Obituary
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 Date of Death: Feb 6, 2015 Dr. Edward Williams, MD, of Lakewood, Washington died February 6th, 2015 in his home of natural causes at the age of 62. He was born July 8th, 1952 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents were Loretta B. Williams and Edward Williams Sr. also deceased. Dr. Edward Williams attended Harvard University, class of ’74, and then went on to medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed his training at John Hopkins. He touched the hearts of many and worked relentless hours to help high school students achieve their college dreams as well. He also served in the Harvard Interview Committee for Washington State. Dr. Williams was an avid golfer and enjoyed traveling the world.... |
 Date of Death: Feb 2, 2015 James Watson Boudwin, MD On Monday, February 2, 2015, James Watson Boudwin, MD died of natural causes with his beloved wife of 62 years, Lilian Margot Boudwin, at his side, after a full life of 97 years. James ("Jim") Watson Boudwin, BA, MD, F.A.P.A., was born in Seattle, WA, April 28, 1917. His father was Charles Bacon Boudwin, MD, a physician in West Seattle and his mother, Abigail Coombs, a nurse at Seattle General Hospital. Jim's grade school years were spent in Hollywood, CA where he appeared in a number of the silent era movies including the Hal Roach, "Our Gang" short series. He returned to Seattle from 1930 to 1934 attending TT Minor Elementary School and Roosevelt High School; then back to California where he graduated from Hollywood High School in 1936.... |
 Date of Death: Dec 14, 2014 G. James Kenney, M.D. George James "Jim" Kenney Jr., a retired radiologist and accomplished photographer, died unexpectedly on Sunday, December 14 at his home in the Rosedale area of Gig Harbor. He was 79 years old and a lifelong resident of the area. Jim was born on July 9, 1935 in Tacoma to George J. Kenney, Sr. - himself a Tacoma native, and operator of an independent milk route - and Marion Elizabeth Andersen Kenney, the daughter of Danish immigrants on Anderson Island, WA. In the 1930s, Jim's father bought property on Wollochet Bay, near Point Fosdick.... |
 Date of Death: Oct 18, 2014 Eileen Rose Toth Born October 18th, 1946, passed away peacefully on October 18th, 2014 after a brave fight with metastatic breast cancer. Eileen is survived by her daughters Amy Atkinson (Colin) and Katherine Murto (Justin); brothers Thomas Toth (Dorothy) and Richard Toth (Susan). Eileen was also blessed to have six grandchildren; Isabella, Sophia, Ava, Olivia, Theodore, and Franklin. Eileen is also survived by her husband Hari Alipuria, her partner of 15 years, who she had the joy to marry this past March. Eileen is preceded in death by her loving late husband Patrick Murto, who also lost his battle with cancer in 1998. Eileen was born in Phillipsburg, NJ to Lester and Rose Toth. She attended Phillipsburg High School and was her class valedictorian.... |
 Date of Death: Aug 3, 2014 Pat Flynn of Tacoma is known as the mother of Relay For Life, which means most people know Dr. Gordon Klatt as the father of the event. But Flynn says that doesn’t do him justice. “He was way more than that ...” she said. “There is only one founder in the world of Relay For Life, and that is Gordy Klatt.” “Gordy Klatt,” she said, “changed the face of the fight against cancer forever.” The Tacoma surgeon died at age 71 Sunday, his family said, following a recent struggle with a heart condition.... |
 Date of Death: Jul 3, 2014 Jerome P. Rao, M.D. Jerry was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 6, 1947 to Joseph and Alice Rao. He grew up in Brooklyn, graduating from Xaverian High School. After graduating from NYU, he continued his lifelong ambition of being a surgeon and received his medical degree from the University of Rome, Italy. Jerry married Candy Smythe, from Washington State, in 1973. He did his internship in Brooklyn at Lutheran Medical Center and his Residency in Urology at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. They and their two children, Joe and Angela, moved to Federal Way, Washington in 1982, where he began his practice as a Urologic Surgeon. The practice grew to include an office at Allenmore Medical Center in Tacoma. Jerry retired in 2012 and planned to garden and relax.... |
 Date of Death: May 6, 2014 Darwin A. Marlatt, M.D. Darwin was born in Corning, Iowa and passed away on May 6, 2014 at age 89. He attended Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska. He interrupted his college education and entered the Army at age 18 during WWII and served proudly in the 82nd Airborne Paratroopers, 504th Regiment in Europe. After the end of the war he served six months in Berlin as an honor guard assigned to peacekeeping. He returned home in 1946. Darwin married Janet, his childhood sweetheart, in 1950. He received his MD degree in 1951 and they moved to the Pacific Northwest where Darwin started his general medicine practice in Tacoma, Washington. He owned his practice for 37 years and was involved in many organizations including St. Joseph Hospital and Sisters of St.... |
 Date of Death: Feb 20, 2014 Tacoma physician brought scoliosis treatment to town Robert Florence was too humble to share stories of his Tacoma-based medical career, his family says, but he had an excellent memory for his patients and procedures. “He didn’t like to talk much about his accomplishments” daughter Judy Florence said. “But when we have been out and about, people have said, ‘You operated on my son, my daughter, myself’ He very often remembered them.” The former orthopedic surgeon died of natural causes Feb. 20 in Tacoma. He was 96. Florence is credited with helping start a screening regimen for scoliosis in Tacoma Public Schools, training nurses to examine students’ spines The ailment was one he decided to focus on in the 1950s, his daughter said.... |
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Date of Death: Feb 4, 2014 Buel L. Sever, MD a.k.a. Doc Sever, died peacefully in his home in University Place at age 95 on February 4, 2014. He was a pioneer in many ways. Making house calls in Fircrest and letting people know he was the new doc in town in the early 1050s wasn’t easy, but his private practice as a G.P., who also performed general surgery, and who delivered babies for multiple generations, grew throughout the years. Buel practiced in Pullman, Europe during WWII, Tillicum, and finally in Fircrest for 35 years, with privileges at all Tacoma area hospitals. He retired in 1987, yet remained interested in medicine and remained a long-time member of Pierce County Medical Society and a supporter of University of Chicago Medical School and Washington State University.... |
 Date of Death: Jan 12, 2014 Having to say goodbye to Len, unexpectedly and suddenly, left a wife, family, friends, and a local, state and national body of colleagues in the medical community in shock and disbelief. Everyone who knew Dr. Alenick respected and admired his keen intelligence, enjoyed his sense of humor, loved his easy going nature, and never even gave thought to him leaving us so soon. He was 73.... |
 Date of Death: Jan 9, 2014 BG (Ret.) Guthrie Lewis Turner, Jr., MD Passed away January 9, 2014 at Madigan Army Medical Center, the hospital he commanded from 1980 to 1983. He was born on May 26, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised in Snow Hill, North Carolina, and received a bachelor's degree from Shaw University, Doctor of Medicine from Howard University, Master of Public Health from Harvard University, and Master of Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University. He was married to the lovely Ellaworth Kirby on June 6, 1956. The only child of Guthrie and Nettie Turner, BG Turner enjoyed a distinguished military career, culminating with his selection as the US Army's first black physician promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. After his retirement from the military, Dr.... |
 Date of Death: Nov 16, 2013 Dr. Thomas Ogden Murphy Peacefully passed away on November 16, 2013 in Tacoma at age 88. Born June 14, 1925 in Tacoma and lived his entire life in Tacoma and Gig Harbor. Served in both the Navy and the Army as an Officer and Physician. He served in the Korean War. Unique in his field, Dr. Murphy was both a PhD in engineering as well as an MD. He practiced Cardio Vascular Surgery and was a pioneer in the history of cardiac surgery in the Pierce County community. Dr. Murphy was a Governor of American College of Surgeons, member of the North Pacific Surgical Association, Instructor at University of Minnesota, Assistant Professor at University of Minnesota, Clinical Consultant and Professor Emeritus at University of Washington.... |
 Date of Death: Nov 10, 2013 Walter L. Sobba, MD September 24, 1926 - November 10, 2013 Dr. Walter Sobba passed away in Peoria, AZ on November 10, 2013. Born in Fowler, KS, Walter attended Holy Cross Abbey & Abbey Catholic College Prep High School in Colorado. He was drafted while studying premed at Creighton University. While serving as a Navy Corpsman with a Combat Medic Unit in San Diego he was reassigned to Officers Training at the University of Idaho in Moscow. The rest of his unit went to Iwo Jima. Walter was discharged at the Naval Base in Bremerton. Upon completing medical school at Creighton University in Omaha, NE in 1951 he came to Tacoma. He interned at St. Joseph's Hospital, and in 1952 opened a General Medicine practice along with Dr. Darwin Marlatt. After 25 years he moved his practice to Fife.... |
 Date of Death: Jul 29, 2013 John Edward Kemp John, Jack, Nasty Jack, Papa, Pop, Dad, age 75, of Rancho de Lagos in Rosedale, Gig Harbor, passed on July 29, 2013. Jack was born to the late John and Naomi Kemp of Michigan City, IN. He is survived by his children Kathryn, Jennifer, Michael, and Allyson, grandchildren Jessica, Zackary, Sara, and Sam, brother Robert and sister Barbara, and extended family Diana and Tony. Jack practiced anesthesia until he retired in 1998. Cut from a cloth like no other, Jack touched the lives of many. A longtime resident of Rosedale, Jack reveled in "living on the edge" and getting the most out of life. Jack was an avid traveler, patron of the opera and theater, and outdoorsman. He will be dearly missed.... |
 Date of Death: Jun 29, 2013 Erna Guilford-Woodard June 13, 1914- June 29, 2013 Erna was born in New York City and graduated from Barnard College and the University of New York Medical School in Long Island. In 1947, she moved to Tacoma and married Robert P. Hammond. When she came to Tacoma, she became an anesthesiologist, trained under Dr. John Bonica, and practiced her specialty mainly at Doctor's Hospital until retirement. Later, she married John C. Woodard, and they lived happily and lovingly together for 26 years until his death. Erna is survived by three daughters, Harriette Collins, Sally Sue Cellers, and Lyn Brewster. She was cremated and requested no funeral services. Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home. Source... |
 Date of Death: May 1, 2013 Dr. Paul B. Smith, Jr. was born July 19, 1931 in Hammond, Indiana, and died May 1, 2013. He was preceded in death by his parents Dr. Paul B. Smith, Sr. and Genevieve Myers Smith, and brother Clifford "Bud" Smith. He is survived by his wife Virginia "Ginny" Smith, son Paul B. Smith III of GA, daughter Anne Smith of Seattle, WA, and grandchildren Ashby Rose Smith and Paul Joseph Smith of GA. Paul graduated from Stadium High School in 1949, Stanford University in 1953, and Stanford Medical School in 1957. He did his residency in Ophthalmology at the University of Virginia. He was an Ophthalmologist in Tacoma for 25 years. Paul served in the U.S. Navy in Norfolk, VA.... |
 Date of Death: Apr 17, 2013 BG Daniel P. Coffey PA-C, "PEPA" Daniel P. Coffey was born in Chewelah, WA on Nov. 4, 1947 to Jane and Paul Coffey, and passed away in Puyallup, WA on April 17, 2013. Dan graduated from Chewelah High School in 1965, and WSU in 1970 with his bachelor's degree in Sociology, Go Cougs! He faithfully served his Army, country, and state and for a combined total of 33 years, as an active duty officer (including a combat tour in Vietnam), and later serving in the Army Reserves and the Washington National Guard. He retired as a Brigadier General from his assignment/ position as the Commander of the 66th Aviation Brigade, Washington Army National Guard in 2003.... |
