Jon Cosovich, longtime development officer and Hoover Institution adviser, dead at 71

Jon C. Cosovich, who worked as a development officer at the university and later as a senior adviser to the director of the Hoover Institution, died Jan. 24 at his home in San Francisco. He was 71.

Cosovich had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2003.

Born June 19, 1935, in Astoria, Ore., Cosovich attended Stanford, graduating in 1957 with a degree in political science. He also met his classmate and future wife, Katharine "Timmie" Getchell, at the university. The couple married in 1960.

Cosovich began working at Stanford as a development officer in 1961. He left in 1983 to become vice president for development at the University of Michigan. From 1996 until recently, he served as senior adviser on development matters to the director of the Hoover Institution.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by brothers Peter Cosovich of San Francisco and Alan Cosovich of Seaside, Ore.; sons Charles Cosovich of Burlingame and Peter Cosovich of Phoenix, Ariz.; daughter Sarah Cosovich of San Francisco; and four grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Cosovich's memory may be made to Stanford University Memorial Gift-Jon Cosovich, 326 Galvez St., Stanford, CA 94305-6105, and to Forbes Norris ALS Research Center, 2324 Sacramento St., Suite 150, San Francisco, CA 94115.

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