We are sad to announce that Dr. Stephen Hulley, MD, MPH, a resident of Orcas Island since 2010, passed away very suddenly at PeaceHealth Hospital in Bellingham on Nov. 22, 2022 after a brief illness.

Steve was born in Paris, France in January 1939, where his father was in the Foreign Service, just as the Nazis were about to invade France. The family was evacuated to Washington DC, and shortly after they moved to Finland and then to England, the two countries where Steve spent most of his early years.

After his parents retired the family moved to Hyannis, MA where Steve spent his high school years at Barnstable High School on Cape Cod, and where his love of boats and the water began. The family home was on the water near Hyannis Harbor. There, on the beach, Steve built the first of many Sailfish and spent the summers through high school, Amherst College and Harvard Medical School on the water there as much as possible. He also entertained many of his fellow medical students at the Hyannis home on holidays and weekends, playing charades, cards and spending time on the water. These HMS classmates are still close friends to this day, and meet on zoom every two weeks to share thoughts and interesting information, they have continued to stay in touch, for a lifetime.

For more than 30 years Steve was a Professor of Medicine at UCSF, ending his career as Chair of the Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics for 12 years. He was unofficially known as the godfather of clinical research at UCSF. Steve was the first to bring clinical research and evidence-based medicine to UCSF and, along with four of his former fellows, wrote the defining textbook on that subject, called Designing Clinical Research, which is now in its 5th edition and is still widely in use.

Steve and Linn met in September 1993 and were married in March of 1994. They blended their two families, consisting of Steve’s two boys, Ben and George, ages 10 and 12, and Linda’s two children, Colin and Kara, ages 12 and 10. They became true brothers and sister and are still a close family today. The family traveled together to many countries while the kids were growing up; to England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, other places as well, many of these places more than once. The four kids are now three medical doctors and one professor of astrophysics. Steve and Linn are blessed with 6 grandchildren, ages 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

When Steve and Linn retired in 2010 they drove around the NW coast and visited friends on Orcas Island, sort of looking for a good place to do some boating and have some fun. Orcas was obviously the perfect place. The first two things they did were to join the Orcas Island Yacht Club and buy a boat. Shortly after joining Steve was made Commodore, which was quite an honor for a newcomer.

Steve was predeceased by his parents, Ben & Joan Hulley, his brother John Hulley and his sister Barbara Hulley Ackermann. He is survived by his wife Linn Hulley and many children and grandchildren; Tim Hulley, Barbara Hulley, Benjamin Hulley (Stacy Hulley), George Hulley (Shannon Hulley), Colin Bischoff (Jennifer Barnes), and Kara Bischoff (Scott Stillman); grandchildren Henry Hulley, Margaret Hulley, Jake Hulley, Graham Hulley, Sydney Bischoff Stillman, Emerson Bischoff Stillman, and many beloved cousins and nieces and nephews. His quiet, nurturing presence will be greatly missed by family, friends, and colleagues.

More information: https://medschool.ucsf.edu/news/remembering-stephen-hulley-md-mph.

In lieu of sending flowers please make a donation the the Orcas Island Community Foundation.