Honoring Betty Hedreen, Longtime Supporter of SU and the Arts

Known for her generous spirit, compassionate heart and dedication to the Seattle arts community, Betty (Elizabeth) Ann Petri Hedreen, ’57, passed away January 29, 2022, in Kahului, Maui. She was 85.

She was born August 28, 1936, in Tacoma, where she attended St. Patrick's Grade School and St. Thomas Aquinas Academy high school. Following a gap year spent with Sisters of St. Dominic, Hedreen enrolled at Seattle University’s then-School of Education. It was in Seattle that she met University of Washington student and future husband, Richard Castle Hedreen. An avid skier and competitive tennis player, the greatest joy of Hedreen’s life was her family. She was a dedicated mother to her four children and an enthusiastic and inspirational grandmother to 11 grandchildren.

A devout Catholic, Hedreen was a parishioner and a substantial supporter of St. James Cathedral in Seattle, as well as SU’s Chapel of St. Ignatius. She was a generous supporter of many Catholic organizations, including Seattle University, Catholic Community Services, Sisters of St. Dominic and Bellarmine Prep.

She was part of Seattle University’s Leadership Circle and her long-term relationship with the university was recognized when she received the Alumna of the Year Award in 2011. Perhaps the field in which Hedreen made her most lasting contribution was in the visual arts. SU’s Hedreen Art Gallery, located inside the Lee Center for the Arts, opened in 2006 in honor of Betty and her husband, Dick, who together built one of the great private collections in the United States. They have made numerous and significant gifts of artworks to many institutions.

“Few people in Seattle have been as integral to the growth and success of the Seattle Art Museum as Betty Hedreen,” according to Amada Cruz, director and CEO of SAM. She was a founding member of the Contemporary Collectors Forum in 1983 and SAMS (Seattle Art Museum Supporters) in 1985. At SAM, Hedreen became a member of the Board of Trustees in 1990, serving as vice president from 1994-1998 and chairing the board's governance committee in 1997. During her many years of service on the board, Hedreen was a member of the executive, collections, nominating and executive search committees. In 2017, she was elected as an honorary trustee for life.

Hedreen was a supporter of the Seattle Repertory Theatre, honored in 1987 with the organization's Distinguished Service Award, and a member of the Genevieve Henry group at Seattle Children’s Hospital for more than 60 years.

Betty Hedreen is survived by her husband Dick; sisters Joan Imhof and Bernie Piscatella; children Guy, Betsy, Carl and Jane; and grandchildren Estelle, Olivia, Guy, Rose, Ricky, Graham, Ellie, Clayton, George, Gavin and Frances.