Roger T. Hagan

1934 - 2020

Roger Treptau Hagan died of prostate cancer on August 26, 2020, at home, his daughters and wife of thirty-nine years at his side. As a writer, editor, filmmaker, music collector and photographer, Roger documented life and influenced thought.

Born in 1934 in Buffalo, New York, Roger grew up in Arcadia, California. At 19, he traveled to Mexico with his camera, later publishing the book, "Mexico 1953," and exhibiting the photos in Napa, CA and Guadalajara, Mexico. He graduated from Stanford University with a degree in history, then traveled in Europe and captured photos for his book, "Cold Stone: Photographs in Europe in 1955."

From 1961 to 1965, Roger was editor and contributing journalist to The Correspondent, published by the Committee of Correspondence at Harvard. The influential publication, written by academics sympathetic to the peace movement, focused on U.S. foreign and defense policy. At Harvard, Roger was a graduate student of American historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., a teaching assistant fellow for sociologist David Riesman, and research assistant for psychoanalyst Erich Fromm.

In 1965, Roger and his first wife, Mary Ann (Hopkins) Hagan moved to Seattle, at the request of Stimson Bullitt, president of King Broadcasting and creator of Seattle Magazine. Roger worked as an assistant editor and later business manager of the magazine, then ran King Screen Productions, the documentary film division of King Broadcasting Company from 1966 to 1970. Roger then formed documentary film company Enterprise Productions, producing numerous award-winning films throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Following his divorce from Mary Ann, Roger married dancer and choreographer, Sara de Luis, in 1981. During the 80s he opened The Word Processor Store, Seattle's first computer store for writers, and in the 90s taught film production at University of Washington Extension. He was critical in helping de Luis produce her multimedia Spanish dance and flamenco productions "Homenaje" and "Sara y Sus Amantes," in Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Mexico City and New York City. In the early 2000s, he returned to his love of photography, sharing through publications, gallery shows and social media.

Roger shared his "Hagan Family Classical Music Library" of over 14,000 pieces with loved ones. He spent summers sailing with family on Puget Sound and hiking in Washington State. In 2015, he and Sara moved to Napa Valley, where he presented three shows of portraits of 1950s Mexico. He said of photography, "The challenge is to see well. I think photography cultivates the eye to help us experience life more richly."

His writings, including correspondence with Riesman and Fromm, are in the Stanford University Library Special Collections (https://searchworks.stanford.edu/vi
ew/12090875). His photography will be archived there later this year.

Roger is survived by his daughters, Sara Hagan Cummings (JJ) and Andrea Hagan Thompson, his ex-wife Mary Ann Hagan, his wife, Sara de Luis-Hagan, and five grandchildren; Mackenzie Cummings, Delaney Cummings, James Cummings, Trevor Thompson and Sadie Thompson.

Roger's ashes will be interred in Peekskill, NY, and a memorial in Seattle is being planned.