Robert Muilenburg, former UW medical-center director

Robert Muilenburg put art in people's lives.

In the corridors of the University of Washington Medical Center, those pictures - acquired through a program Mr. Muilenburg created 15 years ago - helped comfort critically ill patients and their families.

This summer, when Mr. Muilenburg, the former executive director of the medical center, was hospitalized with brain cancer, his wife, Judith, wandered the halls and admired some of the hospital's 700 paintings and sculptures.

"It's very healing and friendly to have the art around," she said yesterday. "Rob saw it as part of the whole process. They were trying to heal bodies and this provided an emotional healing."

Mr. Muilenburg died Wednesday (Sept. 20) at age 59.

Born in Middleburg, Iowa, on April 29, 1941, he grew up surrounded by fields of soy and corn on his family's farm.

He married Judith, his high-school sweetheart, when he was 17. After his wife gave birth to twin boys, he quit his $55-a-week job as a feed salesman at the chicken hatchery and became the first person in his family to attend college.

He received his master's degree from the University of Iowa in health and hospital administration. Throughout his education, Mrs. Muilenburg worked at restaurants, washing down tables and wiping off place mats. She paid her husband's tuition in installments of nickel-and-dime tips.

"He always called it `our' degree," Mrs. Muilenburg said. "It was very gratifying later on in life to know that we had accomplished this all on our own."

After working at hospitals in Illinois and Utah, Mr. Muilenburg accepted a position at UW's hospital as associate executive director in 1978. In 1984, he was named the center's executive director, a position he held until last spring, when illness forced his retirement.

During the past decade, Mr. Muilenburg and his wife spent long hours renovating a cottage surrounded by a woodland garden near Matthews Beach in North Seattle. They often slipped away on weekends to sail in the San Juans or ski.

"His philosophy of life was that every day was a celebration," said his son, Matthew. "He was very much in love in Seattle."

In 1985, Mr. Muilenburg hired a curator to acquire art for the hospital, a program funded by donations and snack sales. Today, the collection has 700 pieces by artists from throughout the West.

Three weeks ago, the UW Board of Regents voted to rename the center's Cascade Tower as the Robert H. Muilenburg Tower. Mr. Muilenburg helped plan the eight-story tower.

Besides his wife and son Matthew, Mr. Muilenburg is survived by sons Eric of Seattle and Ronald of Vancouver, Wash.; and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Robert.

A private family service will be held. Interment will be in Alton, Iowa. Plans for a memorial service at UW will be announced later.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the arts program at UW Medical Center, Box 356151, Seattle, WA 98195.CQ

Benjamin Shors' phone message number is 206-464-2920. His e-mail address is bshors@seattletimes.com.