The School of Environmental and Forest Sciences lost a long-time friend and supporter when Vada May Corkery passed away peacefully at her home on March 5, 2015. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 21, at 11 a.m. at Magnolia Presbyterian Church, 3051 28th Ave W, Seattle, WA 98199. A reception luncheon will follow.

Vada May was born March 12, 1921, at Fort Lewis, Wash. She attended the University of Washington and graduated in 1942 with a degree in fine arts. In 1944 she married Jack Corkery.

Jack also studied at the UW in what was then the College of Forest Resources during the late 1930s, training to follow his father into forestry. But times got tough in the timber business – so Jack and his brother soon founded the successful Corkery Brother’s Painting Company, where they served out their careers.

But the Corkery heart never strayed far from Washington’s rich forested landscapes, and in 1991 Jack, Vada May, Jack’s brother George, Jr., and his sister Alberta established the first endowed chair in the College of Forest Resources. The endowment was meant to enhance the university’s ability to recruit and retain distinguished faculty in forestry, and it continues to do so today.

“A person who likes the place where they were educated should leave a legacy to them,” Vada May said. It was her idea to give to the university in the first place, asking Jack, “What are we going to do with our money? We had better do something good with it!”

And good they have done indeed. Through their philanthropy, the Corkerys not only created the Corkery Endowed Chair, they supported academic and research programs at Pack Forest, and funded the Bruce Bare Endowed Professorship in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, which allows the school to recruit, retain and reward distinguished faculty who conduct research and teaching on the science of sustainability, while emphasizing the integration of human and natural elements involved in natural resource management.

Vada May was an accomplished artist whose imagery reflected her love for the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. Though she is gone, her legacy will continue to live on through the impactful endowments she and her family established to sustain the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences for generations to come.

“Vada May Corkery, along with her husband Jack, his sister Alberta and his brother George, were great supporters of the UW and provided enduring gifts to our school,” says Dean and Professor Emeritus Bruce Bare, who worked closely with the Corkery family during his tenure as dean. “Vada May was kind, thoughtful and loyal—attending numerous events held around campus. She always listened attentively and asked penetrating questions when needed. We enjoyed many social events with all members of the Corkery family, both on and off campus, and Vada May was always most gracious and engaging. We thank her and the entire family for their friendship and generosity. We will miss them greatly.”