Category: 2022 In Memoriam

Dr. Merrill Lewis, widely known and respected Professor Emeritus in Western’s English Department, passed away in Bellingham on June 25, 2021. Merrill earned his BA in English and MA in History from the University of Oregon. He earned his PhD in English from the University of Utah, specializing in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century literature with emphases in American Studies and Western and Pacific Northwest literatures.

Merrill joined the English department at Western in 1968. For the next thirty-one years, he taught generations of students with his characteristic combination of intelligence, patience, and good humor. He was a legend among students for his vast knowledge of Pacific Northwest literatures and beloved for his kindness and dedication.

Merrill was devoted to his students and to his scholarship. His pioneering publications on women writers of the American West have remained essential to studies of Western American literature into the twenty-first century. He was researching and writing about Western American women writers before anyone else. He is now considered to be a foundational scholar on the subject.

Merrill was a valued member of Western’s English Department and we cherish his memory. To read more about his life and many accomplishments, please see Merrill’s online obituary.

Dr. Marjorie Donker, distinguished and accomplished Professor Emerita in Western’s English Department, passed away on January 16, 2022, in Seattle. Marjorie earned her BA, MA, and PhD in English Literature from the University of Washington, specializing in Shakespeare and in the English Renaissance. 

Marjorie joined Western’s English Department in 1967. For the next twenty-eight years until her retirement in 1995, she garnered numerous accolades as an early adopter of student-centered teaching. Marjorie was widely known for her ability to teach challenging material with both passion and enthusiasm. Her large, inspiring courses on Shakespeare were legendary among generations of Western students.

Marjorie’s ground-breaking scholarship on Shakespeare continues to be of great interest and value to Shakespearean scholars and to students of the history of rhetoric. Her book on the English Renaissance, co-authored with English Department colleague Dr. George Muldrow, provided an admirable model of deep scholarly collaboration.

Marjorie was a valued member of Western’s English Department and we cherish her memory. To read more about her life and her many accomplishments, please see Marjorie’s online obituary.