Anita Elizabeth Hendrickson

1936 - 2017

Anita Elizabeth Hendrickson

Anita Hendrickson, PhD, passed away on March 7, 2017 at the Mirabella Retirement Community in Seattle, WA. Anita was born in 1936 in La Crosse, WI and moved with her family to Washington State during WWII. She graduated from Kennewick High School in 1953 and from Pacific Lutheran University (magna cum laude) in 1957. In 1964 she earned a doctorate in anatomy from the University of Washington. Anita had a distinguished career as a vision research scientist at the UW where she was professor of Ophthalmology and Biological Structure. From 1994 to 2000 she was chair of the Department of Biological Structure, becoming the first woman chair of a UW basic science department. She was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and received numerous awards, most notably the 2002 Proctor Medal from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Anita was a pioneer for women in science and a dedicated mentor to young scientists.

Anita will be deeply missed by her family, colleagues, and friends including those at Mirabella who made her retirement years happy and enriching. She was married for 53 years to her loving husband Morris Hendrickson who passed away in 2011. She is survived by her daughter Karin Hendrickson of Los Alamos, NM; her son Gordon Hendrickson of Shoreline, WA; her daughter Lisa Nakamura and husband Byron of Milford, CT; her sister-in-law Inger Hendrickson and husband Lars Meier-Andersen of Aalborg, Denmark; her niece Marid Dank and husband Jan and their daughters Katrina, Elsie, and Annika of Bellingham, WA; her nephew Dylan Hendrickson and partner Nomi Bar-Yaacov and their children Nico and Aura of London, England; and her niece Roshen Hendrickson and husband Friese Undine of Brooklyn, NY.

In lieu of flowers contributions in Anita's memory may be made to the UW Department of Biological Structure Graduate Endowment Fund (Box 357420, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195) and the UW Department of Ophthalmology Resident Research Support Fund (Box 359608, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104). Arrangements by Evergreen-Washelli, Seattle, WA.