Eastern Washington University is sad to report the death of long-time employee Mary Jo Van Bemmel. Declining health forced her to retire from Eastern on April 1, after more than 33 years at the university. Van Bemmel passed away July 3 after a long battle with brain cancer. She was 58.
![](https://staging-in.ewu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Mary-Jo.jpg)
Van Bemmel worked in various departments around campus, most recently in the math department. Her last supervisor at Eastern was Christian Hansen, professor and chair of the department of Mathematics. Hansen describes her as an “EWU icon, loved and respected by everyone who were fortunate to work with her.”
Memorial services are pending and this announcement will be updated when there is more information.