1970-2016
Bryan Bushley’s odyssey through this life ended on June 7, 2016, eleven months after being diagnosed with brain cancer (glioblastoma). He spent his final days at home in the loving care of his family with frequent visits from devoted relatives and friends. His sweet disposition, enthusiasm, and adventurous spirit will be missed by his family and his many friends.
Bryan was born July 13, 1970, and grew up in Seattle, graduating from Rainier Beach High School. His participation in the Seattle-Tashkent sister city program inspired him to major in Russian and International Studies at Colby College in Maine, including a year as an exchange student at the Russian state university in St. Petersburg . After graduation, he lived and worked for four years in Russia and Central Asia, first recruiting students for a cultural exchange program in the US and later as a consultant for the USAID Environmental Policy and Technology Project, assisting the newly formed Central Asian Republics with water and natural resource management. Returning to Seattle, he graduated from the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington, where he helped plan and was one of the first graduates of the School’s International Development Certificate Program; he also earned a second Master’s degree (MS) in Forestry at the UW School of Forestry. Following a one-year break to manage a small hotel in Otovalo, Ecuador, he entered a PhD program at the University of Hawaii where he studied, taught, and was affiliated with the East-West Center, receiving his doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning in 2015.
Bryan was truly a global citizen, committed to environmental sustainability and social justice. In all his endeavors, he sought to make the world a better place to live. He welcomed and embraced all cultures, and spoke five foreign languages: Russian, Nepali, Spanish, French, and Modern Greek. His work and studies were focused on helping disadvantaged populations with the sustainable management of their natural resources. He developed a special love for Nepal, where he lived for two years as a Fulbright scholar and did field work for both his MS and PhD degrees. His research investigated how sustainable forest management in developing countries like Nepal might interact with global market strategies to offset carbon pollution by industrialized nations. Wherever he went, Bryan’s smile, enthusiasm, unassuming and friendly manner, and frequent bear hugs attracted friends, and he valued these friendships above all else.
Bryan faced his cancer and death calmly with the knowledge that he had lived a rich and adventurous life. His beautiful smile and warm personality will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends. He is survived by his parents, Alan and Kris Bushley; two sisters, Diane (Rob) and Kathryn Bushley; his niece Sofia and nephew Miles; seven uncles and aunts and seven cousins. A memorial gathering and celebration of his life will be held on Thursday, July 14 from 5 to 8PM at the Mount Baker Community Club, 2811 McClellan Street, Seattle.
Memorial donations can be given to the endowment scholarship established in Bryan’s name at the East-West Center, to the Marc Lindenberg Endowment for Excellence at the Evans School , or to Mercy Corps for disaster relief in Nepal. Details regarding these donations can be found on Bryan’s Caring Bridge site ( www.caringbridge.org/visit/bryanbushley ).