by James J. Clauss
Stephen Thielke grew up in Shoreline and graduated from Reed College in Portland in Classics in 1992. He had taken summer classes at the UW, including intensive Greek in 1990. After Reed, he received the Lionel Pearson Fellowship from the APA, and studied as a visiting scholar at King’s College, Cambridge. In 1993, he joined the graduate program and recalls with great fondness classmates Alex Bram and Chris Chinn (both Reedies), Owen Ewald, Brady Mechley, Laura Holmstrand, Laurie Cropp, David Morehouse, and John Franklin. As a graduate student he taught Classics 101 and 205 and Latin 103.
After completing the MA in 1995, Stephen changed career paths and attended medical school at the UW, did a residency in psychiatry, and completed fellowships in geriatric psychiatry and in research. He worked at the VA for 12 years, was promoted to professor, and then returned to the UW. He now sees patients on an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit and runs an outpatient group. Shaune Demers, another UW Classics grad, is also a geriatric psychiatrist in the department. Stephen somehow convinced both his daughters to take Latin for four years at Roosevelt High, and in college as well.
Stephen kept in touch with Dan Harmon, enjoying many lunch dates on campus, and was deeply saddened at the news of his death. Larry Bliquez graciously gave a Grand Rounds to the Psychiatry department about ancient medical views on mental illness. A few years ago Stephen reconnected with Jim Clauss at the Seattle Athletic Club, and has kept in touch with Alex Bram. He would love to hear from any of the group from the early 90s at sthielke@uw.edu!