Jeff Douthwaite, former legislator and UW professor, dies at 79

Geoffrey K. Douthwaite was a voracious reader who loved maritime stories and the poetry of Robert Service. The former Democratic lawmaker could recite "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" — a narrative poem set in the Yukon Gold Rush that was a personal favorite of Republican President Ronald Reagan.

"I think that's the only thing they had in common," joked Mr. Douthwaite's wife, Marcia.

"Jeff" Douthwaite, of Seattle, died Sept. 17 of cancer. He was 79.

Mr. Douthwaite was born Sept. 7, 1929, in Montreal, Canada, the son of British expatriates.

He grew up on Vashon Island, graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in engineering and served four years in the Army before working for Boeing and then United Control Corp., said his son, Charlie Douthwaite.

Mr. Douthwaite began teaching engineering at the University of Washington in the 1960s. Around the same time, he started serving as a Democratic Party precinct committeeman.

He was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1970, part of the "Seattle 10" cadre of young lawmakers who took more progressive stances than the party machine, and was re-elected four times.

Mr. Douthwaite is perhaps best remembered for his sharp intellect and his passion for human rights and environmental issues.

"He was always for the underdog," said Marcia Douthwaite.

He fought to end residential and school segregation, participating in sit-ins during the late 1960s in state offices, his wife said. He actively opposed the Vietnam War. In the Legislature, he pushed for the construction of the Burke-Gilman Trail through Northeast Seattle. Another pet project was the legalization of hitchhiking.

"He was quite proud of it because it expressed a feeling of sort of brotherhood and helping the other guy," Charlie Douthwaite said.

Long after he left state government, Mr. Douthwaite continued to analyze the issues and share his conclusions on newspaper editorial pages. The Seattle Times archives show Mr. Douthwaite saw at least 50 of his letters to the editor published in the past 23 years.

He took environmental issues to heart, trading his car for an electric car that went only 25 miles on a charge. He took out the back seat so his three dogs could ride with him, and he showed it off to anyone who'd listen, Marcia said.

"He liked being a pioneer in a lot of ways," she said.

Dick Nelson, a former state legislator, remembers that Mr. Douthwaite ran his election campaigns out of the living room.

"It was always fun because Jeff was a jokester, and he made it a lively kind of experience," said Nelson, who eventually served alongside Mr. Douthwaite in the state House. "He had a wry personality."

Nelson recalls asking Mr. Douthwaite to co-sponsor bills, "and he'd say, 'Nelson, is this another one of your socialist schemes?' "

"He would kind of twist your arm a little bit before he would sign on, but that was Jeff. He could see the lighter side of just about everything."

It was a charm that won over everyone he met, Marcia Douthwaite said.

"He was just larger than life," she said. "He never knew a stranger."

He had a wide spectrum of friends that included activists, politicians, academics, young people and regulars at Fishermen's Terminal, where he spent hours on old fishing boats he converted for cruising. He would boat with his son, Charlie, or sometimes solo.

"He taught me to try things," Charlie said. "He did that by example. Don't be afraid to think your own thoughts, be your own person. He certainly did."

Mr. Douthwaite is survived by his wife, Marcia, of Seattle; his daughter Julia, of South Bend, Ind.; his son John, of Seattle; his son Charles of Tacoma; his stepsons, Dane, Scott and Glen Yaguchi; and six grandchildren.

A memorial celebration will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Walker Ames Room of Kane Hall at the University of Washington.

Gifts in Mr. Douthwaite's name may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union, 705 Second Ave., No. 300, Seattle, WA 98104, or the Sierra Club, 180 Nickerson St., Suite 202, Seattle, WA 98109.

Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321