Herbert A. Marra

Herbert A. Marra, Ph.D., ABFP, ABPP, of Vaughn, died May 28 after a long battle with colon cancer. He was 79 years old. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Pamela, a son, and three grandchildren.

Board-certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in forensic and clinical psychology, he held numerous positions over his 45-year career.

Capt. Marra served five years with the Army Medical Service Corps. He spent decades in the field of criminal justice at the county and state levels for Pierce County. He served as a director at the Pierce County Juvenile Court and in the 1980s was lead forensic evaluator for the Department of Assigned Counsel. At the state level, he held the position of Superintendent and Warden in Monroe, where he wrote national legislation on standards of care for institutions in the area of suicide prevention and involuntary medication.

He also lectured and published as an adjunct professor for 20 years at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Before his retirement, he served as a forensic and public safety psychologist for numerous police, fire, and 911 agencies.

Herb was a lifelong Unitarian and Universalist since attending the church on 50th Street in Minneapolis that he and Pam found welcoming and accepting. They were registrars for several years and found Sundays both uplifting and spiritually moving. The couple attended Unitarian services in San Francisco, Tacoma, and Bremerton, and while it was hard to attend services, the pair always remained true to their faith and beliefs.

Whether in the pristine woods of Northern Minnesota or the majestic firs of Washington, God’s bounty could be seen everywhere. Herb was in awe of snow-capped mountains, descending into the forest cathedral where he spent time offering gratitude, where lakes, pools, and rivers flow into Puget Sound — the Salish Sea. “This represents the sea of life constantly renewing and fulfilling our spiritual needs,” he wrote.

“Tearfully do two souls come down together, meet, bond, and become eternal soulmates — this was my blessing to share with Pam, my forever soulmate. If time is an illusion, this bond is past, present, and future; it can never be weakened.

“Love is universal. Love is truth. Love is unwavering and love endures.”