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Those of you who still subscribe to the Seattle Times are likely well-acquainted with the work and the words of Wallingford resident Paul Dorpat. Mr. Dorpat, with Jean Sherrard, curated the “Now & Then” section of the Sunday Times’ Pacific NW Magazine, now written by Clay Eals. I was saddened to read a Facebook post from the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) that Paul passed away on May 27th at the age of 87. Historic Wallingford had recently posted a YouTube video, Wallingford’s Walks by Paul Dorpat, and Paul was often a featured speaker at Historic Wallingford. And of course, Wallyhood profiled him in 2009. If anyone could be called a neighborhood institution, as well as a city treasure, it was Paul Dorpat. MOHAI’s announcement detailed:

For 37 years and more than 1,800 columns, Paul paired historic photographs with modern-day Seattle scenes in The Seattle Times’ “Now & Then” column, helping generations understand Seattle’s transformation through time. His work made history feel alive, personal, and accessible to everyone.

Paul was also a longtime supporter and collaborator with MOHAI, contributing to exhibits, walking tours and public programs that brought Seattle’s stories directly to the community.

“Without story,” he once said, “history is a recluse refusing to invite you in.”

Paul’s love for Seattle shaped how this city remembers itself. His legacy lives on in every image, story, and reader he inspired to look a little closer.

Our hearts are with his wife, Genevieve McCoy, and all who knew and loved him.

I, for one, always looked forward to Paul’s features and marveled at the changes his photographs and short history lessons showed. He had a special fondness for his Wallingford neighborhood, and the website Seattle Now & Then, which Paul ran with Jean Sherrard, describes Dorpat like a migratory bird:

…the Dorpat (genus: Tartus Lutheranus), its habitat and behaviors. Often to be found wandering the streets and byways of Wallingford, carrying its palm-sized digital camera. Also identified by its unique cry: a deep-throated chortle.

The site recently published Paul’s full obituary. Jean Sherrard had previously written a wonderful history of Wallingford, a fascinating read, with so many familiar sights and fondly remembered places—just like Paul Dorpat. And just like many of those sights and places, he will be sorely missed.