Remembering Corvallis neighbors: Today's obituaries
Read through gazettetimes.com obituaries.
Patrick James Dadey, 81, of Lebanon, passed away on September 12 at his home. A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 11 at St Edward Catholic Church followed by a luncheon in the church hall and burial at Sand Ridge Cemetery. Huston-Jost Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Carolyn D. Barker, of Jefferson, died October 2, 2019. A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, at the Barker residence. Please see the full online obituary and service details at weddle-funeral.com.
Richard Cuyler “Dick” Lovett, 95, of Lebanon, passed away Thursday, October 3, 2019, at the Oregon Veterans Home. A graveside with military honors will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 14, 2019, at the Palestine Cemetery in Albany. Fisher Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Angelo Seminary, 53, of Salem, died October 2, 2019. A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 12, at St. Paul’s in Silverton. A reception will follow.
John G. Booker, Sr. age 87, died Monday, September 30, 2019, at his Philomath home. Please share your thoughts and memories for the family at www.demossdurdan.com.
Kelly Ann Bray, of Lincoln City, died Saturday, October 5, 2019, in Corvallis. McHenry Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com.
Leland D. Gibbs, 86, of Albany, passed away Tuesday morning at Willamette Manor in Lebanon. AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
W. Paul Henderson Jr., age 72, died Wednesday, October 2, 2019, at his Monroe home. Arrangements are pending. Please share your thoughts and memories for the family at www.demossdurdan.com.
Jack R. Humphrey, 85, of Shedd, died October 5, 2019. Viewing for Jack will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 10 at McHenry Funeral Home. A funeral service will be at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 11 at Oakville Presbyterian Church.
October 31, 1942 — September 27, 2019
Gloria (“Glo”) Wilson died of cardiac arrest at Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis on September 27, 2019. She was 76 years old.
Glo was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 31, 1942. Her parents were Alexander Haig Tafralian and Alice Hogan Fitzgerald. She had an older sister, Patricia. Until the age of seven, Glo lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, among her Armenian relatives. After her family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, they continued to attend family gatherings, where she learned Armenian cooking from her immigrant grandmother, who had survived the Armenian Genocide. This all left Glo with a strong and proud sense of her Armenian heritage.
Glo graduated from Central High School in Manchester in 1960, and moved to Berkeley, California, to live with her sister and brother-in-law. She attended Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California, and two years later transferred to the University of California at Berkeley, studying ancient history.
At CCC, she met Tom Wilson, who was also to attend Cal after CCC. After their first date, they were a couple for life.
Glo worked her way through college using work study programs and finding work during holiday breaks and during the summer. After graduating, Glo continued working at Cal. These were interesting times in Berkeley — the Free Speech Movement, People's Park protests, and anti-war demonstrations. Rather than go into detail about her experiences, it is sufficient to say that she knew and never forgot what it’s like to be tear gassed.
Tom was drafted in 1965, discharged in 1968, and after returning home, he and Glo lived together in Berkeley. In 1970, their son, Tom Haig Wilson, was born. On October 31, 1971, they married and immediately moved to Oregon. In 1972, they bought an old farmhouse on Tum Tum Creek in Blodgett. In 1973, their daughter, Siranoush Sue Wilson, was born, and their son, Aram Gabriel Tafralian Wilson, was born in 1974.
Glo became very active in the local community. She was president of the Blodgett-Summit Community Club for several years, initiating several successful fund raising activities, including editing two very successful cookbooks featuring recipes from local residents. She wrote the Blodgett and Summit community news for the Benton Bulletin. She was a 4-H cooking club leader. She actively supported candidates during school board elections, She served on the Citizens Advisory Committee for land use planning in the Blodgett-Summit area. Her front porch served as the center for the distribution of government surplus foods to needy families in western Benton County.
She introduced a new fundraising event for the Community Club — the potluck Dime-a-Dip Dinner and Pie Auction, which continues to this day and provides funds for three scholarships for students who have attended Blodgett School. Her Benton Bulletin articles started the campaign to save the old Summit church and move it to a new site to serve as the Summit Community Center.
She was an outspoken advocate of the principles of the First Amendment, and in 1988, she was given a Civil Liberties Commendation award by the American Civil Liberties Union for her successful effort to remove religious activities during high school graduation ceremonies.
Glo was one of the co-founders of the Benton County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and served as its first president. She also served on the Governor's Commission on Violent Crimes. During this time she met many victims of drunk driving and other crimes, and her experience led her to a position as a victim’s advocate with the Benton County District Attorney’s Office. She eventually became Director of Victims Services. Subsequently, she worked for the Philomath Police Department for a few years and then retired.
Glo was a great Boston Red Sox fan, and live streamed every Boston Red Sox game on her laptop. Glo enjoyed trips with Tom and her grandchildren to casinos in Oregon and Nevada and trips to Boston with Tom to visit her relatives and attend a Red Sox game.
While raising her children, she enjoyed canning juices, fruits and pickles, winning several blue ribbons at the Benton County Fair. She warmly welcomed everyone into her home, and over the years, many of her children’s friends came and camped out on Tum Tum Creek and they all called her Mamaglo.
She spent her time in retirement helping her son Aram raise his children in her home.
She is survived by her husband, Tom; children, Tom H. Wilson, Siranoush Wilson and Aram Wilson; and grandchildren, Kapriel Wilson and Mara Wilson.
There will be a potluck celebration of her life at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 2, at the Blodgett School.
Memorial donations may be made to the Blodgett-Summit Fire Dept QRT, P.O. Box 513, Blodgett, OR 97326.
August 7, 1941 — October 4, 2019
Kathryn Ann Leebelt (Kathi), 78, was born August 7, 1941, in Tampa, Florida. Her parents were Margaret (Berry) and Herbert Moore.
She passed away at her home in Corvallis on October 4, 2019, with her partner at her side.
A self-described Air Force brat, Kathi attended 13 schools throughout the southeast United States before graduating from Winter Park High School in Florida. She then attended Andrew College in Cuthbert, Georgia, where she was the college’s first yearbook queen.
She married Kenneth Leebelt and lived in Alabama, Maryland, California and Washington. They had a son, Karl, and a daughter, Kendall.
Following a divorce, she worked in the exhibits industry before forming her own signage company in the Seattle area, Architectural Graphics Resource, servicing major clients such as Boeing and area hospitals and school districts.
She later retired and moved to Seaside, Oregon. She met Gary Chapman on Match.Com and eventually moved to Corvallis, where she joined him in 2003. Kathi became a licensed realtor and worked for Windermere and ReMax before retiring for health reasons.
She enjoyed, and excelled, in photography, decorating, and cooking. She also loved her cats over the years. Kathi was a longtime donor and attendee of the Oregon Symphony Association of Salem, the Oregon Symphony Pops concerts in Portland, and the Oregon Shakespearean Festival, especially enjoying the plays, restaurants, and wineries of the Ashland area.
For 16 years she aided her partner’s efforts on the Corvallis-to-the-Sea Trail and her “trail-widowhood” led Trail volunteers to proclaim, “That woman is a saint.” Together, Kathi and Gary renewed their lives and filled each other’s golden years with love, friendship and respect.
Kathi was an amazing mother and grandmother to her family and admirably filled that role for Gary’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her especially beloved grandparents, John and Katherine Berry; and her older sister, Carolyn.
She is survived by her two children, Karl Leebelt and Kendall Leebelt; her grandchildren Taryn Leebelt and Alex Leebelt; her half-sister, Donna Peters; and her partner, Gary Chapman.
November 22, 1946 — October 1, 2019
Steven J McNeil, 72, died unexpectedly October 1, 2019, at his residence in Lakeview, Oregon.
He was born November 22, 1946, in Albany, the son of Fred G and Frances E McNeil.
Steve graduated from Junction City High School, class of 1965. Following graduation, he served in the Army National Guard for seven years.
He married Patricia Williams and they had one son, Scott. They later divorced.
He moved to Burns, Oregon, following his dream of being a buckaroo. He met and married Marilyn and they had one daughter, Naomi. He adopted Marilyn’s two children, Tina and Rod, from a previous marriage. Following his dream, they worked and lived on several different ranches in Harney County.
They divorced in 1986 and he moved to Baker City- Haines, Oregon, then to Seneca, Oregon. After several years of ranching Steve decided to work with troubled juveniles. He worked in Vale, Oregon, as a corrections officer, then Burns, Oregon Youth Authority. He then transferred to La Grande, Oregon and finished his career as a juvenile corrections officer for Oregon Youth Authority Camp Riverbend and retired in 2017. He made many dear friends and really enjoyed working with the juveniles.
Throughout the years, Steve loved to hunt and fish. He loved spending time with his family and really enjoyed the great summer fishing trips that he looked forward to every year with very special friends. Steve had a huge heart for his beloved dogs, Sugar, Whiskey, Millie and Jazmine. His last couple of years were spent in quality time watching his grandson in high school sports and his great-grandchildren in their school programs. Steve will be dearly missed by his family and his good friends. He had a lot of them!
Survivors include his sister, Linda Githens and her husband, Del Githens of Albany; nephew, Mike Githens of Vancouver, Washington, daughter, Tina and her husband, Vince of Vale; son, Rod and his wife, Patty of Burns; son, Scott and his wife, Julie of Albany; daughter, Naomi and her husband, Clint of Lakeview; seven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and many cousins.
At his request there will be no services.
Those who wish to remember Steve may make donations in his memory to either the Kids Club of Harney County, 267 S. Egan Ave., Burns, OR 97720 or Oregon Hunters Association, 67494 Market Lane, Cove, OR 97824
Steven was predeceased by his father, Fred McNeil, his mother, Frances Dannen Kasson, his grandparents, as well as his uncles and aunts.
Arrangements by Desert Rose Funeral Chapel, Lakeview, Oregon.
October 7, 1952 — October 4, 2019
Jan Jordan passed away peacefully at home on October 4 after a long battle with cancer. She was surrounded by family. Her contagious laughter, love of family, and zest for life brought joy to all who knew her. She will be missed beyond measure.
Jan was born in Sacramento, California, on October 7, 1952. Her family moved to Ashland, Oregon, when she was 10. They moved back to Rancho Cordova, California, when she was 16, and she graduated from high school there. She graduated from Southern Oregon College with a degree in Physical Education and obtained her Master’s degree in Administration at Gonzaga University.
On Aug. 7, 1982, she married her love, Larry (Butch) Jordan.
Jan began her career as a PE teacher at Glendale Junior High School. After two years there, she moved to Lebanon, where she worked as a PE teacher until her retirement in 2005.
Jan loved teaching and she loved her students. And she really loved retirement because it gave her all the time she needed to play golf. Nothing made her happier than to be out on the golf course with good friends, especially if the sun was shining. She was an excellent golfer, though humble about it. She once said that a hole-in-one was more about luck than skill. She must have been very lucky because she achieved a total of seven holes-in-one in her lifetime.
Jan is survived by her husband, Larry Jordan; her cats, Sammy and Abby; siblings, Helene Archer (John), Denyse Horsburgh (Dave), Joe Dauenhauer (Debbie), Steve Dauenhauer (Kay Yancey), Julie Smith (Mike), and Mike Dauenhauer (Jennice); and many nieces and nephews, all of whom will miss her very, very much.
There will be a celebration of life at a later date.
In honor of Jan, donations in her name can be made to the American Cancer Society.
Huston-Jost Funeral Home is handling arrangements. www.hustonjost.com.
May 12, 1943 — September 26, 2019
Delores Pearl Ervin, born May 12, 1943, in Philomath, passed on September 26, 2019.
She was preceded by her husband, Paul A. Ervin.
She is survived by her twin sisters, Eunice Rice and Inez LeMaster; and eight nieces and two nephews. She will be missed by all.
We will plan a private family gathering to celebrate her life at a later date.
Arrangements are by McHenry Funeral Home.
September 18, 1938 — October 2, 2019
Coralie (Cori) Brotherton, a resident of Philomath, gracefully departed on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, after a long battle with cancer.
She was born Coralie A. Lowrey in Malvern, Iowa, to Raymond and Maudie (Grantham) Lowrey. She moved to Silverton, Oregon, as a child and graduated from Silverton High School in 1956.
After high school, Cori attended Good Samaritan School of Nursing in Portland, graduating on her twenty-first birthday as a registered nurse. She settled in Corvallis, with a job at the Corvallis Clinic.
In addition to her nursing career, Cori was a devoted mother to three beautiful children, Wendie, Rick and Cheryl. In August of 1975, she graduated as a nurse practitioner and continued to work at the Corvallis Clinic for the entirety of her career, retiring in 2001.
After retirement, she settled in Philomath with Phil Steinmann, building their own home — a labor of love they shared. Her greatest passions included gardening, baking, playing the piano, and raising chickens. Cori’s family and friends remember her positive attitude, giving spirit and work ethic. She approached every new adventure with joy and an excitement that was contagious. Her compassionate and loving heart will live on in all who had the pleasure of knowing her.
We are heartbroken that she is no longer with us, but we find comfort in knowing that she is completely healed. Phil and the family would like to extend their thanks for all the continuous support, love, and prayers. Our hearts are forever changed by your generosity.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Grant; her husband, Calvin Wishon; and husband, Max Brotherton.
Cori is survived by the love of her life — Phil Steinmann — as well as her brothers, Clyant and Guy Lowrey; her children; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; many beloved nieces and nephews; and an abundance of friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to donate to the charity of your choosing to continue Cori’s legacy of generosity.
Her celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Please share your favorite memory of Cori with the family at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com.
