My Story

​

Where were you on Feb. 4, 1975? Were you not yet born? I was preparing to leave my home to teach a course in general psychology at Fort Lewis Army base when my phone rang. It was my mother screaming, “Your father’s in the hospital! He’s dying!” Shocked, I jumped in my car. I arrived at Harborview hospital to see my four younger brothers and sisters and my mother, wide-eyed, sitting in the emergency room. I discovered that my 52-year-old father suffered a stroke and would likely not survive. By 2 a.m. he had stabilized enough for us to go home. With tears in her eyes, my mother asked me to see about setting up a funeral for my father.

​

There I was the next day driving to a funeral home in West Seattle saying to myself, “I have a master’s degree in psychology. I’m supposed to know something about human behavior, but I haven’t a clue about death, grief or loss, let alone funeral plans.” Looking back on that day, I had no idea it would set me on a path that defined my career. My father surprised everyone by coming out of a month-long coma, learning to walk again and living another 28 years.

​

A year after my father’s stroke I was sitting in my office at Seattle Central Community College and a colleague asked if I would be interested in creating a new course. Immediately I stated that I would be interested in creating a course on Death. She stated that there was grant money and suggested I write up a proposal. A year later in January, 1977, following months of research and planning, I walked into my classroom to see 40 students who had signed up for a class titled Death and Dying. A few years later we changed the name to Death and Life because students would often say, “Yes, this class is about the study of death, but it is really about living life.”

​

​

More About Dr. Baugher

 

Bob Baugher, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington where he teaches courses in Psychology and Death Education. From the Association for Death Education and Counseling, he has earned certification as a Fellow in Thanatology and as a trainer for LivingWorks he has trained more than 1,500 people in suicide intervention. He has given more than 800 workshops on the topic of grief & loss across the U.S., as well as Singapore, Philippines, England, South Africa, Canada, Namibia, and Australia. His Peabody/Vanderbilt University doctoral dissertation is entitled, "Perceptions of the Widow’s Bereavement Process by Her Adult Child". A professional advisor to both the widow's information and consultation service and the South King County Chapter of The Compassionate Friends, Dr. Baugher has been invited to speak at 20 of the TCF national conferences during the past 25 years.  Baugher lives with his family in a suburb of Seattle.