1949
LEON STRUNK has recovered from prostate cancer and has returned to producing pottery. The proceeds from the sale of his ceramic creations help support a mission project at Nova Almeida, Brazil. During the Christmas season, the sale of ornaments he made from recycled greeting cards also provided support for the mission project. Leon and his wife, Martha, spent 42 years as missionaries with the Free Methodist Church in Brazil. They live in Asheville, North Carolina.
1955
DONALD WALKER, M.A. ’57, and his wife, Ella, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in September 2008.
Donald spent 30 years in school administration for various schools in Seattle and the surrounding area. The couple enjoyed raising Limousin cattle, which they showed in the U.S. and Canada. They have five children, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, and live in Monroe, Washington.
Creating a Tapestry of His Cultural Heritage
The rich, bold colors of a painting by YADESA “YADDI” BOJIA ’05 hangs in the Washington State Supreme Court judges’ chamber. But none of his paintings have been called upon to tell the story of a people as vividly as those commissioned for the recent west coast premiere of “Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia.”
The exhibit this winter at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle allowed visitors to come face to face with Lucy, one of the oldest, most complete, and best preserved adult fossils of a human ancestor. Since Lucy comes from Ethiopia, Bojia’s ancestral land, the organizers invited him and others from the city’s thriving Ethiopian community to see what was planned for the exhibit.
“I met with the curator,” Bojia says. “We discussed the importance of Ethiopian art for the show, and she decided to involve me.”
The artist, a former graphic design intern in Seattle Pacific University’s Office of University Communications and now a graphic designer for Housing and Food Services at the University of Washington, provided three paintings for the exhibit. One was of an Ethiopian shepherd. “March to Adwa” depicted Ethiopian King Minilik marching to the battlefield. The third provided an apocalyptic vision of Lucy witnessing the destruction of the world by modern humans.
Bojia was pleased that tens of thousands of people learned more about human existence — and his cultural heritage. “I was able to capture what most history books don’t. While they focus on the Ethiopian dynasties, they neglect the majority of Ethiopian people. I drew on every ethnic group.”
To do so, he created 10 motifs from traditional ethnic dress that were utilized throughout the exhibit as back-drops or to accent display designs. He also illustrated a keepsake receipt book to give visitors “a taste of Ethiopia.”
1956
JOHN PICKRELL celebrates 50 years in ministry with the Presbyterian Church this year. While earning a master of divinity degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary, he served as chaplain to the community operating Alcatraz Federal Prison. Ordained in the Seattle Presbytery, he served churches in California, Idaho, and Washington. He also did a pulpit exchange with the pastor of the Kirk of Skene in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Following retirement from the pastorate, he became executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Boise, Idaho. Other chaplaincies he held were for the Navy Reserve; the hospice team at St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute in Boise; and the Idaho State Legislature, where he spent eight years. John and his wife, Kay, reside in Boise
1957
JAY PEARSON spent his career in school administration in the Bellevue (Washington) School District. He also served for thirty-six years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and retired with the rank of captain. His wife, KATHY JORDAN PEARSON, worked as an elementary school teacher in Bellevue for four years, became an active homemaker, and eventually founded the Sacred Music Chorale, which is in its 10th year. Now in retirement, the Pearsons look forward to their 52nd wedding anniversary this summer. They live in Mill Creek, Washington.
1958
JOAN RAWLINS HUSBY has published
a collection of her essays titled
A Logger’s Daughter: Growing Up in Washington’s Woods (RainSong Press, 2008). The book includes tales from her childhood in the community of Robe, Washington, and serves as a verbal picture book of a simpler life and time in the history of the Pacific Northwest. A retired teacher, Joan is also the author of eight books for young adults. She lives in Stanwood, Washington.
1961
VIRGIL HUNTSINGER and CHARLOTTE SMITH HUNTSINGER ’60 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with 150 guests in August 2008 at North Seattle Church of the Nazarene. The Huntsingers, who have lived in the same Seattle home for 48 years, have three daughters and five grandchildren.
1966
DUANE LEWIS has been the head boys’ track and field coach at Lynnwood (Washington) High School since it opened in 1971. He added the role of head girls’ track and field coach five years later. His boys and girls squads have each won a state championship, and his athletes have earned 26 individual state titles and 25 finishes in the runner-up position. Three of his former athletes are themselves high school track head coaches in his same conference. Duane’s honors include being inducted into the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Also a retired teacher, Duane was a track and field powerhouse and a record holder at SPU, and he served as team captain his final season for the Falcons. Duane credits a lot of the inspiration for his success to his former SPU coach, Ken Foreman. Duane and his wife, SUSAN TRYGG LEWIS ’67, have three daughters, eight grandchildren, and live in Bothell, Washington.
1969
JAMES GILMAN is the author of Faith, Reason, and Compassion: A Philosophy of the Christian Faith (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007). A professor of religion and philosophy at Mary Baldwin College, James resides in Staunton, Virginia.
ELEANOR “ELLY” UHDEN STREETER, along with her husband, Tom, has been a missionary with Trans World Radio (TWR) for more than 35 years. For the first 33 years, their home base was in Monaco. They currently work for TWR in the Netherlands, where they live. Elly helps with Project Hannah, a ministry of prayer and programming for women around the world, while Tom serves as director of South Europe Ministries. TWR sends Christian radio programs in more than 225 languages and dialects from more than 2,000 broadcast sites worldwide.
1971
ROGER BUSH is serving his second term on the Pierce County (Washington) Council, which includes chairing the Council, the Rules and Operations Committee, and the Select Committee on Emergency Preparedness. A former elementary school teacher, Roger spent four consecutive terms in the state House of Representatives.
1973
ARRY KROON is senior pastor of the nondenominational Wasilla Bible Church in Wasilla, Alaska. The church was in the national spotlight because it is where 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family worship. Larry and his family reside in Wasilla.
1975
CYDNEY CORL HILL is a records analyst for the Port of Portland, Oregon, and the former archivist and special collections coordinator of the J. Paul Leonard Library at San Francisco State University. Her husband, David, is an artist who paints and works with colored pencils. Cydney says she looks forward to reunions every two years with four Seattle Pacific friends and classmates who are “always grateful” that the University brought them together.
DEBBIE CARSTON ZENER is president of Carston, Beck & West, a marketing company in Reno, Nevada, and is a graduate of the Owner/President Management Program in the Harvard Business School. Her husband, Gary, owns a construction company and their son, Kevin, owns and manages his own espresso café. The Zeners live in Reno.
1982
PAUL SCHLIENZ is communications writer for the Association of Washington Business (AWB) — Washington state’s chamber of commerce. As senior writer with Washington Business magazine, Paul has penned numerous articles on a variety of topics, such as public policy. In recent years, he has traveled extensively in North America, Europe, and Asia. Paul lives in Olympia, Washington.
1983
PRISCILLA SCHLEIGH is owner and chief visionary officer for GIRAFFE, a Fair Trade global gallery which offers goods from 57 countries. Located on Vashon Island, Washington, the gallery helps the environment by selling items made from reclaimed sources and helps the artisans who make the items earn a sustainable living wage. Priscilla says that a memorable SPU class with Associate Professor of World Christian Studies Miriam Adeney, travel to more than 25 countries, four years spent in Haiti, and a career at Nordstrom all culminated in the gallery — her “dream come true.” Priscilla lives on Vashon Island.
1985
LORIL HAWK is head of staff pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Matawan, New Jersey. A former area director for Youth for Christ, she received her master of divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and has served churches in Colorado, Kentucky, and Montana. Loril is a former trauma center chaplain for Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center. Along with four parrots, three cats, a golden retriever, and a cockapoo puppy, she lives in Matawan.
MARK SHIPLEY teaches special education at Mountain View Middle School in the Bremerton (Washington) School District. LYNDA ASTIN SHIPLEY ’84 teaches third grade at Crownhill Elementary School in the same district. The Shipleys have two children and live in Silverdale, Washington.
1988
KATHRYN MARTIN-GRAY works for the U.S. Army, providing crisis intervention, stress management, and social services to the Wounded Warriors Unit at Fort Wainwright. Her husband, Mike, is the district attorney for the Fairbanks – 4th Judicial District. They live in Fairbanks, Alaska.
JILL PEARSON MCJUNKIN is a legal assistant at Davis Wright Tremaine and an active member of U.S. Masters Swimming. Jill and her husband, Pete, a general contractor, recently enjoyed a brief television appearance on HGTV, but say they have no plans to quit their day jobs. The McJunkins live in Snohomish, Washington, with their 9-year-old daughter, whom they adopted from Vietnam at 14 weeks of age.
ROB PATTERMANN, M.ED., is assistant conductor of the North Cascades Concert Band (NCCB). The band, comprised of 55 musicians from western Washington, practices regularly and performs twice annually. When not conducting, Rob plays trombone in the band. In addition to his work with the NCCB, he has served on the boards of the Everett (Washington) Symphony and the Everett Youth Symphony. Rob taught instrumental music for 14 years in the Shoreline (Washington) School District, including eight years as director of bands at Shorewood High School. He invested another 16 years as a school administrator in the Arlington (Washington) School District, retiring as the assistant superintendent. Rob lives with his family in Arlington.
ERIK SMITH holds a law degree from the University of Idaho and is a public defender for Shoshone County in Idaho. An avid fly fisherman and hunter, Erik says he likes the hands-on opportunities his work provides in the small county. He resides in Moscow, Idaho.
1989
MIKE GALLAGHER, M.ED., is the principal of Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Washington. He began his career in education as a high school English and social studies teacher and went on to become a guidance counselor, a middle school assistant principal, principal of Issaquah (Washington) High School, and executive director of high schools in the Issaquah School District. Mike lives in Seattle.
DAVID GERARDOT, M.S.N., PH.D. ’01, maintains a busy private counseling practice in Olympia, Washington. He is also a licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner. Along with his background as a Roman Catholic priest, David views his work as holistic ministry to his clients, focusing on body, mind, and spirit. He was a member of the first SPU doctoral degree class in clinical psychology. He and his wife, Judith Holter, reside in Olympia.
MARK POWELL is development and marketing director for the Portland (Oregon) Baroque Orchestra, and executive director and member of the vocal ensemble Cappella Romana. Late last year, the ensemble released a CD in conjunction with London’s Royal Academy of Arts for the academy’s Byzantium exhibition. Mark and his wife, Brigid Kathleen, have two daughters and are active members of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in their hometown of Portland.
Mission for a Queen: 80 Years Old, and She Makes the World Go Round
“I love Turlock, I love watermelon, and I desire to demonstrate that seniors have a very large part in making the world go around.” So wrote AUDREY
TJEPKEMA THORSEN ’51 in her application for 2008 Turlock, California, Centennial Melon Carnival Queen. And on Labor Day 2008, Turlock Mayor John Lazar placed the crown on her head — “amid thunderous applause,” reported The Turlock Journal.
“This queen thing has been so much fun,” she says. ” I’ve received a lot of kidding.”
The Thorsen clan boasts many Falcons. Thorsen and her late husband, ANDY THORSEN ’51, met at SPU. Both their daughters, MARILYN THORSEN GLINSKAS ’76 and KAREN THORSEN HAMILTON ’80, are graduates. And Thorsen is the proud grandmother of current third-generation Falcon ANDREW HAMILTON, an SPU sophmore.
After graduation, Audrey and Andy married and settled in Turlock. She worked as a registered nurse at Emanuel Hospital, where both their daughters were born.
Now 81, Audrey Thorsen has been a Turlocker for more than half a century, with one of her claims to fame being Thorsen Thin Mint Ice Cream, developed for the ice cream parlor at the Turlock Historical Museum. From the beginning, she has been an active member of Turlock Free Methodist Church.
The years have not slowed her down. Not only does she exercise regularly with Turlock Senior Citizens, but within the past three years she has made two mission trips to Africa with Volunteers in Service Abroad. Queen Audrey is one senior citizen who is truly making the world go round.
1991
JAMES CHADWICK, M.S., is chief operations officer for Openet, a communications service provider with its world headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. He joined Openet in 2006 after seven years with Cingular Wireless and 11 years with The Boeing Company, holding positions that ranged from senior technical manager to director of IT mediation. Jim works out of his home office in Snohomish, Washington, when he is not traveling for his job.
KELLY HUNT LEWIS, M.S., owner of Allied Human Resources Consulting, serves on the board of directors for the Northwest Human Resource Management Association (NHRMA). With 20 years experience in the human resources field, she is the NHRMA’s communications director and provides development and maintenance of the association’s website. Kelly lives in Bellingham, Washington.
KENNETH LOEN is a lead engineer at the international engineering firm of Parsons Brinckerhoff. He coupled a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from SPU with a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Washington for a career encompassing 17 years in civil engineering and urban planning. Kenneth resides in Seattle.
MATTHEW LOUCKS is pastoral assistant for music and liturgy at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Seattle. Previously, he spent 17 years in parish music ministry in Colorado, 15 of those as music director of a parish in Littleton, where he formed what he says was the first baroque orchestra in the state’s history. His master’s degree in chorale and instrumental conducting is from Colorado State University. Matthew says he wants to foster an appreciation for authentic Catholic music, such as pipe organ and Gregorian chant, and to reach the community through sacred music concerts, feast day celebrations, and secular coffeehouse concerts. He and his family live in Seattle.
CHRISTOPHER MCLEOD is human resources information system manager at The Rockefeller University in New York City. He and his family live in West Milford, New Jersey.
1993
CONRAD HACKETT is a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin’s Population Research Center. After earning two master’s degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned a doctoral degree in sociology from Princeton University. His doctoral dissertation analyzed why congregational participation is associated with high fertility. Conrad resides with his wife, Campbell, and son in Austin.
STEFANIE DYER HARGREAVES took a leap of faith in 1996 and became the 30th employee of a then-unknown Internet company called Amazon.com. She produced a number of mailings reaching more than 200,000 subscribers on a bi-monthly basis, mailings that helped establish romance, women’s fiction, biographies, and memoirs in the pantheon of Amazon literary sales. In 2001, she left Amazon to care for her family and pursue her own writing career. Last year, she signed a three-book contract with Ballantine Books. Stefanie and her husband, Randall, volunteer with the nonprofit organization People Helping Horses. They live in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood with their two daughters.
1994
GEOFFREY DEWEESE is a major in the U.S. Army JAG Corps and last year completed the Judge Advocates Graduate Course to earn a master of laws degree (LLM) in military law. His wife, MELODY FIELDS ’94, cares for their four children, volunteers, and writes. The family lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Geoff is the Group Judge Advocate for the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg.
JOHN QUIRING co-owns Le Quartier Baking Company in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his brother, Seth. After SPU, John worked a few years as an electrical engineer and almost three years as a computer programmer. Then, looking for a change, he read books and tested recipes in search of the perfect loaf of bread. He worked for bakeries in Montreal and France, where he learned the essence of bread making. Now the popular Quiring breads sell in farmers markets, grocery stores, and restaurants in
the Lincoln and Omaha areas.
1995
JAMES POYSKY is a pediatric neuropsychologist at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, and an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine.
His positions involve clinical work
with patients, clinical research, and the training of graduate students, interns, and fellows. A sought-after conference and workshop presenter, James travels across the country and in Europe on a regular basis. He also serves on the board of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and is chair of an expert panel at the Centers for Disease Control that is developing treatment recommendations for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He and his wife, Rachel, and their two children live
in Houston.
ERIC VAN DER VEEN was named by The Puget Sound Business Journal as one of last year’s top 40 business leaders under the age of 40. Eric is executive vice president of Holaday-Parks, Inc., in Tukwila, Washington, and serves on the board of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association of Western Washington. He lives in Seattle, where he supports Treehouse for Kids, an organization serving children in foster care.
1997
STEPHANIE BIXLER, M.S.N., a wound care specialist, works for Marshfield Clinic in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Her experience includes evaluating and managing patients with acute and chronic wounds, evaluating and treating patients with memory loss, and teaching education seminars for continuing education credit. She resides in Rice Lake.
NICHOLE FAZIO-VEIGEL is pursuing a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford University in England. Her focus is on the photography of Julia Margaret Cameron. Nichole co-convenes the lecture series in the department of the history of art, is a postgraduate member of Trinity College, and is programme manager for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) Oxford Summer Programme. She has worked on the restoration of the C.S. Lewis’ home, widely known as The Kilns, and helped launch the first summer seminar in residence at the author’s home.
KIMBERLEE CONWAY IRETON has published her first book, The Circle of Seasons: Meeting God in the Church Year (InterVarsity Press, 2008). It is considered “an enormously appealing overview of the church’s liturgical year” by Phyllis Tickle, founding editor of the Religion Department at Publishers Weekly. Kimberlee lives in Seattle.
1998
JEREMY BOLLES works with special needs kids at Gilbert High School in Gilbert, Iowa. He completed a master of divinity degree at The King’s College and Seminary in Van Nuys, California. He and his wife, Heather, a mathematics professor at Iowa State University, desire to be in full-time vocational ministry after their first year of marriage. The couple lives in Ames, Iowa.
HEATHER HAMMEL SULLIVAN teaches second grade. She and her husband, Phil, and their two children live in Sandy, Utah.
1999
RICHARD CLEVELAND, M.ED. '05, received Washington state’s Elementary Counselor of the Year award for the 2008–09 school year. His success, say fellow educators in the Everett (Washington) School District, is due to his understanding that he is a counselor/teacher and to the way he uses the skills of a master teacher to motivate, inspire, and instill knowledge. He was nominated by Cher Edwards, chair of the SPU Department of School Counseling and Psychology, in part because of his commitment to social justice and overlooked students. He resides in Lynnwood, Washington.
2000
SHANNON HARVEY, Ed.D., was awarded the prestigious 2008 Milken National Educational Award for her outstanding work as an educator and her long-range leadership. The principal of Cascade Elementary School in Renton, Washington, she received a prize of $25,000 in what Teacher Magazine calls the “Oscars of teaching.” She is credited with raising the Cascade student pass rate for the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) from 48 percent to 81 percent. Shannon and her family live in Auburn, Washington.
2001
AMBER HIGGINS FARTHING was named the 2008 Elementary School Science Teacher of the Year by the Washington Science Teachers’ Association. She teaches fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary School in Ellensburg, Washington, and is science coordinator for the Ellensburg School District. While at SPU, Amber ran cross country and now coaches cross country in her district. Last fall, she qualified for the Boston Marathon. She and her husband, James, and their two children reside in Ellensburg.
2002
ROBERT DANIELLE, M.S., has been named the dean of academic affairs for DeVry University’s Seattle Metro campuses in Bellevue and Federal Way, Washington. For the past five years, he has been an adjunct senior faculty member at the university. He says he is always “looking for SPU grads wanting to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels.” Bob lives in Federal Way.
TIMOTHY ELLIS is founder of The Naked Loon, an online satirical newspaper that attracts hundreds of readers with a decided bent toward Seattle news and personalities. The Loon, says Tim, is a continuation of pranks that he and his friends pulled while students at SPU. He continues to draw inspiration from those classmates, including software engineer JAMES WILLETT. Their motivation? To make people laugh. In support of his loony lampoon, Tim runs Seattle Bubble, a real-estate blog that draws a few thousand visitors a day. He lives in Kenmore, Washington.
2003
DENISE MARTINEZ ADAMS received her M.D. degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. She is in family medicine training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Her husband Christopher, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, is there as well, training in urological surgery.
ARIELLE AKEHURST JUNGWIRTH works for the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Midwifery Program. Her husband, Paul, is pursuing a doctoral degree in the classics at the University of Pennsylvania. They live in Philadelphia.
MATTHEW RODDY completed a post-graduate course in yacht design at the Landing School in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 2008. He and his wife, JOANNA RICE RODDY, live in Anacortes, Washington, where Matt works for BMW Oracle Racing on their America’s Cup boat. Joanna is working on her first novel and guest teaches at King’s High School in Shoreline, Washington.
BRAD SUND is a consultant for State Farm Insurance and works with 50 agents in the San Diego, California, market to maximize their business/marketing goals and enhance team development. REYNA BROOK SUND ’01 is the M.B.A. career counselor for the University of San Diego. The Sunds reside in San Diego and attend the Rock Church, where they enjoy
participating in the children’s ministry and the Tijuana house building ministry. Brad is a marathon runner, and they both play on softball and
volleyball teams.
2005
DARICK BAKER is a graduate student at the Colorado School of Mines working toward a doctoral degree in physics. He studies interfaces to improve organic solar cells. Darick is engaged to be married in September. He lives in Denver.
JOEL JACOBSON, M.Ed. ’08, from a family of educators, teaches language arts and journalism at Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School.
AMANDA JORDAN has been commissioned as ensign into the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. She is stationed at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and works in the Cardiac Telemetry Unit. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
DANIEL ROWE is a research associate for ICOS Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company that develops therapeutic products for the treatment of serious medical conditions. His wife, JOY BERGQUIST ROWE, stays home with their twins, who are approaching their second birthday. The Rowes live in Edmonds, Washington.
“The Lord’s Been Good to Me”
“Don’t just sit in a rocking chair,” advises Seattle Pacific University PROFESSOR EMERITA VIVIAN LARSON. “Do what your doctor tells you, and be active.”
The former educator means what she says. At 100 years of age, Vivian keeps busy two to three days a week unpacking boxes at the Copper Colander, a kitchen-accessory store owned by her daughter in Billings, Montana. When she’s not at the store, Vivian also helps her daughter with the family’s washing and ironing. All of this in spite of painful arthritis in her hands and back.
Vivian has rarely been one to complain. A teacher in Iowa and South Dakota during the Great Depression, she lived through scenes straight from The Grapes of Wrath: bank closings, dust storms, swarms of grasshoppers, sparse food, minimal pay. “It didn’t pay to be grumpy about it,” she says. “It was just part of life.”
Then in 1940, she was hired by Seattle Pacific College. “God was in control,” Vivian says. So she packed her belongings and headed out West with a stellar work ethic and a matter-of-fact approach to life. In the 37 years that followed, she worked to develop Seattle Pacific’s teacher education program. Her efforts resulted in the accreditation of the program and the establishment of a reputation for educating some of the state’s finest teachers.
In 1988, to honor her many accomplishments and her dedication to the University, SPU named its faculty and administrative offices in the School of Education after her.
All of which Vivian takes in stride. “It hasn’t all been roses,” she says, reflecting on her long life. “But the Lord’s been good to me.”
2007
TAYLOR PRUSS, M.A.T., teaches general music to kindergarten through fourth grade students, and band and choir to fifth and sixth graders, at Lutacaga Elementary School in Othello, Washington. She lives in Othello.
ERINA WEIBLE is owner of Charisma Design and Organization in Poulsbo, Washington. The interior design
major specializes both in bringing beauty and balance to small offices and living spaces, and in real estate staging for empty and occupied homes. “I can organize anything
from a garage to a drawer,” she says. A reporter for the North Kitsap Herald likened her to Mary Poppins. Erina lives in Poulsbo.
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