosalee; brother Lawrence (Peggy) M. Bingham of Longbranch, Wash.; children Vance K. Bingham of Seattle, Kathy B. Bassett of Lacey, Wash., and David (Janice) Bingham of Port Angeles; five grandchildren, Megan Bassett, Kelly Bingham, Christopher Bingham, Ryan Bingham and Kyle Bingham; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
DR. RALPH W. BOYDEN JR., CLASS OF 1960
Dr. Ralph William “Bill” Boyden Jr. died on Jan. 24, 2012 in Glen Ellyn, Ill., at the age of 80, after a long battle with cancer. A memorial service was held on Jan. 28 at Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn. In March, a second memorial service was held in White Salmon, Wash.
Dr. Boyden was born on May 13, 1931 in Chicago. In 1932, his parents moved the family to Glen Ellyn, where he graduated from Glenbard High School in 1949. He attended the University of Idaho through the NROTC program, majoring in zoology because it provided the framework for completing his pre-dental coursework.
After graduating and receiving his commission as an ensign in June 1953, he married Margaret White and commenced active duty in communications aboard a naval destroyer. After completing military service in 1956, he attended the School of Dentistry. While in dental school, the Boydens and their 1-year-old daughter, Elaine, lived in Mountlake Terrace in a small home they purchased through the GI Bill. Mrs. Boyden worked for an insurance agency to help fund his dental education, earning her PHT degree (Put Husband Through).
Dr. Boyden received his DDS degree in 1960 and taught for one year on the School of Dentistry Operative Dentistry staff under Dr. Gerald Stibbs. It was a great expanded learning experience in preparation for private practice. During this period, the Boydens’ son, Bill, was born.
In 1961, the family moved to White Salmon, where Dr. Boyden maintained a general dentistry practice for 38 years. Daughter Jennifer was born in 1964. Both Dr. and Mrs. Boyden were active in the community. He was a member of the White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club and served 16 years on the local school board. She was in PEO, Eastern Star and the Soroptimist Club and served several years on the planning commission. They were also active in the White Salmon United Methodist Church.
Mrs. Boyden died in 1999. Dr. Boyden retired the following year and returned to Glen Ellyn. He was a great speech judge for the American Legion’s National High School Oratorical Contest based on the U.S. Constitution.
In 2010, Dr. Boyden and his wife, Lee Henninger, established the Dr. Ralph W. Boyden Jr. and Margaret L. Boyden Endowment in Dentistry to support the School of Dentistry. At that time, Dr. Boyden said he did so because he credited the School with helping him establish his career and the life that he and Margaret shared in White Salmon.
Dr. Boyden is survived by his wife, Aleene “Lee” Hargreaves Henninger; daughters Margaret Elaine (Colin Wood) Maas and Jennifer Boyden; son Bill (Shelley); eight grandchildren; stepchildren Carl (Dawn) Henninger, Curt Henninger, Dawn (Peter) Lantero and Jodi (Rob) Herbold; and 11 step-grandchildren.
DR. WILLIAM H. CLEAVER, CLASS OF 1960
Dr. William H. Cleaver passed away surrounded by family on March 10, 2014 after a 10-year battle with lymphoma and leukemia. He was 77.
Dr. Cleaver was born to George and Helen Cleaver on July 17, 1936 in Hoquiam, Wash. After high school in Hoquiam, he graduated from the UW School of Dentistry with a degree in general dentistry. He started his practice in the Medical Dental Building in downtown Seattle in 1960 and worked there until he moved his practice to the 720 Olive Way building. He and his wife, Mari-Ann (who was at the front desk for 22 years), retired after a fulfilling 44-year career in 2004.
Dr. Cleaver deeply loved nature and cherished his younger years growing up working on the family’s cranberry bog, fly fishing and backpacking with his father. He remained an avid fly fisherman throughout his life and enjoyed passing his passion on to his grandchildren. World War II-era aviation fascinated him tremendously as a child and instilled a burning desire to become a pilot. He accomplished his dream with all the ratings of a private, instrument and commercial pilot. Starting at Lake Union in a float plane while in his 20s, he continued to fly throughout most of his life with Mari-Ann, who was also a pilot. They took many flying trips to British Columbia with family and friends, over glaciers and dangerous mountainous terrain to wonderful fishing adventures. Many times he piloted family and friends in his faithful Piper Pacer, Bellanca or Cessna to Sun Valley, Idaho and Bend, Ore., for skiing. He was also active in the Republican Party throughout his adult life.
Flying his plane, fishing, hiking, biking, tennis, skiing, boating, woodworking, gardening and lots of reading guaranteed there would never be a dull moment in his life. He was an awesome father, grandfather, husband and wonderful friend to many.
Dr. Cleaver is survived by his wife of 29 years, Mari-Ann; daughter Julie Bjornestad (Hans) of Seattle; son Bill Jr. of Vashon Island; grandsons Sgt. Justin Cleaver, U.S. Army (Jessica) and Payden Bjornestad of Seattle; granddaughters Julia Cleaver of Sequim, Wash., and Ellie and Kire Bjornestad of Seattle; great-granddaughter Aria Cleaver of Killeen, Texas; and many nieces and nephews. (Seattle Times)
DR. DONOVAN J. DECKER, CLASS OF 1960, ORTHODONTICS CLASS OF 1964
Dr. Donovan John “Jay” Decker, MSD, passed away on Feb. 7, 2019. He was 83.
Decker was an affiliate professor in the School of Dentistry’s Department of Orthodontics. He proudly taught courses on orthodontic techniques and the biomechanics of tooth movement through 2018.
He was born on March 16, 1935 in Walla Walla, Wash., to Don and Ethel Decker. The family moved throughout the Midwest, as his father pursued teaching jobs in Clear Lake, Wis., and Osseo and St. Louis Park, Minn. Eventually they landed in Tukwila, Wash., where his father had risen to principal, but his son had his sights set on attending Roosevelt High School and lobbied the family to move once again. Dr. Decker flourished at Roosevelt. He was quarterback on the football team, ran track, and graduated in 1953.
He attended the UW, where he majored in physics and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. One of his proudest achievements was rowing crew under legendary coaches Stan Pocock and Al Ulbrickson, which cemented the foundation of tenacity and precision that would guide his life. He attended the School of Dentistry, followed by two years of research in the Department of Biological Structure.
After graduating from the School’s orthodontic program in 1964, he started a private orthodontic practice in the Sand Point neighborhood and maintained it through 2007. He continued his UW research through the mid-1990s and wrote numerous peer-reviewed articles to that end.
Dr. Decker married Linda Kocher in 1964. While the marriage ended in divorce, he said his greatest source of pride was being a father to his son, Jay Jr., and daughter, Amy. For the past 28 years he was married to Cathy Decker, whose love he routinely described as a blessing and guiding light.
Dr. Decker had a way of putting smiles on faces. Not only did he straighten the teeth of thousands of Seattleites over more than 40 years as an orthodontist, he was also a compulsive teller of jokes and “relayer” of witticisms, leaving laughter in his wake wherever he went. He was an avid outdoorsman and spent many happy years teaching skiing at Alpental. He had a great passion for photography and studied with Ansel Adams and Johsel Namkung. He also loved golf, hiking, ski mountaineering, and weekly lunch dates with his son. His morning ritual included completing The New York Times’ KENKEN puzzle and frequent UW campus walks or climbing the Howe Street stairs with his beloved friend Dr. John Davis.
Dr. Decker is survived by his wife, Cathy; son Jay Jr. (Joan Suver); daughter Amy (Brian Strause); and stepson Jason Merryman, his wife, Christina Graham, and their two sons. (https://www.legacy.com)
DR. JAMES GILL, CLASS OF 1960
Dr. James “Jim” Gill of Port Orchard, Wash., passed away on Jan. 24, 2011. He was 75.
Dr. Gill was born to Frank and Edith Gill on July 5, 1935, in Seattle. He was a loving husband and father who loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and dedicated his life to serving others and enjoying family.
Dr. Gill is survived by his wife, Barbara; children Steve, Lori, Cheryl, David and Tracy; brother Greg; 15 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. His mother, Edith, passed away in May 2012.
DR. ROBERT L. HORCHOVER, DDS CLASS OF 1960
Dr. Robert L. Horchover passed away on Dec. 19, 2022. His eight years with Alzheimer’s disease were courageous and dignified. He was 88.
He was born on Feb. 23, 1934 to Harold and Genevra (DeCou) Horchover of Seattle. Despite losing his father to illness, he graduated as student body president from Lincoln High School in 1952. At the UW, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He financed his education by working summers on fishing boats in Alaska and became captain of the vessel Theo E.
In the 1960s, he married Alaska resident Sylvia Field, began his dental practice in Juneau, and welcomed to the world two sons and a daughter.
Dr. Horchover recognized the importance of providing residents in the outlying Alaskan islands with access to quality dental care. To do so, he outfitted his boat as a marine dental office. He was passionate about the beauty of Alaska and delighted in sharing it with family, friends, and colleagues aboard his charter boat, the Alaska Sea Adventurer.
Transitioning after the Alaska dental practice and divorce, he returned to Seattle, where he met and married Robin McOuat. He focused on sleep medicine for the next 21 years of his career. His research led him to patent Airway Metrics, a system that enables dentists to find the best possible airways for patients who cannot tolerate CPAP. The Airway Metrics company was established and, in 2017, the American Sleep and Breathing Academy presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication and monumental contribution to the dental sleep profession.
He is remembered for his warm sense of humor, his love of family, and for all he contributed to the fields of dentistry and sleep medicine.
Dr. Horchover is survived by his wife, Robin, who worked beside him for 21 years; his children, Robert, Scott, and Michaela; his stepchildren, Brad and Cherie; 10 grandchildren; and his brother, Harold.
DR. KENNETH J. McLEAN, CLASS OF 1960
Dr. Kenneth J. “Doc” McLean of Bellevue passed away peacefully at his home on March 29, 2015, after a battle with cancer. He was 82.
Dr. McLean was born in Lava Hotsprings, Idaho, on July 28, 1932, the oldest son of William A. and Anna Hallinan McLean. After receiving his DDS degree, he practiced in Bellevue, Wash., for 56 years. His love of dentistry extended far beyond his local practice. He was an instructor at the UW School of Dentistry, and as a member of the Tucker Gold Study Club, mentored American dental students and taught in Italy and Germany. He was generous with his dental skills and volunteered in Hawaii and Kenya, as well as at the Union Gospel Mission in Seattle.
A friend and colleague summed up the affection and respect with which he was regarded by his many patients and colleagues when he noted that Doc was a person with whom you could share a desert island or a foxhole.
A veteran of the Korean War, he was honored by the South Korean government for his service. He met his wife, Muriel Hargis McLean, in the eighth grade, and remained deeply smitten through 62 years of marriage.
Dr. McLean enjoyed a broad range of interests and hobbies. He loved the outdoors, especially when skiing, fishing, and hunting could be shared with friends and family. He read voraciously and broadly, and would happily open a bottle of “Tuesday” wine and engage in lively discussions about his most recent passion. He was an avid Husky football and basketball fan and was a season ticket holder for both.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Muriel J. McLean; his brother, Dr. Tom Ware, and sister, Frances Nickel; sons, Tom and Kevin McLean; daughters, Sydney Walters and Shelley McLean; and his beloved grandchildren, Dustin, Brandon, Dayle and Lauren. (Seattle Times)
DR. JOSEPH D. MCNALLY, CLASS OF 1960
Dr. Joseph Daniel “Dan” McNally passed away from complications of vascular dementia on Sept. 1, 2019. He was 88.
Dr. McNally was born on June 15, 1931 in Tacoma, Wash. He graduated from Bellarmine Preparatory and Santa Clara University with a chemistry degree. He served in the U.S. Army before marrying Patricia Masonic. He became a lifelong Husky fan while at the School of Dentistry. He opened a family dental practice in Tacoma and later specialized in endodontics.
Dr. McNally served as president of the Pierce County Dental Association and the Washington State Dental Association, and vice president of Delta Dental Plans Association. He also held leadership roles with Bellarmine Prep, St. Charles Borromeo Church, the town of Fircrest, and Fircrest Golf Club.
The McNallys were facilitators for Pacific Institute and enjoyed weekends teaching others the power of affirmations and positive mindsets. In the 1980s, he rehabilitated buildings on Tacoma’s Pacific Avenue. His adventures included becoming a private pilot, climbing Mount Rainier, performing dental work on Ivan the Gorilla, spending summers in Tokeland, Wash., hunting trips in Twisp, Wash., Saturdays at Husky Stadium, and wonderful family hiking, skiing, and boating trips.
Dr. McNally is survived by his children, Mike (Linda), Kathy (Paul) Elkins, Colleen (Andrew) McDougall, Susan (Tim) Jones, Bill (Laura), and Jeff (Cindy); grandchildren Jenny Koppel, Brice Erxleben, Colleen Lind, Ann Thigpen, Kelsey and Courtney McDougall, Travis and Max Jones, and Nathan, Joshua, Lukas, Mariah, and James McNally; eight great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife Patricia in 1992. He found love again with his second wife, Gerri (Filkins), who passed away in 2018. He gained stepdaughter Sally Ouhl, stepson Rick (Diana) Filkins, and grandchildren Tryce and Sydney Ouhl. (Tacoma News Tribune)
DR. ELVIN KRISTIAN SOLHAUG, CLASS OF 1960
Dr. Al Solhaug was born on May 10, 1933 in Seattle, where he was the son of two Norwegian immigrants. He passed away on May 26, 2009.
Dr. Solhaug graduated from Roosevelt High School and then the UW School of Dentistry in 1960. He opened his dental practice on University Way in Seattle, where he worked until his retirement in 1998.
Dr. Solhaug met and married Roberta, a spunky small-town girl from Omak, Wash., and they raised two children, Leslie and Steve. Roberta Solhaug passed away too early in life due to cancer in 1998. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Solhaug met and married Ingrid, a beautiful Swedish lady who was his partner in life thereafter. He was an avid golfer and a member at the Seattle Golf Club and Thunderbird Country Club in Palm Springs. He had a passion for skiing and for art collecting.
Dr. Solhaug was gifted with his hands and took a great deal of pride in his craftsmanship, which was evident in his dentistry and carpentry. Dr. Solhaug and his father, a boat builder, spent many weekends and evening hours building a 30-foot sailboat, the Sunnfjord, which his family would later enjoy.
Dr. Solhaug’s strong work ethic and steadfast determination were evident throughout his life. He was confident he was going to walk out of the nursing home, even though his muscles had atrophied due to a lifetime of severe arthritis. He will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. His strong will and determination will always serve as a reminder that anything is indeed possible.
He is survived by his wife, Ingrid; children, Leslie Dunn, Steve Solhaug and Lisa Donato; six grandchildren; and three siblings, Dave, Mildred and Doris.