Glen Ellis Moehring

March 31, 1925 – August 5, 2010

Glen Ellis Moehring, 85, died peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, on August 5, 2010, after a long battle with congestive heart failure. A larger-than-life, generous soul, he is remembered and mourned by legions of family, extended family, and dear friends.

Glen was born in Seattle on March 31, 1925, the second of four children of Ellis and Irene Moehring, and grew up in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood. He left Roosevelt High School early to serve his country during World War II, first in the U.S. Army’s ski troops, then in Burma with the O.S.S., until the war’s end. Glen returned to Seattle and attended the University of Washington, where he studied poetry under Theodore Roethke and from which he graduated in 1949 with a degree in English Literature.

Glen met his wife-to-be, Jean Ridley Clark, while both were students at the UW, and they embarked on their 63-year marriage after a four-month courtship. Glen taught high-school English and tutored students in Russian and Chinese during a long, distinguished career. He was a gifted singer, with a rich, rolling bass voice, and sang over the years for the Seattle Peace Chorus (with whom he twice toured in the former Soviet Union), the Seattle Bach Choir, and the Bainbridge Chorale.

A tireless advocate for peace, outdoor enthusiast, cook, cultivator of rhododendrons, and lifelong student of philosophical questions, he shared his interests and passions with countless devotees over the course of his life. Glen also wrote prodigiously, and leaves behind an impressive collection of poetry, plays, essays, and libretti. He derived the greatest pleasure in his later life from the company of his grandchildren, “living vicariously,” as he liked to put it, through their adventures and accomplishments.

He is survived by his wife, Jean Moehring, his daughters Karen Hart (Stephen) and Anne Moody (Fred), his grandchildren Jerry, Carmen, David, Robbie, Erin, Caitlin and Jocelyn, and his great-grandchildren.

A private memorial service is planned; memorial donations in Glen’s name should be sent to the charity of your choice.

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