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Wendell

Wendell Verner Tangborn

d. October 3, 2020

Wendell Verner Tangborn, 93, died peacefully on October 3, 2020 at the Mirabella Retirement Community in Seattle. He was admired by all who knew him for his genuine modesty, his intellect, kindness, and generosity. Wendell was born in Sioux City IA to Vaner and Jennie (Oase) Tangborn and grew up with four brothers and one sister on a farm near Bemidji MN. After serving with the US Army, he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Geological Engineering. Over a twenty-year career with the USGS in Tacoma WA, he became an expert on glaciers, first by spending summers observing the South Cascade Glacier in the North Cascades and later by creating some of the first computer models of glaciers. In 1983 in Seattle he formed Hymet, a hydrology consulting firm that worked with glaciers and streamflow in Washington, Alaska, Nepal, Norway, and Switzerland. Wendell enjoyed the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, theater, travel, and long walks; his sharp recall of early family events and life on a farm in the 1930’s made for several moving family memoirs. He published many scientific papers and a children’s book on glaciers. He loved Vashon Island, where he lived for sixteen years. Wendell was preceded in death by his eldest son John and is survived by his wife, Andrea Lewis, and his sons Andrew (Sara) and Eric (Susan) and daughter Inger (Ashir). He leaves behind two honorary families from Nepal with whom he had a close relationship: the Birbal Rana family and the Moti Thapa family, both of Vashon Island.

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