Robert Alberts

He was born in Tarakan, off the coast of Borneo, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) December 23, 1928, to Bartelomeus and Geria (Plantenga) Alberts. He lived his early life as a colonial child, and then as a prisoner of war. His family all survived World War II, and were repatriated to the Netherlands in 1946. After earning his medical degree in 1954 at the State University of Leiden, he came to the U.S. as a young doctor in 1956, and knew he was home. For the next fifty-six years he practiced general medicine, public health/preventive medicine, and psychiatry.

His early life shaped his professional direction: A deep interest in transcultural psychiatry and public health issues, and an empathy for combat veterans and prisoners of war. His concern for those suffering the effects of post traumatic stress was very evident to his patients, and he enjoyed a special rapport with veterans and active duty personnel. He was made an honorary member of the American Ex-Prisoners of War (AXPOW), even though during his prison camp years he was a Dutch adolescent civilian, and he always carried that AXPOW membership card with him. He also had an especially strong empathy for Native Americans living with rapid culture change, and believed that rapid and forced acculturation were the root of many difficulties. These interests took him to Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Arizona during his earlier medical career, and later to Alaska, where he lived and practiced medicine for twenty-five years. He enjoyed the time he spent in villages and reservations with his Native American and Alaska Native friends.

Throughout his career he was always interested in the public health and welfare, leading him at an earlier point his life to become the District Health Officer of Seattle King County Department of Public Health in 1961-62, and then Director of Public Health for the State of Wyoming 1964-68. In fact, at the time of his Wyoming appointment at age 36, he was the youngest person to hold this position in the U.S.

Until his death, Dr. Alberts was an active, strong, curious and kind man, with many friends and many interests, and a forward-looking and adventurous outlook on life. He traveled at every opportunity. He learned Spanish in his eighties, and lived in Mexico for several years. He was often seen rowing his dinghy in Lake Union, riding his bicycle along the Burke-Gilman trail, or walking his dog Buda in Gasworks Park and Queen Anne Hill. Living on his houseboat at Gasworks Park Marina, with some of Seattle's most interesting people, was a special joy.

Dr. Alberts is survived by Nancy Babcock, his wife of thirty-one years, and two sons and daughters-in-law, Steven Alberts, MD (Paula) of Rochester, MN, and Michael Alberts, DVM (Kristin Kelsey), of Port Orchard. He also leaves his Dutch family, including his beloved brother Eduard Alberts (Netty) and their children Jeroen, Margriet and Bart. He adored his family, and they and his many friends will miss him terribly.

Special thanks to his primary care physician, Dr. Michelle Matin, and the ICU staff at Swedish Cherry Hill. Instead of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Swedish Medical Center Foundation, community.swedish.org.