Glen Howard Egstrom

1928 - 2019

BORN

1928

DIED

2019

About

University of California Los Angeles

Glen Egstrom Obituary

October 16, 1928 - October 7, 2019 Glen was born in Jamestown, ND, and met his wife, Donna Wehmhoefer, at UND over 70 years ago. Glen served with the Army and Air Force in Korea. He was honorably discharged in 1965 with the rank of Major. While registering at UCLA for a Masters degree in 1954 he was hired as a Teaching Assistant and he retired as Director of the Underwater Kinesiology Laboratory a Professor Emeritus in 1994. In 1964 Glen became an L.A. County Underwater Instructor and in 1966 a National Association of Underwater Instructor. He served as president of each organization. As UCLA Dive Officer he taught hundreds of students to dive safely. Glen was a Captain in the LA County Sheriff Emergency Services Detail for 28 years until retirement in 1998. Glen spent over 10,000 hours underwater, all over the world, teaching, testing equipment, researching and bringing home dinner. It gave him great joy to share the catch of the day. Many former students have remarked about how he changed their lives. In 1974 Glen became involved with a group of divers who created the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society. Internationally, students are awarded scholarships to travel and learn from professionals in the underwater field. Contributions may be made to OWUSS. He is survived by his wife, Donna, children Gail (Dr. Michael Clarke), Eric "Buck" and Karen, and granddaughters Emilie and Kobie Clarke. Numerous others adopted Glen and Donna over the years. Many will miss those sparkling blue eyes and great smile.

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Published by Los Angeles Times from Oct. 19 to Oct. 20, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Glen Egstrom

7 Entries

Toby (Lesniak) Little

April 26, 2021

I dove with Glen when he came to visit Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands in the mid 1970s. He is the only person I ever dove with who used less air than I do! I remember that I got cold after more than an hour and a half in the water (we were diving shallow with steel tanks), and I started purging my regulator off to the side (so he wouldn't see) so that I could terminate the dive because I was low on air. I was embarrassed to tell him that I was cold! He also was in charge of my NAUI Instructor Training Course in Honolulu. He was a great guy and made a huge impression on me.

Diane Duacsek

May 2, 2020

I met Dr. Egstrom right after enrolling in the Fall 74 Scuba class at UCLA. I had to see him to get the permission form my parents had to sign for me to take the class since I was a minor. Dr. Egstrom asked me about my situation. I moved from the East Coast in summer of 73 when my Dad was transferred to the Naval Shipyard in Long Beach. We were one of the few families living on the base. I turned 17 the June before starting UCLA on advanced admission and was living at Marymount HS (I didnt graduate High School until after my freshman year at UCLA). Dr Egstrom was concerned that since this was my third school in 3 years and I didnt really have any friends in the LA area that I would become overwhelmed on such a huge campus, particularly since as a Bio major, my classes were huge. He got me involved in a Sea Grant project and the UCLA Diving Club as well as asking me to check in with him to visit for a few minutes every week. It really impressed me that this busy man cared about students and their welfare so much, even ones not in his department. Thanks to his support, I adapted very quickly. His kindness set the tone for my successful academic career. I have always remembered him with a smile and have tried to follow his example of caring about others.

Mike Storm

January 22, 2020

I met Glen Egstrom when I served on the UC Riverside SCUBA Safety board from 1977-1980. We considered UCLA, and Glen in particular, to be the leaders in College SCUBA instruction programs and safety procedures and methods. After those years, I did not see him again until I saw him at the LAX airport in May 2004. He pretended to remember me and it turned out we were both headed to Fiji for a week of diving at the same resort. His smile was iridescent and infectious and his diving knowledge was bottomless. His ability to communicate SCUBA practices and procedures was legendary. He will be missed by many and remembered by all he met.
Mike Storm, Ph.D.

Neil Tassel

October 23, 2019

A wonderful man who will be missed. Im sorry to hear of his loss.

Bill High

October 21, 2019

Glen and I crossed paths often but not often enough. There was so much to be learned from Glen whether formally at a meeting or in a small group with beverage in hand. I will certainly miss our visits. May God be with you Glen.

Joy Grau

October 20, 2019

Great guy, good professor. He was on my Master's Degree Committee at UCLA '73. Because of his involvement in the 'beginning' with Naui and Padi, he helped me several years after graduation when working on the certification process for fitness instructors. To this day I think of him (and Jed Gardner) EVERY summer when diving in the Florida Keys! The times (1970-1976) spent interacting with Glen were memorable and fulfilling. Thank you Glen.... RIP my friend.

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