Dr. Marjorie Elizabeth Anderson died on October 11, 2021 from complications of Parkinson’s disease, an illness she researched throughout her career and then lived with herself.
Marge was born to Frank and Ruth Anderson on May 13, 1941 in South Haven, Michigan and often returned to visit family, swim in Lake Michigan, and eat fruit. In 1964 she moved to Seattle and earned a PhD in Neurophysiology. She made Seattle her home and became a professor of Rehab Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Washington. Her research on how the brain controls movement contributed to the understanding of Parkinson’s disease and the development of treatment options, including deep brain stimulation. Her research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and she was an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
She was generous and loved to entertain, often opening her home to students, friends and family, where they gathered to garden, share a meal or sometimes even live for a while. She loved traveling, whether around the world or camping in the wilderness, and shared that love with others. She was passionate about social justice and political issues, still insisting on watching the news even as her health declined.
Marge is survived by her brothers Bill (Betty) Anderson and Bob (Jackie) Anderson, sister Nancy (Fred) Elmore, nephews and nieces Timo Anderson (Rachel Francisco,) Jeffrey Elmore, Beth (Shawn) Hagemeyer, Matthew Anderson (Stephanie Gagnon Anderson) and Christi Elmore as well as grand-nieces and -nephews Alix and Soren Anderson, Conner, Abby and Braden Hagemeyer and James and Simon Anderson. She was preceded in death by her parents and her nephew Scott Elmore. She is also especially remembered by her goddaughter Karen Gomez and friend Maritza Gomez. A memorial service to celebrate Marge’s life will be held at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, on Saturday, October 23, at 2pm, with the Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason officiating. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a social justice ministries at St. Mark's or the social justice cause of your choice.
For those unable to attend, the service will be live-streamed at:
http://www.saintmarks.org/livestream
Afterwards, it will be available at:
http://www.saintmarks.org/livestream-archives