WOU Magazine Fall 2010: AlumNotes
1930s
In remembrance
Victoria Marie Groth ’30 May 12 at age 99. Victoria taught children in a one room rural school before a long career as a children’s librarian with the Portland public library system. She married Carl Groth in 1932.
Irene Nora Holt ’32 July 8 at age 100. Irene taught primary grades for about 30 years; she had a gift for teaching children. In 1934, Irene married Floyd Lewis Holt. They began their marriage life together as teachers in Burns and Crane, Oregon where they had five children. Irene continued to teach, and both Irene and Floyd were active in the community. Irene’s life passions were her family first, followed by teaching at the primary level, breeding Quarter Horses and raising cats.
Ida Pauline ‘Polly’ Brown ’33 May 9 at age 96. Polly, an education major, met her husband Frank E. Brown ‘34, while attending the Oregon College of Education (OCE). Polly was a life long educator, only taking a break from her teaching for a few years to stay home to raise her children. Frank also a teacher, passed away in 1981 shortly after his retirement. Polly enjoyed the piano, painting, traveling, and corresponding with her Swedish cousins.
Claudine Klum Lacey ’34 March 31 at age 92. Claudine married Wallace Lacey in 1941 and stayed at home to raise her children. She returned to work as a substitute teacher for the Portland Public School District and secretary at Rose City Park Elementary School. She retired in 1982. Piano was a center point in her life and she shared her remarkable gift by playing for family and friends. Claudine loved attending the Portland symphony. She was an active member of Pi O, a Pacific Northwest book club, and the Portland Rose Book Club. She loved vacationing with family and friends on the Oregon Coast .
David E. Osborne ’36 June 13 at age 94. Dave and Gladys, his wife of 69 years, resided in St. Louis, Miss.
1940s
In remembrance
Helen Radcliffe Grafe ’45 June 1 at age 86. Helen was born and raised in Klamath Falls. She taught at River Road School in Eugene, worked summers for the U.S. Forest Service and later taught in San Francisco. While attending school in Monmouth she often spent weekends visiting her sister in Corvallis. It was there that she met her husband Robert F. Grafe at the Good Samaritan Episcopal Church. They were married in 1947 and had two children. Helen was a gifted stitchery and stained glass artist, gardener as well as an active volunteer at her church and the Portland Public Schools.
1950s
Betty J. Moore (formerly Lane) ‘51 June 3 at age 84. Betty and Robert (Bob) Moore were married in 1944. The couple celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2004 prior to his passing. Betty taught elementary school and was an avid reader. After retiring, the couple lived in Vancouver and enjoyed a second home in Mesa, Ariz.
Marian Ella Robertson ‘55, June 24 at age 90. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, she had lived in Oregon since 1925. An alumna of Oregon College of Education, she was active in the Crimson O Club and directed college drama productions. Marian’s teaching experience included schools in Mill City, Albany, Scio, and Hillsboro. She later served as a consultant for a textbook company in Oregon and Washington for 17 years. She enjoyed being a Master Gardener and a member of the Partners of the Americas.
Joyce MacKenzie ‘55 July 13, 2010, after a year-long battle with cancer. She was a faithful, loving wife, friend, and a devoted mom and grandmother. Born an identical twin, she met and later married John MacKenzie in 1955. Eventually settling in Eastmoreland to raise her family, she taught junior high mathematics for 25 years at Meadow Park and Five Oaks middle schools in Beaverton. After retiring in 1990, she split her time between her home in Lake Oswego and her beach house in Oceanside. Her passions included travel, opera, and knitting and baking for her grandchildren. As a master knitter she was involved in local guilds teaching her craft.
Jane E. Null Long ‘57 at age of 75. Born in Wessington Springs, S.D., she moved with her parents to Gresham, Ore. at age 3. She met her husband of 53 years, Dale Long. She then received her master’s from the University of Oregon. Jane and Dale moved to Centralia, where they both worked for the Centralia School District. Jane taught second and third grade for 30 years at the Jefferson Lincoln Elementary School. She loved her students; it was her passion. During retirement, Jane was active in Lewis County Retired Teachers, and served as president. Jane enjoyed pressing flowers that she used in making cards and postcards. Other hobbies included reading, doing crossword puzzles, and using her gardening skills for the church grounds as well as her yard.
Class notes
Norm and Barbara Robinson ’59 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 11 by taking a Seine river cruise from Normandy to Paris, France. Norm Robinson and Barbara Thompson met while attending OCE. Both are retired educators in the Philomath School District. They enjoy travel, having visited all 50 states and several foreign countries, gardening, reading and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
1960s
In Remembrance
Holly M. Daniel June 14 at age 60. Holly, born Hollis Marion Hyland, a graduate of McMinnville High School was a loving wife and stepmother. Holly was the owner of Metro Copy Service. Holly was a devoted daughter, lifelong friend, collector, and adventurer.
Donald Harold Lumgair ’60 at age 77. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, after high school Donald moved to Oregon to further pursue his education and to play football at OCE. Donald taught at Los Banos High School for 30 years, coaching football, swimming, and golf. He was the past president of the Los Banos Teachers Association and the Turlock Golf and Country Club, and he volunteered for the AT&T and U.S. Open Golf tournaments. He served as a committeeman for the Northern California Golf Association after retiring from teaching.
David A. Bauer ‘69, at age 68. Having been born with cerebral palsy, he not only received a master’s degree in speech pathology, he lived independently and worked in the field of speech therapy for 44 years. David was a strong Christian and lived his faith. While in college David lettered in track and always treasured his letterman jacket. It didn’t matter that he always finished last but that he proudly finished the race amid cheers from his team, other students, and the college administration. Dave lived in Lake Oswego for many years and enjoyed his condo life.
1970s
In Remembrance
Alta Merritt Norris ‘71, at age 93. Alta moved to Washington, D.C. as a young woman and worked as a secretary. She was married to Robert Wakefield Norris, Jr. for over 20 years. They moved to Oregon while Bob Norris was a captain in the 96th Army Division stationed at Camp Adair. After the war, they settled in Salem, Ore. and started Norris & Walker Chemical Company which later became Norris Paint Company. Alta loved the Oregon coast, plants, and music.
Kathleen Jill Gallagher ’76, at age 60. Born in Corvallis, Jill attended Oregon State University her freshman year, and later graduated from WOU. She lived most of her life in San Francisco, where she worked for an accounting firm, providing bookkeeping and tax preparation services. Following her passion for life, Jill was also able to use her talents to work for several non-profit human service organizations. She and her partner, Alicia, enjoyed many trips to Mexico and Argentina.
Ralph Michael Jones ’78 at age 59. Ralph served six years in the U.S. Navy, and after being honorably discharged, he married Judy Solmon while attending OCE.
Class notes
Bruce Reynolds ’78 Principal at R.E. Jewell Elementary School in Bend, Oregon was named the 2010 Oregon Elementary School Principal of the year. Bruce was recognized at the state conference in June and he and his wife, Tracy Crossway ’80 ’88, are traveling to Washington D.C. for additional recognition, meetings, and honors in October. Reynolds credits the college with preparing him for a successful career in education. He is currently starting his 33rd year in the Bend-La Pine School District, having taught for 22 years and beginning his eleventh year as an administrator.
1980s
Class notes
Brook MacNamara ’80, ’89, has been hired as superintendent of the Riverdale School District. MacNamara is a native Oregonian who most recently was director of Curriculum and Professional Development at the Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, Thailand. Prior, she was director of K-12 Student Services for the Corvallis School District. MacNamara has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Oregon University, and a Ph.D. in education from the University of Oregon. The district hiring committee was impressed with MacNamara’s experience, knowledge of educational challenges and eagerness to lead the district. The Riverdale district, in Southwest Portland, has a K-8 school and a high school, and serves 600 families.
Rob Nou ‘81, Sheriff’s Deputy of Lopez Island, is running for San Juan County sheriff. The primary election was Aug. 17. The top two vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election Nov. 2. Nou retired in 2008 as chief of police of Burns, Ore. and lives on Lopez Island where he is a deputy sheriff, a volunteer firefighter and EMT, and a member of the Lopez Island Prevention Coalition. He has two sons, Chris, 23, and Danny, 20, who live in Oregon.
Reta Doland ‘83, has been named principal at Central Elementary, in LaGrande, Oregon. Doland has been an educator for 27 years, the first 21 in Oregon. She and her husband, Jay, have three sons and a daughter. Doland has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western. She earned her administration certification from Portland State University.
Michael Maraia ‘88, was recently selected as 2010 Middle School Coach of the Year by the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association (OACA). Maraia teaches mathematics at Neil Armstrong Middle School in Forest Grove and coaches eighth-grade football, eighth-grade boy’s basketball, eighth-grade girl’s basketball and track. Nominated by Neil Armstrong Middle School’s athletic director, Chris Gwilliam, Maraia was presented the award this past May at the University of Oregon, with his wife Michelle by his side. Maraia was surprised and humbled by the award because he said that “he never coached for the statistics, he coached to inspire kids to get active.” Maraia has not only inspired kids athletically, but also academically. Though Maraia has been teaching for twenty years now, he credits his experiences at WOU and his advisors for his success. Maraia tells his students of his great times at Western, and feels a sense of pride when his former students get their degrees from WOU. “My heart is at Western, the school was perfect for me. The teachers got to know me, and the surroundings were comfortable. My experiences at Western were some of the best times of my life.”
1990s
In Remembrance
Jed Alvie Barrett ’95 at age 38. Born in Lebanon, Oregon, Jed graduated from Sweet Home High School. Jed resided in Redmond, Oregon, and worked as a water rights specialist for Central Oregon Irrigation District. He enjoyed spending time with his children, family and friends, riding motorcycles, bodybuilding, fishing, hunting and geocaching. Jed will be remembered for the love he had for his children and the dedication as Redmond’s Youth League Wrestling Coach.
Claire Oliveros ’96 has been promoted to interim director of affirmative action at Portland Community College. Oliveros has been coordinator of the Multicultural Center since 1998. She was named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the United States in 2007. She was the first in her family to attend college and went on to earn a master’s in education from Portland State University; and recently obtained her doctorate in education with an emphasis in community college leadership.
Denyse Moore ‘97, Senior Director of Client Services West for Bally Systems has been named winner of the 2009 Great Women of Gaming “Rising Star” award by a panel of independent judges from across the gaming industry.
Laurie Cooper ‘98, has been selected by the North Marion School Board as the new leader of North Marion Middle School. Cooper was selected by a 10-person committee. Prior to this appointment Cooper worked at Woodburn High School until 2007, and most recently as the principal in McMinnville.
Thomas Mack ’99 has been named interim CEO of The Aleut Corp. Mack has been president of the corporation since February 2006 and has taught in the Anchorage School District for nearly 10 years. He has an MBA from Alaska Pacific University and another master’s degree from WOU.
Trevor Flaherty ’99 has been named as the new assistant principal at Linus Pauling Middle School in Corvallis. Flaherty was assistant principal at Broadway Middle School in Seaside. Before that, he spent nine years as an elementary school teacher in Independence and West Linn.
Krista Nicole Radetich ’99 and Jonathan David Watson, both of Portland, were married Aug. 22, 2009, at BeckenRidge Vineyard in Dallas, Ore. The Rev. David Watson, uncle of the groom, officiated.
2000s
Class notes
Matt Bona ’01 M.S.E. has been hired as principal of Sharpstein Elementary School in Walla Walla, Wash. Bona has worked in education for 18 years as a teacher and administrator, and most recently served as an assistant principal at Walla Walla High School.
John Ositis ’03 was awarded his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University this past March. Ositis graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Kevin A. MacRae ‘04 and Mallory C. Jackson have announced their engagement. She will graduate in May 2011 from Pacific University with a doctorate of optometry. Kevin teaches math at McKay High School in Salem and is an assistant men’s basketball coach at Willamette University.
Kellie Krista Fiegi ’06 and Jacob Stephen Holderman were married July 3 at BeckenRidge Vineyard in Dallas, Ore. She is employed by Northwest Nannies Inc. of Portland. He is a high school history and English teacher and basketball coach with the Beaverton School District.
Alisha Bowen ’06 has taken over as the new Crescent Valley High School softball coach. Bowen previously taught at Tallmadge Middle School in Independence.
Sarah Geddie ’06 and Derek Scholl of Yamhill have announced their engagement. She is employed as a substitute teacher. He is studying to be a nurse and is currently employed as a caregiver.
Amy Crowther ’07 and Kyle Dexter were married July 10, 2010 in Kalispell, Montana. Amy received her bachelor’s in business from WOU and a master’s in the science of accountancy from University of Phoenix. She is currently a staff governmental auditor.
Leia Lee Long ’09 and Tyler Wade Totman were married at sea, enroute to the Mexican Riviera, onboard the Sapphire Princess, March 28, 2010. The ship’s Captain Nicholas Carlton, was the officiant. The couple currently resides in Spokane.
Lisa Catto ’10 has started a small business, Carpe Catto, selling jewelry and other handmade items.
