John Zaepfel '58

John Zaepfel '58

John Zaepfel '58 talks about his father, John Zaepfel, during the ceremony dedicating the completion of the new track and field at Zaepfel Stadium in Yakima, Wash. Tuesday, March 24, 2015. (MASON TRINCA/Yakima Herald-Republic)

John Zaepfel honored several people in late March.  On March 22 he was a speaker at the memorial service for his college buddy and lifelong friend, Jerry Ryles '58 at the Overlake Golf Club gathering. 

Then a few days later he was back in his high school stomping grounds for the rededication of Zaepfel Stadium honoring his father.   As reported by the Yakima Herald, The stadium is named after Zaepfel, a former district athletic director and coach.

Zaepfel Jr., 79, made his way from Southern California to return to his hometown. He reminisced about bits of advice his father gave — his belief that character counts, the importance of equality, going all-in on something, to name a few — that left a lasting impact on him and others. Zaepfel Jr. said he hopes current and future students will adhere to his father’s words.

“Dad’s mission in life was to make a difference for young people,” he said. “It was always about the kids. His legacy is not about wins and losses or balls and strikes. It’s about what he taught and what he stood for.”

You will find the full article and a video interview of John at this link: http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestnews/3026452-14/zaepfel-stadium-enters-new-era-with-track-dedication

Ad Astra - Jerry Ryles '58

Our fraternity lost a friend and loyal Fiji on March 5th.

Jerry Ryles '58

Follows is the obituary that appeared in the Seattle Times: 

Gerald F. Ryles     1936 ~ 2015

Gerald F. Ryles, 78, passed away on March 5, 2015 after a long illness. Gerald, known to family and friends as Jerry, is survived by his wife of 55 years, Ann Birkenmeyer Ryles, and the couple's three children, Grant Ryles of Fremont, CA; Mark Ryles of Moraga, CA, his wife Ann and daughters Kate and Sarah; Kelly Silver of Clyde Hill, WA, her husband Barney and children Baillie, Eli and Trudy. Jerry is also survived by his brother Mike Ryles and his wife Mary of Austin, TX.

Jerry was born to Janie Geraldine Ryles and Luna F. Ryles on April 3, 1936 in Walla Walla, WA. He graduated from Pomeroy High School and received a BA in 1958 from the University of Washington, where he was a proud member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, Purple Shield and Oval Club. He was also President of the Associated Men's Students (AMS). He completed ROTC at UW where he was the distinguished military graduate of his class and served in the Army after graduating from UW.

After earning his MBA from Harvard Business School, Jerry and Ann lived on the East and West Coasts and eventually settled in Orinda, CA where they raised their children. During his business career of 41 years, he worked in a broad range of industries for a number of companies, including General Foods, McKinsey & Company and Microserv. He served on the Board of Directors for several public and private companies. At the time of his passing he was on the board of Zumiez as well as the Washington State Board of Accountancy. Jerry was a founding member of the Mentoring Program at the University of Washington Business School and he took great pleasure in dedicating himself to mentoring students and graduates. Apart from career pursuits, Jerry and Ann enjoyed traveling together to many wonderful places around the world.

Jerry will be remembered as a generous friend to many, always patient and with plenty of time for everyone he met. He loved statistics and facts and had a wonderful sense of humor. Above all, he was devoted to his family, who were the center of his life.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 at the Overlake Golf and Country Club, 8000 NE 16th St, Medina, WA 98039. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Henry G. Kaplan Cancer Research Fund, http://www.swedishfoundation.org/kaplan.

Published in The Seattle Times from Mar. 15 to Mar. 18, 2015

March 2015 Luncheon - David Seeley '86

David Seeley '86 -- former attorney for Marlon Brando and current attorney for estate of Marlon Brando

Following graduation from Univ. of San Diego School of Law, Seeley found himself working in the Prosecutor's offices for Clark County (WA).  After ten years prosecuting criminals for various crimes that included several notorious killings, David joined a law firm in Kirkland, WA.  Two months after launching this private practice, David received a call from Joann in Kalama asking him if he would consider doing legal work for Marlon Brando.  Thus began a very engaging and colorful presentation to our monthly luncheon group.

David's father was a Fiji in Class of '56 at Univ. of Idaho.  David was Class of '86 at Washington, and his son Matt is Class of '17 at Washington.

A few highlights -- In 2002 the Hotel Tetaroa was replaced by "The Brando" which currently offers a unique experience for $ 3,000 per night with a 3 night minimum.

Much of David's charitable focus is with the Tetiaroa Society which pursues Brando's dream to protect the atoll and its 23 island.  The current operations include a research station "Ecostation" that accomodates up to 18 researchers.

You can reach David at his law firm --  seeley@livengoodlaw.com  or call to 425.822.9281

Rob Outcalt '86 introducing our speaker, David Seeley '86 (in white shirt below painting)

Georges Yates '86, Scott Reusser '84, 

Rob Outcalt '86 and Brent Bergman '86

Ad Astra - Len Patricelli '64

Lenny Patricelli '64

Leonard (Lenny) Sam Patricelli

Seattle native Leonard (Lenny) Sam Patricelli passed away on Saturday, January 24th, 2015. He was 72.

A family man extraordinaire, he was happiest when sharing his life with his wife, Linda, his children, Marty and Andrea, their spouses Lea and Jason, his stepdaughter Carrie, her husband, Rob, and his six grandchildren, Collin, Simon, Mallory, Toby, Catie and Ellie. Lenny attended John Muir Grade School, Franklin High School, and the University of Washington where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. He was a veteran of the Army Reserves. A proud Italian and avid history buff, he was a member of the Bellevue Sons of Italy Lodge, the Italian Interest Club at Trilogy, the Puget Sound Civil War Roundtable, and the Veterans Club at Trilogy. Football and golf were also a big part of his life. He retired from Alliant Tech Systems in 2002.

A celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, March, 7th, at the Latter Day Saints Church on Redmond Ridge at 1:00 pm. The address is 7115 224th Ave. NE, Redmond, WA 98053.

Published in The Seattle Times on March 1, 2015