V.O. “BUD” MCDOLE ’52 had deep Falcon roots. His mother graduated from Seattle Pacific College in 1923. After Bud’s father died, she married Burton Beegle, a longtime SPC professor of mathematics and dean of the college.
As an SPC student, Bud double majored in communication and business. He was also staff announcer for the Light & Life Hour, a worldwide radio program of the Free Methodist Church. After graduating, he was hired by SPC President C. Hoyt Watson as the school’s first admissions counselor.
Bud also met R. LUCILLE “LUCY” CAPP MCDOLE ’50 at SPC. Married for 59 years, they raised five children.
Following a stint in the U.S. Army, Bud began a 32-year career at IBM as a sales executive. He was also the president of the SPU Alumni Association, co-founder and president of the Falcon Club athletic boosters, and a guest lecturer in SPU business classes. He served for 23 years on the Board of Trustees, including 13 years as chair.
For his longtime service to SPU, Bud was granted the status of emeritus trustee in 1995. He received an honorary doctor of humane letters in 1996; a Medallion Award in 2002; and was awarded the Falcons Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
After Lucy’s death in 2010, Bud married MARY BELLE MCMULLEN TIMM ’55. They relocated to Warm Beach Senior Community, where he sang in the Beachwood Boys men’s choir, assisted with the “Lights of Christmas,” and served as a member of the Warm Beach Residents Council and on the board of directors for the Stanwood, Washington, senior community. Bud also wrote several articles for The Everett Herald on migratory snow geese and trumpeter swans. Bud died April 19, 2022, at the age of 92.
Predeceased by Lucy and daughter HEATHER MCDOLE VIZINA ’79, Bud is survived by Mary Belle; children KEVYN MCDOLE VINSON ’84, TAMI MCDOLE WHITNEY ’81, GREGORY MCDOLE ’83, and RANDALL MCDOLE ’84; stepchildren SHARON TIMM BILBRO ’77, SHARLEEN TIMM LARSON ’80, STEVE TIMM ’82, and SHELLY TIMM CASALE ’87; 10 grandchildren; and four greatgrandchildren.
