A memorial is planned April 13 for Lou Tice, founder of the Harbor Avenue SW-headquartered Pacific Institute, which announced his death today:
The Pacific Institute is saddened to report the passing of its Chairman and co-Founder, Lou Tice Sunday evening, April 1st, after a brief illness. Surrounded by his wife, Diane, and loving family and friends, Lou spent his final days challenging those around him to carry on with his life’s work – educating and empowering individuals all around the globe to an ever-greater commitment toward making “a better world.”
A memorial service celebrating the life of Lou Tice is scheduled for Friday, April 13th, at 10:00 am at St. Edward’s Catholic Church, 4212 S. Mead St., in Seattle.
Born in Seattle, Lou Tice began his professional career as a high school football coach. While at Kennedy High School in Burien, a summer course by a visiting professor at the University of Washington inspired him to create, with Diane his wife, the educational curriculum that would spread around the world.
The Pacific Institute, co-founded by Lou and Diane Tice in Seattle, formally began in 1971, and last year celebrated its 40th anniversary. Its varied curricula have been translated into 21 different languages, and the education has been brought to individuals and organizations in 62 countries around the world. With offices in London, Perth, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul as well as Seattle, it is estimated that Lou’s education has touched over 33 million people around the world, and the ripple effect could be much greater.
From leaders of nations to professional and amateur athletes, teachers to students, prisons to the military, Lou Tice was a coach and mentor to so many. At a recent presentation, local businessman and former student, Dave Sabey said, “His professional life and private life are seamless. The network of friends he has around the world, the people that he’s helped around the world, it’s a very seamless life’s work and it’s difficult to separate the personal from the professional. It’s just Lou, about doing good, about educating people academically, spiritually and physically. That’s Lou’s life and I don’t think you can divide it into parts.”
Seattle Seahawks Coach, Pete Carroll, a long-time student of Lou’s teachings, has said, “He has been able to impact people in ways he will never be able to count. The thing that Lou does is he gives people hope, of taking charge of their life, of making it a better life, and in that he uplifts them and inspires. He has been responsible for people turning around and making change that they never would have made otherwise. He’s responsible for tremendous fulfillment of individuals everywhere; that’s a great accomplishment in a lifetime. He’s very, very special.”
Among many other accomplishments and events, Mr. Tice coordinated an extraordinary gathering of “Bunker Hill heroes,” featured in this 2009 WSB story (which includes him in a photo), written by the late West Seattle historian Ron Richardson. Mr. Tice was 76 years old.
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