In Memoriam
Paul Slane 1953 - 2006
May Desmond 1925– 2009
Mae Desmond 1925-2009
Mae Scourkes Desmond was born in Alameda, CA to Nicolas & Virginia Scourkes September 23, 1925 and passed away on November 16, 2009 after an illness with ovarian cancer.
Mae attended Mission High School in San Francisco and enjoyed a 10-year career at Pacific Bell. She married Jerry Desmond October 23, 1954 and over the coming years they had 6 daughters. In 1960 they moved to Florham Park, NJ as Jerry pursued his career with AT&T. After 8 years in NJ, the family moved to Bellevue where Mae lived out the rest of her life.
Mae was the manager of Pacific Fabrics in Bellevue for many years and enjoyed a career there until her retirement at age 81. She was very active as a board member with Catholic Community Services and volunteered for many initiatives at St. Louise Catholic Church.
Mae joined Historic Seattle in 1997 and until recently was a member of the Arts & Crafts Guild. For several years she volunteered in the office and worked on special assignments.
Mae is survived by her 6 daughters, Mary Desmond (Jonathan), Ginny Eagle (Lonnie), Kathy Desmond, Meg Fortescue (Steve), Patti Miller and Liz Sliger (Ron), her twin brother Ted Scourkes (Inez) and her brother Gus Scourkes (Ann).She is also survived by 9 grandchildren Michael, Katie, Jon, Ryan, Nathaniel, Alex, Maddie, Luke and Matthew. Her memorial service was held at St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue Saturday, November 21, 2009.
Bob Purser 1940– 2009
Robert "Bob" Stuart Purser was born in 1940 in Alexandria, Louisiana to artists and professors Mary and Stuart Purser. He passed away suddenly on September 17, 2009 in Bellevue, WA, his home for many years.
Bob was an artist, designer, craftsman, husband, step- father, brother, and friend. He earned a BA in Art in 1962, then worked in the Peace Corps in Peru with indigenous artists. After earning an MFA in Design from the UW, Bob earned a PhD in art education from the University of Oregon in 1978. He was the first art instructor at Bellevue College, where he taught for 44 years. He served as department chair and taught innovative classes in design, drawing, art appreciation, history of modern design and architecture, color theory.
Bob loved the built environment and Southern vernacular Art. He was active in Northwest Designer Craftsmen, Allied Arts and the Architecture Foundation, leading architecture tours in Seattle and Scandinavia with wife of 24 years Carolyn Purser, who passed on in 2007. Bob was also a member of Historic Seattle since 1987 and a volunteer throughout the years. Most recently he assisted with the walking tours of Beaux Arts Village.
He is survived by wife and friend of 45 years, Robin Jones; sister Jeanie Cameron, her son Chris and husband Bob; stepsons Asher Jones; Nathan Jones, his wife Lettie; Ian Voorhees, his wife Carolyn and son Olle; Peter Voorhees, his wife Amy and son Asher; Candace Rosovsky; mothers-in-law Diane Rosovsky, Ruth Bergquist; father-in-law Robert Urich. A memorial service was held in Bobs honor on Sunday October 25 at Daniels Recital Hall. To honor Bob, people wear bright colors and spoke about his amazing service to the community.
Earl Dillman Morris II 1923 – 2009
Earl D. Morris, Architect, of Edmonds, Washington passed away of natural causes at age 85 on January 23, 2009. Earl was preceded in death by his wife of 32 years, Martha Erskine Morris.
Earl is survived by his sons and their wives, Gay E. Morris and Koko Morgan of Seattle, Washington and Hugh F. Morris and Michelle K. Morris, Arkansas. He leaves behind his sister, Jane Orner, of Edmonds; and three generations of nieces and nephews who affectionately knew Earl as “Uncle Bud.”
Earl was born in South Bend, Indiana on May 2, 1923, the fourth child of Earl Morris and Grace Sykes Morris. The family moved to Yakima in 1926, spent summers at a cabin north of Edmonds and moved there permanently in 1936. Earl attended Edmonds schools from 7 th grade and graduated from Edmonds High School in 1941. Staff Sergeant Morris served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1945 during World War II in the Pacific. He attended the University of Washington, graduating from the School of Architecture in 1951.
Earl began building his own house in 1949 on land he purchased from his father. Earl met Martha in 1952 and they were married at his house on May 29 th after a brief three week courtship. Martha grew up in Nebraska and studied Art in Dayton, Chicago and Paris before joining her family in Seattle. Together this Architect and Artist couple enjoyed wonderful lives which included raising two boys, learning to sail, spending summer vacations on Puget Sound and taking a 25 th Anniversary trip to Paris. Earl joined the Episcopal Church after designing St. Albans in Edmonds. He practiced historic preservation, saving antique doors, windows, woodwork and fireplaces from about-to-be demolished historic Seattle homes, artifacts incorporated into his own home and other buildings. Earl ran the Pioneer Courthouse restoration in Portland for GSA and was instrumental in initiating the Art in Architecture program for Federal Buildings. Earl was “guardian” of the 1860 Ferry House at Ebey’s Landing for 44 years.
After Martha’s passing in 1984, Earl remained outgoing, continuing his study of architecture and gardening through organizations such as Historic Seattle. He became a patron of the musical arts: his favorite gathering would be a “musicale” where an accomplished pianist or vocalist would perform at his home for a group of friends. Earl loved the architecture and gardens of Europe, particularly Paris, which he visited five times after his first trip with Martha in 1977. Earl enjoyed a round-the-world cruise in 2002 but returned home more convinced than ever that he had all he needed right here – family, friends and a house on land his father discovered overlooking Puget Sound.
Geri Lucks 1930 - 2009
Geraldine Anderson Lucks died peacefully on January 5, 2009 at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. Known to family and friends as Geri, she was born on January 23rd, 1930 in Mitchell, South Dakota, in the midst of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, to Carl and Gertrude Anderson.
In 1936, her family moved to Seattle where she attended Lincoln High School and then the University of Washington. There she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and was a cheerleader. She graduated in 1952 with a degree in education and taught first for a year in Long Island, New York, then for six years in the Seattle Public Schools. She married William G. Lucks in 1955, raising three sons, Carl, Eric, and Kurt before their divorce in 1995. Eric's death in 1999 was one of the great losses of her life.
Geri had an extraordinary talent for friendship, and her natural enthusiasm and empathy quickly made strangers into lasting friends. She brought this talent to the wider world through her many years of community service. Her clubs and organizations included the UW Alumni Association, the Junior League, the Sunset Club, the Museum Of History and Industry where she was on the Board, and the Museum Of Flight's Public Corporate Board.
Geri also had a love for architecture and in the late 1960's began her involvement with historic preservation. She eventually became Chairman of the Pioneer Square Historic Architectural Board that was instrumental in writing ordinances for Landmarks and Historic Seattle. Geri was one of founders on the Historic Seattle Board of Directors from its inception in 1974 through 1980. She also represented Washington State on the Board of Advisors for The National Trust for Historic Preservation.
A lifelong passion for exploring the world led to a fulfilling career as a Travel Consultant. She enjoyed creating and directing tours for the UW Alumni Travel program, as well as many other organizations. Her life changed significantly in 1996 when she and Robert M. Arnold began to travel the world together. They circumnavigated the globe many times, often with their wonderful friends, and also spent time in San Francisco, Palm Springs, London, and Belize.
#####
Frank Soderling 1921 - 2008
Francis Wilson Soderling was born on July 22, 1921, to Ethel and Oscar Soderling in Baker, Montana. After moving to Yakima, Washington at a young age, he graduated from Yakima High School. He joined the Marines in 1943 and served in the Marshall Islands. Mary Mildred (Kit) Arbuthnot and Frank met while they were both stationed in Florida. They married and moved to Seattle where Frank went to undergraduate and law school at UW.
He served a long and distinguished career as attorney for Safeco Title Insurance Co., retiring in 1983. He was also the author of the "Marketable Title" chapter in the WSBA Real Property Deskbook.
Frank's purpose in life was to be of service to others and to do his civic duty. He was also strongly committed to the rights of others. He was past president of the Richmond Beach Library Association, and served as president of the Innis Arden Community Club, and of Chamber Toastmaster Club #540. He was the chairman of the Shoreline District of Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound. He served on the Sunset Elementary School PTA Board as Safety Chairman. He was a member of the Seattle World's Fair Speakers' Bureau as well as citizen member of the State Legislature's interim Committee on Education. He served as acting chairman of the Shoreline Citizens' Civil Defense Committee and taught real property classes at Shoreline Community College. As a member of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce he was chairman of the Outdoor Recreation Committee, State Development Division.
Frank was one of the founders (1974) and the first Chairperson of the Historic Seattle Preservation and Development Authority and on the Board through 1978. He was also President of the Washington Land Title Association.
#####
Walt Crowley 1947-2007
Walt Crowley, a political commentator and prominent citizen historian who co-founded an online encyclopedia of Washington state history, has died after complications following a stroke. He was 60.
Crowley had battled cancer of the larynx and recently underwent surgery to remove a small growth linked to a recurrence of the disease when he suffered a stroke on Thursday. Family and friends were at his side Friday, at Virginia Mason Center, when doctors removed him from life support.
Friday afternoon, family and friends gathered at the hospital and over the phone in an impromptu memorial to share stories about the wiry, opinionated, outspoken historian and former left-wing journalist who got first his job in Seattle city government by protesting that same bureaucracy.
Born in suburban Detroit, Crowley lived in Washington, D.C., and Connecticut before his family moved to Seattle in 1961, after his father took a job with Boeing Co. Here he attended newly opened Nathan Hale High School and worked as an illustrator at Boeing before enrolling at the University of Washington, where he became active in anti-war and civil-rights movements of the late 1960s. He dropped out in 1967 to work at The Helix, left-wing weekly paper at the school. In 1970, he helped mediate talks between city officials and protesters after riots rocked the University District. "I remember him very well because he had a Lenin hat with a big red star on it" when they first met, then-Mayor Wes Uhlman said. "I realized he was a very smart guy, so I hired him."
Uhlman then decided to hire Crowley as a liaison between the students and the mayor's office, pushing the idealist on the outside into the rough-and-tumble world inside local politics. Smart, quick on his feet and unafraid of either an argument or a laugh, Crowley was, Uhlman noted, well suited for city politics.
In 1977, he returned to the private sector, beginning a long on-and-off career in journalism, eventually working as both a freelance and a staff writer for the Seattle Weekly and its founder, David Brewster. Crowley had an on-and-off career in journalism, working as both a freelance and staff writer for the Seattle Weekly.
After a brief, failed run for City Council, Crowley did some writing and political consulting. Representatives with the Municipal League, knowing Crowley's deep knowledge of local institutions, asked him to write a small book to detail the league's 75-year history. Pleased with the results and working with McCaffrey, the pair eventually published the histories of several local institutions, including the Rainier Club, and much later on, the Blue Moon Tavern.
It was also during this time that Crowley began a seven-year run, from 1986 to 1993, on KIRO television's "Point-Counterpoint," taking the role as the liberal foil to conservative radio host John Carlson. The pair completed more than 800 episodes of the popular political show.
In the late 1990s, Crowley, his wife, Marie McCaffrey, and historian Paul Dorpat rounded up investors and launched Historylink.org. Slow to catch on at first, the Web site gained traction after a $100,000 grant from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2002 allowed it to broaden its scope statewide. Today Historylink.org boasts gets about 4 million hits a month and is considered a model for similar sites across the country.
Pam Health, one of the Web site's board members, said Crowley considered it his crowning achievement. He saw historical information as a public utility, "as vital as running water or your lights," she said. In addition to his wife, Crowley is survived by his mother, Violet Kilvinger, and father, Walter Crowley.
More information about Walt’s life and career.
There is also a wonderful article published in the Seattle Times which talks about the memorial service that took place on Tuesday, October 2 nd, 2007.
#####
Phyllis Brown Bannister 1917~2007
Phyllis was born in Seattle, daughter of Ethel Cotter Brown and Marsh Brown. She lived near Phinney Ridge and graduated from St. John's Elementary School and Lincoln High School. She was a theatre major at the University of Washington where she performed at the Glenn Hughes Playhouse. She married Rock Bannister in 1941 and followed his career as a WWII Navy pilot, and later when he became a pilot for United Air Lines. Phyllis and Rock had four children. Phyllis was a devoted wife and mother. She supplied after-school art projects and treats for neighborhood children in their Montlake neighborhood, and served as president of the PTA. The family loved to go camping and to travel. The family moved to Denver in 1960. Later she and Rock lived in New York and California before returning to the family home on the shores of Hood Canal after Rock retired in 1976.
Later she resided on First Hill where she was active in political, environmental and community issues. She joined Historic Seattle in 1994 and has been a member ever since. In 1999 Phyllis became a volunteer with Historic Seattle working as an oral history interviewer for the First Hill Project. She also served as a docent on a number of Tea & Tours and helped out on various other projects. Phyllis also enjoyed the out-of-town tours, sponsored by Historic Seattle, and traveled to San Francisco in April 2006 on just such as trip.
She was a member of Plymouth Congregational Church and helped establish Town Hall as a community meeting place. She then moved across the street from it to the Exeter House. She lived there for the past seven years where she had many friends.
Her other passion was theatre. She was active at Cirque Theatre, the Bellevue Play Barn and later as a member of the Phoenix Players. She hardly ever missed an Intiman or ACT production, even in her later years. She walked everywhere. Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents and husband. She is survived by her children, Barbara Quinn and Patricia Bannister of Seattle, Roberta Glidden of Ogden, Utah, William Bannister of Rohnert Park, California, her brother, Marsh Brown, Jr., nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all of whom will all miss her joyful smile.
#####
Steven Arai AIA, AICP 1946 - 2006
Steven Arai
Photo: courtesy AIA
Historic Seattle lost its longest serving Council member in late December. Steven Arai was appointed to the Council in 1983 and despite ill heath, continued to serve during
2006. He chaired the Council in 1987. Steve was passionately committed to community
service, Northwest architectural heritage, and an inclusive design culture. With deep
family roots in Northwest architecture and in Seattle’s Asian American community—
Kichio Allen Arai became the first Asian American to design buildings in his own
name—Steve directed his practice to singular achievement in the expression of community
heritage in civic architecture and historic preservation.
His leadership in the planning and design of civic and government projects and in extensive advocacy advanced
public trust in design as well as preservation of historic resources in communities throughout the Northwest and
the U.S. His inclusive spirit drew others to join him in significant community and professional activism. With
colleagues of the firm currently known as Arai Jackson Ellison Murakami, Arai directed one of the Northwest’s
foremost civic design firms, manifesting a notable contribution to the shaping of major public projects – with
special sensitivity to both community values and historic preservation.
With his direction, the firm produced an impressive portfolio of historic preservation projects located throughout
the Northwest. The firm also invested in several historic properties to house its growing practice over the years,
including the Capitol Hill United Methodist Church. Over more than two decades on the Council of Historic
Seattle – widely regarded as the community’s most effective guardian of historic properties – he had a key role in
some significant victories, leveraging his professional experience to help mobilize the organization’s mission in
public information and advocacy for historic preservation.
In practice, profession, and civic service, Steve Arai connected design with important community issues, and through
his personal example and caring relationships drew others to join him in expressing and supporting their professional
commitments. His loyal, passionate, and wise council to Historic Seattle for over 24 years cannot be underestimated.
Compiled by Marga Rose Hancock Hon. AIA and Lawrence Kreisman, Hon. AIA Seattle
Gwendolyn Vivian Ballard 1929-2006
Gwen Ballard
Photo: Marissa Natkin
Gwen Ballard, a long time resident of Queen Anne, joined Historic Seattle in 1996 and soon after became an active volunteer. She came to the Dearborn House at least one day each week to help with a range of administrative tasks -- bookkeeping, data entry, filing, copying, and mailings and rarely said “no,” often taking projects home to complete. Her regular weekly shift was invaluable to staff; we could always count on her to be thorough and efficient. In addition to her weekly volunteer time slot, Gwen was a member of the Arts & Crafts Guild and a regular docent volunteer for Teas & Tours. She often assisted at registration and was always willing to help with a special project or assignment. Gwen was both delightful company and a gentle soul who shared openly and cared about so many. She was warm and gracious with a radiant smile and captivating eyes that twinkled.
Gwen was born on Christmas Day, 1929 in Detroit and earned a degree in English Literature at Wayne State University. She lived in Seattle, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and Florida prior to returning to Seattle in 1981. Gwen possessed an amazing diversity and thirst for knowledge. She was a kindergarten teacher, librarian, secretary, computer technology instructor and tax accountant. Her interests included arts and crafts, literature, music, animals, gardening, travel, and world politics. She was also a talented weaver and an active member of two book clubs.
Gwen died peacefully on October 12th after a severe stroke. She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Eisner, her son, Derek Eisner, her long time partner of 22 years, Clell Bunten, and brothers, Dick Ballard and Bob Ballard. A Celebration of her Life was held at the historic Dearborn House on Saturday, October 21 st. Friends were invited to share their memories of Gwen and in lieu of flowers, remembrances were made to the Nature Conservatory, Historic Seattle, and non-profit groups involved in pet adoption such as Purrfect Pals, Oasis for Animals, PAWS and Alternate Humane Society. Gwen brought love, joy, kindness, wit and intelligence to all she touched, and will be missed dearly.
Paul Slane 1953-2006
Paul Slane
Paul Slane was a member of Historic Seattle since 1995. He participated in our April, 2005 Landmarks Nomination Workshop so he could learn how to save the 1904 Cooper House ( 225-227 Fourteenth Street E. on Capitol Hill), slated for demolition. Paul lived nearby and noticed the yellow "Master Use Permit" application sign on the property while walking his dog. He researched and wrote a nomination which was reviewed at the City's Landmarks Preservation Board on September 21, 2005. Because of Paul's competence and diligence, the Cooper House was designated a City landmark on November 2, 2005.
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Paul graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Urban Planning, but never worked in that profession. He was a retired Boeing employee who had procured navigational guidance systems for satellites launched from the Space Shuttle. He lived on Queen Anne and Capitol Hill for the past thirty years and had restored a 1929 Tudor Revival style house.
Paul died of liver cancer in August, 2006. At his request his family and friends gathered for a memorial service at Historic Seattle's headquarters in the Dearborn House. As soon as his sister walked into the historic building, she said "This is Paul." Those in attendance were moved by all that Paul had accomplished in his life in addition to his historic preservation activism. Christine Palmer, Historic Seattle's Preservation Advocate, recalled Paul's personal friendship as well as his willingness to do yeoman's chores for the advocacy program.
