Special Professor Wada Saba Tributes

ALLEN BILDERBACK '41 died February 23, 2002, at the age of 86. A retired missionary to Africa, he was a graduate of Seattle's Lincoln High School, SPC and the University of Washington. Preceded in death by his first wife of 55 years, LILLIAN WATKINS BILDER-BACK '39, he is survived by wife Debora; one daughter; two sons, including DONALD BILDER-BACK '69; and three grand- children.

DONALD BLAIR '32 died on December 26, 2001, in Shoreline, Washington, at the age of 88. A native of Portland, Oregon, Don met his wife, MARGUERITE BROWN '32, while attending SPC. In addition to Seattle Pacific, he attended the University of Washington and Stanford University, where he earned a master's degree and did extensive doctoral work. Don was an educator for 42 years, and served as a teacher and principal in Washington; an assistant superintendent of schools in Greeley, Colorado; and a superintendent of the Berryessa Public Schools in San Jose, California. From 1952-1956 and 1967-1973, he taught educational administration at SPC. Don was a past president of the Seattle Pacific Alumni Association and a longtime member of Seattle's First Free Methodist Church. A lifelong opera lover, he wrote Great Opera Singers of the 20th Century. Predeceased by his wife, Don is survived by brother EDWARD BLAIR '31; daughters BARBARA BLAIR JOHN-SON '56 and KATHLEEN BLAIR MAYHLE '58; and seven grandchildren, including MICHAEL MAYHLE '78, HEIDI JOHNSON MAGNENAT '83, KERRY MAYHLE LAVIGNE '86 and ROBERT JOHNSON '86.

ROY PLEASANT CLARK, an associate professor of music at Cascade College from 1966-1969, died on February 22, 2002, at the age of 86. He was known by many hundreds of people for his "Preacher at the Piano" radio show, which ran on KPDQ in Portland, Oregon, for 16 years. Roy lived in Newberg, Oregon, and is survived by two sons, seven daughters, 29 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

VELMA MCINTYRE GAMBLE '47 died on January 23, 2002, in Gerry, New York. She was 86. Velma taught in elementary schools in Marysville, Washington, and Butler, Pennsylvania, for 45 years before retiring in 1976. She is survived by her husband, Robert; sister RUTH MCINTYRE SITTIG '47; a stepson; and numerous step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.

RAYMOND GRAN '56 died suddenly of a heart attack on October 5, 2001. He was 67. After graduating from SPC, he taught sixth grade in Boring, Oregon, for 18 years. He then became a rural letter carrier for Gresham, Oregon, retiring in 1996. Raymond also served as chaplain for the Oregon Rural Letter Carriers Association for more than 10 years. He was a member of Hillsview Community Covenant Church in Gresham and served the congregation in many ways, including as chairman, Christian education director and Sunday School superintendent. He enjoyed fishing, golfing and time with his family. Raymond is survived by his wife of 46 years, MARILYN "SUZIE" THARP GRAN '56, three children and one granddaughter.

WILLARD GRANT '50 died on January 29, 2002. He was 78 years old. Born in Hong Kong to missionary parents, Willard was a professional tumbler and track star as well as a soccer player on the Hong Kong championship team. At age 17, he and his family escaped Hong Kong before the Japanese occupation of 1941. During World War II, he served for two years as a Navy hospital corpsman in Africa. After the war, Willard and his wife, MARGARET PALMQUIST GRANT '50, attended SPC and North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Together they founded Creative Evangelism Inc. and traveled as children's evangelists across the United States, Canada and Asia for 40 years. They shared Bible stories through words, music, art and Willard's hand-carved marionettes. After retirement, he continued serving through Friends of International Students at California State University-Stanislaus. Willard, who lived in Turlock, California, is survived by his wife, daughter, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

N. JUNE RENNELLS HARRISON '58 died in Stanwood, Washington, on January 21, 2002, at the age of 74. After graduating from SPC, the native of Coudersport, Pennsylvania, taught in the Highline, Washington, School District for more than 20 years. Preceded in death by her husband, Donald, she is survived by four children, including PATRICIA HARRISON GLOVER '86 and KAREN HARRISON THOMPSON '91, and six grandchildren.

CHARLES KEYS, an SPC biology faculty member from 1968 to 1971, died on November 1, 2001, in Thibodaux, Louisiana. He was 80 years old. Preceded in death by wife JUANITA STEVENS KEYS, also a former SPC employee, Charles is survived by three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

SHANNON "SCOOTER" KYLE '93 died February 24, 2002, in Seattle at the age of 39. She was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Seattle. A camp counselor, talented artist and social worker active in local AIDS groups, Shannon had been working toward a degree in social work at SPU. Her church home was Green Lake Presbyterian Church in Seattle. Shannon is survived by her mother, father, stepmother and two brothers.

KATHRYN LOVELY, longtime SPU staff member, died on January 25, 2002, after battling cancer. She was 48 years old. Kathy is survived by her son, MICHAEL LOVELY '97; her mother; and seven brothers.

GLADYS MILLER '55 died on January 28, 2000, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. A graduate of Greenville College, Gladys later took a 5th year at SPC. She began teaching at age 17 to finance her college education and returned to teaching in Seattle in 1956. Gladys was preceded in death by her husband, SPU Professor Emeritus MENDAL MILLER '46. She is survived by three daughters, including MARILYN MILLER MACDONALD '54 and GWEN MILLER MARSTON '57; son STAN MILLER '63; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

MARY LOU SYLVESTER JOHNSON MONTGOMERY '56 died in Bremerton, Washington, on January 7, 2002, of congestive heart failure. She was 68. An accomplished pianist and athlete, Mary Lou was a home economics and music education major at SPC. She was also a song queen, May Day Princess and Homecoming Princess. After graduation, Mary Lou moved with her husband, RON JOHNSON '56, to Germany, where he was stationed with the U.S. Army. She taught kindergarten in Germany and later in various schools in Western Washington. She was a devoted mother to three children, and played piano as a ministry in such places as Christian Women's Club. After a divorce, Mary Lou married Leland Montgomery in 1982, and moved with him to Bremerton. Mary Lou is survived by a daughter, JENNIFER JOHNSON GILNETT '81, and two sons.

DAVID NOBLE '57 of Lacey, Washington, died on March 19, 2002, at the age of 75. A Navy veteran, David taught school in Washington, California and Brazil. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Loine; brother JESS NOBLE '52; three sons; two daughters; 11 grand- children; and six great-grandchildren.

WADAD SABA, SPU professor emerita of music, voice and opera, died on February 20, 2002, after a long battle with cancer. She was 68. Born in Jerusalem, Wadad was a Palestinian Christian who fled her homeland in 1948 as a teenager and was separated from her parents for many years. She attended Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, and the University of Washington, where she earned a D.M.A. in opera production.

Wadad Saba
A Seattle Pacific professor for 35 years, Wadad served as chair of the Music Department and guided it to re-accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music. During her years at SPU, Wadad taught many students who went on to careers in music. Says LAURA TUCKER '89, now a professional opera singer, "Her presence will be missed, and I think of her more now than ever. She feels like an angel on my shoulder when I sing these days." Wadad served as president of the Civic Light Opera and was Northwest regional governor of the National Opera Association. She was a frequent speaker on Middle East issues at university classes, churches, schools and civic organizations. She was also active with several Palestinian human rights organizations. She is survived by a sister, two nieces and a grandniece. To read tributes to Wadad Saba written by Professor of History Don Holsinger and Professor of Psychology Míchéal Roe (and first printed in the March 6, 2002, issue of The Falcon), please click here.

GLENN SCARVIE '40 passed away on January 7, 2002, of complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 84. Born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Seattle, Glenn graduated from SPC, taught for a year in the Seattle School District and then joined the U.S. Army. During World War II, he worked in intelligence and in 1944 moved to Washington, D.C., where he had a top-secret national security assignment deciphering Japanese codes. After the war, Glen and his wife returned to Seattle, and he completed a master's degree in education at SPC. He served as the principal of five elementary schools in the Seattle School District over the next 40 years, retiring in 1982. With a beautiful tenor voice, Glen sang frequently at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, where he was a member since 1946. He is survived by his wife, Adelle; one son; and one grandson.

MARY ANN GIBSON SUTTON '50 died on January 12, 2002, in Rock Hill, South Carolina. She married GEORGE SUTTON '50 in 1951 and together they served pastorates in the New York Conference, the Centary Conference and the New England District of the Free Methodist Church for 30 years. Mary Ann also earned a master's degree from Boston University and taught learning disabled children for 20 years. She is survived by her husband and their five children.

C. WOODROW WILLSON '36 died on February 15, 2001, at the age of 85. Woodrow was a member of the SPU Board of Trustees from 1951 to 1981. During his youth, he attended junior high and high school at SPC and then went on to graduate from Seattle Pacific with a degree in chemistry. He worked as a nuclear chemist for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremer-ton, Washington, for more than 39 years. Woodrow was a lifelong member of the Bremerton Free Methodist Church and a founding member of Warm Beach Camp in Stanwood. His wife of 61 years, EVELYN STAVNEY WILLSON '36, died in December 2001 (see below). They are survived by three sons, including JOHN WILLSON '66 and JERRY WILLSON '68; daughter KAREN WILLSON ROWE '76; six grandchildren, including WENDY WILLSON