On Friday, November 13, 2020, John Pfeffer of Des Moines, Washington, retired Highline College chemistry instructor and friend to many, died at the age of 62 after a short illness.
John was born February 6, 1958, the third son of James Pfeffer and Gertrude Andresen Pfeffer, in Aurora, Colorado. He grew up in Federal Way, Washington, attended Charles Wright Academy, and studied chemistry at several institutions including Linfield College and Iowa State University. In 1987, he became a chemistry instructor at Highline, where he taught until retiring in 2018.
John was a dedicated, knowledgeable, and compassionate instructor. Friends and colleagues remember John going out of his way to support them, from organizing birthday parties to sitting for dogs to posting online reports on the state of the college parking lots when it snowed. He was known for his quirky sense of humor; for his encyclopedic knowledge; for obsessions with fonts and an ancient Commodore computer; for creating board games, greeting cards, and t-shirts for his friends; for perfecting his fudge recipe; for his love of animals, including his beloved Feral Gray Cat; and for his passion for sailing and sailboarding.
He is survived by his brother, Thomas, and his niece, Laura. He was preceded in death by his parents and a middle sibling, Richard Pfeffer, who died in an avalanche on Mount St. Helens in 1975 at age 19.
Donations for the John Pfeffer Memorial Scholarship can be made by clicking here.
