Wayne Thomas Dodge, born on August 24, 1950 in Tacoma, WA, died in Seattle on September 5, 2021.
Wayne was the sole Whiffendoox and “one of my basses” in John Burke’s legendary Whiffenpoofs of 1972. Phip Stevens ’73 remembers Wayne as a prince of a guy, and, no doubt too modestly, attributes his own election to the post of business manager of the Whiffenpoofs in part to Wayne’s caring ministrations.
Wayne had the best bass solo of his day, the Red Heart Dog Food record pitch, and sang “that’s just the bestest band what am” solo in “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” Both can be heard on the Duke’s Men’s 1971 LP Brighten Your Night.
Wayne became a doctor, studying at Yale University and University of Rochester School of Medicine, earning degrees in medicine and public health and, later, certifications in geriatrics and HIV care. Wayne was happiest in the clinic, working hands-on with patients. In his healing role, Wayne believed that listening to his patients was the most important part of his job, always open to lessons they might teach him about how to best treat their illnesses.
Wayne was brilliant and enormously curious, approaching any dialogue with an open and listening heart, consistently showing up and carefully cultivating friendships that endured over years. He had a voracious appetite for learning. He was an avid reader across multiple genres with home library stacks that could become a branch of the Seattle Public Library.
Wayne was a loving partner and husband to Larry Kreisman for over 39 years. Wayne was a gardener, happiest with his hands in the dirt. He had a great passion for Japanese maples.
Music brought him joy throughout his life, starting with singing harmony with his mother, brother and sister while doing dishes as a child and his time at Yale. He had a huge repertoire of tunes and could burst into song at the drop of a hat to enrich a gathering or conversation. Every year he hosted family and friends at the Seattle Men’s Chorus concert, a highlight of the holiday season for everyone.
Family was the axis of Wayne’s life. He chose to be a father and nurtured a deep and abiding relationship with his daughter, Robin Grote, sharing a sense of humor and delight in deep and winding conversations. He was surrounded by other family members who also loved him deeply.
Donations to remember and honor Wayne can be given to End of Life Washington (https://support.endoflifewa.org/a/portal), King-FM (https://www.king.org/donate/), the Seattle Public Library Foundation (https://supportspl.org/ways-to-give/), Historic Seattle (https://historicseattle.org/give/), the Conant Dodge Scholarship at the Western Washington University Foundation (https://foundation.wwu.edu/how-make-gift) or The Haven (https://haven.ca/giving/) to help them continue the important work that inspired him.
