Remembering Dr. Lane Gerber

Professor Emeritus Lane Gerber, who was beloved by students and colleagues alike, passed away May 21. His obituary can be read here.

With Drs. George Kunz and Steen Halling, Dr. Gerber founded the Master of Arts in Psychology (MAP) program in 1980. He was extensively involved in developing the program and served as its director for several years. Dr. Gerber continued to teach and mentor students after he retired and became Emeritus Professor in 2008. His impact on the Psychology Department and Seattle University at-large is enduring.

“Lane Gerber was truly a humanist and someone you could count on in a crisis,” said Dr. Halling. “Above all, he enjoyed his work with students and was very supportive of them.”

Another colleague, Dr. Claire LeBeau, shared, “Lane brought a profoundly compassionate and welcoming presence to generations of students and therapists in training. For his colleagues, Lane was a trusted advisor and light-hearted friend who offered outrage for our misfortunes, understanding and solidarity for our struggles and wisdom for our transcendence. For his therapy patients, he was in truth a saver of lives.”

Among other honors and distinctions, Dr. Gerber was one of the first holders of the Pigott McCone chair.

Dr. Gerber’s family is planning to hold a Memorial for him this summer and more details will be shared when they are available.

Dr. LeBeau shared the following poem by e.e. cummings, which was one of Dr. Gerber’s favorites:

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)