Jay Otis Glerum

1939 - 2014

Jay Otis Glerum

Jay O. Glerum died June 26, 2014, in Bothell, Washington, after a brief illness. Born August 16, 1939 in Washington, D.C. to Jay O. Glerum Sr. and Catherine (Hobreckx) Glerum, he grew up in Evanston, Illinois; Marinette, Wisconsin; Washington DC and Wheaton, Marylandwith many of his childhood summers spent in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

After touring Europe and the U.S. with Catholic University Players, Jay attended Montgomery Junior College. In 1961 he moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington School of Drama, where he met his future wife, Sara (Sallie) Johnsone. They married in 1962, and Jay began his long and successful career in technical theatre, which included teaching at Seattle and Marquette Universities and working at Peter Albrecht Company, a theatrical rigging-design company based in Milwaukee. In 1986 he returned to Seattle to lead the graduate program in technical theatre at the UW School of Drama. After writing a definitive book on theatrical rigging, Stage Rigging Handbook (published in 1989 and now in its third edition), he established his own theatrical consulting firm. Jay O. Glerum & Associates, Inc. became his life's work and remained so until December 2013.

As an advocate, catalyst, educator, and practitioner of safe rigging practice, Jay is considered by his peers to have been one of the most influential forces in improving backstage safety for theatrical riggers and stagehands. He taught Master Classes throughout the US and Canada, and inspected and designed rigging systems at numerous venues. He is also considered pivotal in the stage rigging industry's recent adoption of safety standards. He was made a Fellow of the US Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) in 1995 and was the recipient of its Joel E. Rubin Founders Award, as well as its Health and Safety Award.

Jay is survived by his wife, Sallie; their children, Andrea (Dominique Gutierrez), Matthew (Candra Canning), Philip (Denise Kenney), and Peter (Eleni); granddaughters, Katie, Maddie, and Mae; his sisters, Judy Summers (George) and Joan Irvine; sister-in-law, Judy Miller (Pat), and many cousins, nephews and nieces. Known for being a kind and gentle man, as well as a dynamic and gifted teacher, he was much beloved by his family, friends, and colleagues. He will be greatly missed.

A "Cast and Crew Party" in his honor will be held Sunday, Aug. 3, from 1-4 pm at ACT Theatre's Bullitt Cabaret, 700 Union St, Seattle. Donations in his memory may be made to University District Food Bank (1413 NE 50th ST, Seattle, WA 98105), Operation Sack Lunch (OSL PO Box 4128, Seattle, WA 98194), or www.behindthescenescharity.org, three organizations he cared deeply about.