On the morning of July 16, 2024, Dr. Larry “Doc” Gustav Gilbertson passed away peacefully at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, Washington, after a brief battle with cancer. He was 81 years old.
Born in Puyallup, Washington, on Nov. 17, 1942, Larry was the third child of Clarence and Jessie (Vann) Gilbertson. He grew up in the small town of Orting, Washington, where he graduated from Orting High School. He loved his hometown and the friendships it nurtured. After high school, he attended the University of Washington, remaining a dedicated Huskies fan throughout his life.
As a child, Larry was known for his energy and love of adventure. His mother would recall how he would run off the end of a dock or ride his tricycle into glass doors. This zest for life remained with him. Though Larry was a man of few words, he was a great listener and thoughtful in his responses. His wife, Becky, would often ask him a question and carry on with her day, assuming he had forgotten, only for him to respond later — long after she’d forgotten what she’d asked.
Larry earned a B.S. in Fisheries Science and Zoology from the University of Washington in 1965. He later petitioned to bypass a master’s degree and go straight into the Ph.D. program, which was granted. He earned his doctorate in 1980. While working on his Ph.D. from 1965 to 1974, Larry was employed as a research biologist at the University of Washington’s Fisheries Research Institute. Among his many projects, he supervised field studies assessing the impact of underground nuclear detonations on Amchitka Island, Alaska.
In 1974, Larry began working for the Quinault Indian Nation as the Fisheries Division Manager. He later joined Envirosphere Company in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1984, where he evaluated environmental impacts related to the Susitna Hydroelectric Project. His work led him to Exxon USA in 1989, where he served as a fisheries scientist and technical advisor on impact evaluation studies following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In 1995, he returned to the Quinault Indian Nation, where he continued his work until his cancer diagnosis. Throughout his career, Larry co-authored ten publications. Several of his years at Quinault Indian Nation was focused on the restoration of the Quinault Blueback sockeye salmon. The Blueback, amongst other fish stock, were in decline due to a variety of environmental impacts and other issues. Larry understood the importance of fisheries to the Quinault people, especially Blueback. He worked tirelessly on finding solutions for this culturally and economically significant species to the people he worked on behalf of.
Larry never shied away from a challenge, always eager to learn something new. After moving to Anchorage, he took up ice skating and quickly progressed to playing hockey, often spending his lunch breaks on the ice at the park near his office. He embraced a wide range of outdoor activities, including cross-country skiing, scuba diving, basketball, baseball, bowling (achieving a perfect 300 game) and dirt biking with his son, Chris. He also found time to coach his daughter Lian’s basketball team. One of Larry’s greatest passions was hiking and backpacking. His longest one-day hike was an astounding 44.6 miles, from the Whiskey Bend trailhead near Port Angeles to the North Fork of the Quinault River, completed in just 15 hours and 15 minutes. In 1993, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by summiting Mt. Rainier. Even in his later years, Larry’s adventurous spirit continued. At age 70, he bought his first Harley motorcycle and took his final ride with the Harley group just one week before receiving his cancer diagnosis.
Quiet and gentle, Larry was deeply devoted to his family and friends, always avoiding the spotlight. He was kind, patient, and lived life to the fullest until the very end.
Family was central to Larry’s life. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Becky; his children, Chris Gilbertson of Conroe, Texas and Brandy (Lian) Gilbertson of Pacific Beach, Washington; four children from a previous marriage: Marie, Lori, Alisa, and Gus; and three grandchildren: Anthony Gilbertson, Kate Gilbertson, and Ella Gilbertson.
Larry is preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Jessie Gilbertson; brother Jesse Gilbertson; sister Dona Miller.
A celebration of “A Life Well Lived” to honor Larry’s memory and the profound impact he had on the lives he touched will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino in Ocean Shores, Washington in the Great Hall.
Larry’s life was a testament to his enduring positivity and the deep love he had for his family, leaving behind a legacy of warmth, resilience, and compassion.
