Piro Kramar
Published July 17, 2025
In Loving Memory
Dr. Piroska “Piro” Kramár
June 9, 1937 – May 18, 2025
On May 18, 2025 — exactly 45 years after Mount St. Helens reshaped the Pacific Northwest in a single, unforgettable moment—Dr. Piro Kramar left this world. Like the mountain she so deeply admired, her presence altered the landscape of every life she touched.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Piro left her native land in 1944, just prior to the Russian occupation of Hungary, relocating with her family to Kempten, Germany. In April 1950, at the age of 13, she immigrated to Omaha, Nebraska, where her parents—both physicians—began building a new life in America.
Over the course of her extraordinary journey, Piro became a pioneering ophthalmologist, published researcher, and beloved professor at the University of Washington. She was also a lifelong adventurer: a proud member of the historic 1978 all-women’s Annapurna expedition and someone who marked her 50th birthday by summiting Mt. McKinley.
Perhaps her most enduring legacy lives on through the lives of animals. In 1979, she and her life partner, Barbara Drinkwater, moved to Vashon Island, where they began fostering rescue animals. By 1984, they co-founded Vashon Island Pet Protectors (VIPP), the island’s first animal rescue sanctuary—an enduring gift to the community they loved.
As a physician, she restored sight to thousands over a 35- year career, combining surgical precision with an artist’s eye. Her service extended well beyond the walls of any clinic. She volunteered her expertise to perform eye surgeries for Indigenous communities across Washington, Alaska, and Montana—acts of compassion offered without fanfare but with deep conviction.
Outside her white coat, Piro’s life was rooted in wild places. A four-season mountaineer, she found joy and restoration in the high country—from the Cascades to the Canadian Rockies to the Himalayas. Forests were, as she often said, “therapeutic.” Her camera, always in tow, held images of bark textures, mountain folds, and fleeting wildlife—through the lens of her camera, she captured the quiet poetry of the world around her.
Those who knew her best often likened her to a prickly pear: resilient and guarded on the outside, yet surprisingly tender at her core. Piro didn’t suffer fools, didn’t waste time on pleasantries, and never hesitated to speak the truth—especially when it mattered. Beneath her dry wit and formidable presence was a heart both fiercely loyal and deeply generous. She lived with clarity, conviction, and purpose—always on her own terms. And like an ancient forest, she was quietly profound, rooted in strength, and full of life for those who took the time to walk beneath her canopy.
Piro was predeceased by her parents, Margaret and Jenö Kramar, and her brother, Zoltán. She is survived by her two nieces, Enikö Kramar, and Kinga (with husband Jeff Olson) her grand-niece and nephew, Sonja and Adrian Olson; her sister-in-law, Maria Kramar; and by countless friends, former students, rescue volunteers, hiking buddies, and the thousands of lives—both human and animal—forever changed by her vision, her devotion, and the unwavering compassion she brought to every corner of her world.
Her family is organizing a memorial hike and celebration of life to be held at the Shinglemill Trailhead on Vashon Island at the end of September (details to follow).
In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to two causes close to Piro’s heart: VIPP (Vashon Island Pet Protectors) or the Shinglemill Land Trust—where she walked, photographed, and found daily joy. Or better yet, take a long walk outside, breathe deeply, and notice something small and beautiful. Piro would’ve liked that.
• VIPP donations at – https://vipp.org/donate/
• Vashon Maury Island Land Trust (Shinglemill) – https://www.vashonlandtrust.org/donate
• To learn more about Piro’s journey before she came to Vashon, we encourage you to read Geoff Fletcher’s excellent article in the Vashon Beachcomber (Feb 5, 2025): https://www.vashonbeachcomber.com/life/piro-kramarsexquisite-photographs-on-view-at-windermere/
• If you’d like to share a memory or photo of how Piro touched your life, please visit her memorial website at Everloved.com: https://everloved.com/life-of/piroska-kramar/