John Stanley Holcenberg, MD

John passed away October 15 with his loving wife and children at his side. Born in San Mateo, California October 9, 1935, John moved to Seattle as a young boy. He spent his summers around Lake Washington and swam competitively for many years. John attended Harvard University. While in college his interests wavered between music and science. He sang with the Harvard Glee Club and also the Dunster Dunces, a small vocal group. He settled on science and earned a medical degree from the University of Washington. A pediatric oncologist, John did research his entire career aimed at the treatment of cancer. During the span of his career, the survival rate of children with some cancers increased dramatically which helped lighten the load. He served on the faculties of the University of Washington, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Southern California. Until last year he served as a consultant for both the Western Institutional Review Board and The National Institutes of Health. It was appropriate that he worked with children because he was so young at heart. He had a deep knowledge of a wide array of topics, was always open to new ideas and was up to date on all the new technology. John had a wicked sense of humor and always loved sharing a good joke. He had a lot of fun growing vegetables every year and had a bumper crop of tomatoes and cucumbers this summer.

John is survived by his love and partner of sixty years, Esther, and his children Rachel and husband Patrick Morley and son David and husband Michael Heitzman. He was papoo to his granddaughters Julia and Anna. John enjoyed being a part of Esther's big family and was uncle to lots of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Barbara.

John had chronic lymphocytic leukemia for twenty years and was under the excellent and compassionate care of Dr. Hank Kaplan. A celebration of John's life is planned for November. To honor John, donations can be made to the Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation. The family is designating the funds to go to uncompensated care.