[ Editor: Many knew him as a chemistry professor at Pacific Luther University. The rest of us across Pierce County knew him from many public events. Bill and Roxy Gidding have been iconic in the realm of public activism and community participation. And yes, Roxy is still at it. I saw her May 7 at the County Council In-District Meeting, an event where she was called out by name by Dave Morrell, Council District #1 for her amazing length and consistency of participation. Bill was not with her that day and passed just 3 days later. I will raise a glass in toast to a life well lived. Condolences to all the Giddings family. Bill was as much a one of a kind as Roxy, and although it was at times contentious because there were strong opinions, it was always pertinent and polite. He was the quintessential worthy adversary and/or treasured ally. Touché! Rest in peace my friend.]

Official Obituary:

William “Bill” Paul Giddings

May 7, 1933 – May 10, 2026

William Paul Giddings, known as Bill, passed away on Sunday, May 10, 2026 from complications of Alzheimer’s at the age of 93. Bill’s life began as the second son of Glenn Ward Giddings and Lenore May Seydel on May 7, 1933 in Indianapolis, IN. Bill excelled academically from an early age, first home-schooled then attending schools in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York as the family moved to the Boston area during WWII and on to Schenectady, NY in the post-war period. Bill graduated from Nott Terrace High School in 1950 and moved back to Indiana to attend DePauw University where his father had been a physics professor, graduating as a Rector’s Scholar with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1954. Bill earned his doctorate in chemistry at Harvard University in 1959 on a Fulbright Scholarship and conducted postdoc research at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Although Bill returned briefly to the Midwest for his first teaching post at Albion College in Michigan, he came back to the Northwest first to marry Rochelle (Roxy) Joan Sherman and then to take a position in the fledgling Chemistry Department at Pacific Lutheran University where he taught from 1962 until full retirement in 1998. During his 36 years at PLU, he was instrumental in the design and funding of the Rieke Science Center, took the first group of PLU science majors to study abroad in China, served multiple times as dean of the chemistry and science departments, helped hire the first women science faculty, and designed and taught interdisciplinary studies. Bill was proud to be among the PLU faculty who greeted John F Kennedy on a presidential campaign stop at Cheney Stadium. He was a member of the American Chemical Society for 70 years.

Alongside Bill’s chemistry career, he mastered the organ, choral singing, and choral conducting while in college and graduate school. He served as church organist or substitute for many Lutheran and Episcopal churches in Tacoma, the longest at Luther Memorial Church, practicing at home on his Estey reed organ and maintaining membership in the American Guild of Organists. Bill sang baritone, tenor, or alto in the Compline Choir at St Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle nearly every Sunday night for 53 years, as well as in the PLU Choral Union’s regular and tour choirs and later at Christ Episcopal in Tacoma. Bill pursued the study of foreign languages with a passion, attaining fluency in German and French and comprehension in Latin, Russian, and Mandarin with side trips into Greek, Italian, Spanish, and Norwegian. It gave him great joy to make puns in multiple languages.

From the 1980’s into the 2000’s, Bill volunteered on many boards and commissions, including The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Pierce Co Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Parkland Community Association, Parkland Area [Land Use] Advisory Commission, Pierce Co Planning Commission, Pierce Co Housing Affordability Task Force, Pierce Co Elections, World Affairs Council, Tahoma Bird Alliance, Christ Episcopal vestry, and at Holden Village as faculty, volunteer staff, and longtime secretary of the Science and Technology Committee.

Bill cherished his family, encouraging and supporting each to develop their unique gifts and pursue their dreams. He is survived by Roxy, his wife of 64 years; sister-in-law Sarah Cadbury Giddings; his children Laura Giddings (Chuck Schilling) and Winfield Giddings; daughter-in-law Melissa Giddings; grandchildren Heather (Matt) Linderkamp, Sara (Patrick) Peplowski, Peter (AC) Schilling, Cecelia (Addison) Sims, Kenzie (Prez) Rivera, Rhett Giddings, and Jeremy Giddings; great-grandchildren Jessica Linderkamp, Kaitlyn Peplowski, Penelope Sims, and Josephine Sims; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Bill was predeceased by his parents, uncle Edward Paul Giddings, brother Donald Giddings, and son Bruce Giddings.

A memorial service and lunch will take place on Saturday, May 23rd beginning at 11:00 AM at Christ Episcopal Church at 310 North K Street in Tacoma. Livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/@christchurchtacoma/streams.

The family invites remembrances to the places that fed Bill’s soul: the Compline Choir at St Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle, Holden Village in Chelan, Christ Episcopal Church in Tacoma, or Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland.