Brotherhood and Legacy

We honor the lives, legacies, and lasting impact of the brothers who shaped our chapter and strengthened our bond...

As a chapter and as a family, we stand together in remembrance of our fallen brothers.

As it goes, we have no real process for finding out who is around and who is pushing up daisies. We owe it all to our Beta Brothers to respect and honor those who walked into 820 NE Linden St. If you know of other fallen brothers, reach out to alumni@wsubeta.org.

Summer 2026

Vince Zimmer Bond # 948 Initiation Date 10/03/1971 Kirk Vince Zimmer Jr. passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at Sacred Heart Medical Center, surrounded by his family. He had courageously battled Stage 4 melanoma for nine months after a seizure led doctors to discover multiple tumors in his brain. Vince was an athlete, entrepreneur, adventurer, husband, father, grandfather, friend, and mentor. He built a respected name in the boating and skiing industries and loved nearly anything involving wheels, boards, engines, mountains, or water. Whether skiing, windsurfing, water skiing, riding motocross, boating, golfing, or simply sharing a laugh, Vince embraced life fully. He worked hard, played hard, and always made room for the people he loved. A true Beta and Coug!

Jack Fanning: A Coug Who Flew High Bond # 1030 PULLMAN  Long before Pac-12 receivers were household names, Jack Fanning was doing things at Washington State that nobody had ever seen before, and in some cases, still haven't matched. Go Beta's Fanning, a Washington State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and one of the finest wide receivers in Cougar football history, passed away last week in Spokane at the age of 89. Born and raised in Spokane, Fanning arrived in Pullman in 1955 as a four-sport athlete out of Rogers High School, the kind of kid who made coaches nervous because they couldn't figure out which sport to keep him for. He ended up giving them two answers: football and track and field, earning three varsity letters in each. On the football field, Fanning was a handful. In 1957, he led the entire nation with nine touchdown receptions, tying the school record and cementing his name among WSU's all-time single-season leaders, a distinction that still stands today. That same season, he hauled in three touchdown passes in a season-opening road win at Nebraska, setting a school record. He also turned heads with an 87-yard touchdown catch against Stanford, another record at the time, while finishing second in the Pacific Coast Conference in receptions. When his three-year career wrapped up, Fanning had accumulated 45 catches, 714 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. But football was only half the story. As a member of the WSU track and field team, Fanning took his athleticism skyward, literally competing in the pole vault and once clearing 14 feet, a school record. He graduated from Washington State in 1958, and in 2012, WSU made it official: Jack Fanning was inducted into the Cougars' Athletics Hall of Fame, joining the long list of men and women who wore crimson and gray and left the place better than they found it. Go Cougs. Rest easy, Jack. Once a Beta, always a Coug :)

Khalid Riaz Class of 1958 Bond # 838 Every chapter has a few brothers whose story becomes part of the house legend. Khalid Riaz was one of those men. Khalid holds a special place in Gamma Theta history as the first international student to call the Beta House home. He arrived at Washington State University from what was then East Pakistan, carrying with him a remarkable family legacy. For generations, his family had served as physicians and trusted advisors to Pakistani royalty. Yet one of the best stories about Khalid is that he ended up at WSU almost by accident. Believing he was headed to Washington, D.C., he got mixed up in an era long before email and Google Maps and landed in Pullman, Washington instead. Fortunately for all of us, he stayed. Some of his pledge brothers joked that Khalid was "selfish" because he kept so much of the spotlight for himself. The truth was exactly the opposite. Khalid had a gift for making every room brighter simply by being in it. He was curious, generous, intelligent, and deeply loyal to his friends. In a time when welcoming an international student into the chapter was far from automatic, the brothers who took a chance on Khalid gained a lifelong friend and helped make the house better than they found it. A few weeks ago, Khalid passed away doing something he loved, playing pickleball on a Sunday afternoon. It feels fitting that he left us in motion, fully engaged in life. More than sixty years after accepting his bid, his legacy remains simple and powerful: he was a great Beta, a great brother, and a man who made Gamma Theta brighter. We are better because he was one of us.

WINTER 2026

Michael Webb Bond Number 1292

Mike Webb - Gamma Theta member - pledge class of 1989. Mike passed away on December 16th, 2025. Mike graduated from WSU and pursued a successful career in insurance. He and his wife moved to Virginia over a decade ago.

A few years later, he developed health issues that eventually required a partial liver transplant. At the end of 2025, he developed complications from the transplant and was not deemed a good candidate for a second procedure.

His health deteriorated, and he passed away on December 16th.

As per his wife Katie:

“By far this is the hardest thing I’ve ever put into words. And I still can’t believe I’m even saying it. But here it goes. Mike passed away the morning of December 16. I was by his side as he peacefully fell asleep for the last time. He was my loving and amazing partner in life, my best friend, perfect teammate, and outstanding father…… my soulmate. He was fiercely thoughtful, humorous, and kind. Literally, the world was a better place with Mike in it. To say he will be missed is a huge understatement.

Please keep our girls in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this new life without their dad. Sending our love to each of you who knew and loved him, as we know how truly missed he will be by all of you.

A Beta get-together and an informal celebration of life will be held at the Roanoke Tavern on Mercer Island at 6:00 PM on January 29th.

Attendees are encouraged to bring hard copies of any pictures they have of Mike. Those pictures will be affixed on a board along with notes of remembrance, and the board will be forwarded to Mike's wife in Virginia for his memorial service there.

Mike is survived by his wife, Katie, and his two daughters.

Jeffrey Daniel O'Donnell 1664 - 2026

Jeff was a Stanwood Man, enjoying the Everett and Stanwood Area. Father of twin boys, he loved sports, coaching, and playing golf. The Beta always had a fishing buddy with Jeff. Role number around 1150-1200. Celebration of Life on February 21st at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Stanwood, followed by Celebration of Life at Shawn O'Donnells Farhouse in Skagit County. His brother was also a Beta | Steve O'Donnell.

Click Here to see O'Donnell Obituary

FALL of 2025

Kerman Lewis Love April 12, 1937, to September 30, 2035

Kerm Love came from the Love family, which was so instrumental in establishing Gamma Delta Fraternity at Washington State.  His father was one of the five Love brothers for whom the scholarship we award is named. Kerm was pledged to Gamma Theta in 1955 and became a member in 1956, with roll number 666.  He graduated from WSU in 1959.  He was a Cougar through and through, and according to Holly (a Pi Phi from across the street), he will be buried wrapped in a Cougar blanket, wearing Cougar gear, with a Bible by his side.  Kerm and Holly are devout in their Christian faith.

Click here to visit Love's Obituary

Gary Marks September 23, 1951, to April 19, 2025

Gary Marks, born September 23, 1951, to Emanuel “Sonny” and Elizabeth Marks, was a proud lifelong Spokane resident. He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and earned his B.A. in Business Administration from Washington State University. A devoted Coug through and through, Gary supported WSU academics and athletics with unwavering passion, making countless trips to Pullman to cheer on his team. He also served more than 20 years as President and Treasurer of the WSU chapter of Beta Theta Pi, organizing events and celebrations for the brotherhood he loved. Gary was, in every way, a true crimson-blooded Cougar.

Click here to visit Marks Obituary

-KAI-