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Lile Dudley
Lile T. Dudley of Ione, Ore., died Sept. 2, 2003, at St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton, Ore. He was 77 years of age.
Lile was born Sept. 3, 1925, in San Francisco, Calif., to Herbert and Lilian (Bostwich) Dudley. He was raised and attended school in California. He then served with the Navy for seven years and worked as a marine welder at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
On Aug. 6, 1947, he married
Phyillis Mossbarger at Colorado Springs, Colo. The family moved to Hood River in 1966. He believed in teaching and started the Hood River Sheltered Workshop. He was a foster parent as well as a teacher in the Hood River School District. He moved to Ione in 1992.
Lile was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the American Legion and the National Rifle Association.
Survivors include his wife; children, Robin Moran, Vivian Smith, Jay Dudley, Martin Dudley, Lory Dudley, and George Dudley; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and two brothers and sisters.
At his request, no service will be held and his body will be donated to medical science.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Willow Creek Valley Assisted Living facility at P.O. Box 610, Heppner, OR 97836.
Sweeney Mortuary of Heppner is in charge of arrangements.
Lorraine Yerges
Lorraine Ethelda Holmes Yerges, a resident of Mosier, died at her home on Friday, Sept. 5, 2003.
She was born Oct. 3, 1915, in McCoy, Ore. one of three children to Ralph Malcolm and Mary Ethel (MacDowell) Holmes.
Private cremation was held at Win-quatt Crematory in The Dalles with Spencer, Libby & Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.
Vincent Curtis
Hood River resident Vincent Edward “Eddy” Curtis died Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003, at the Hood River Care Center. He was 70 years of age.
Private family services will be observed at a later date in British Columbia, Canada.
Mr. Curtis was a former U.S. Marine.
He is survived by two sisters Adeline (Evelyn) Reid of Burnaby, British Columbia and Shirlee Hunka of Vancouver, British Columbia, brother Bill Curtis and numerous nieces and nephews.
Vincent was preceded in death by his parents and one sister Sharon Dumont.
Arrangements by Anderson’s Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont, Hood River, OR 97031.
Leonard Hay
Leonard LaVerne Hay passed away at his Hood River home on Nov. 4, 2003, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81 years of age.
Leonard was born on Nov. 11, 1921, in Huron, S.D., to Fred and Hazel Hay. He attended most of his school years in Huron. As a youth in high school, he was on the track team and won many medals for Huron High School. His mother, Hazel Hay, later married
Lloyd Kline. They moved to Hood River where Leonard finished his senior year of school at Hood River High School. After graduating, he entered the U.S. Navy and served four years in the Pacific Theater on the USS Rixey, USS Attu, USS Marathon, and USS Pratt Victory. During his service tenure, he held the rank of Coxswain and received the Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. Upon returning to Hood River after the war, he met Iris Gilbert and they were married
on Nov. 16, 1946.
Leonard was a welder and burner for Nichols Boat Works and sold cars for Garrabrant Bros. during high water months when boat work was curtailed. Later, he operated a Shell Service Station on the Heights for a year or two. He then went to work for the Coulter Motor Company, a Ford dealership, as parts man. Leonard and Ed Allen purchased the dealership from Norvin Coulter in 1954 and they were in business together for 15 successful years. Leonard and Ed then started a parts store in 1968 called E & L Auto Parts, which was equally successful. It was decided that Leonard would assume Ed’s half of E & L Auto Parts and Ed would assume Leonard’s half of Allen-Hay Motor Company as each business needed a full-time manager. Leonard later added a machine shop in 1982 and operated both businesses until recently when his two sons, Kevin and Keith, took them over.
After the war, and as a young married
man, Leonard did much community service. He called Bingo numbers every week for the American Legion, which was in full swing after the war ended. He belonged to the Chamber of Commerce, Lion’s Club, VFW, and B.P.O.E. (Elks), where he held the office of Esquire and served on the Board of Trustees. He spent years as a race car driver and bowled for leagues at the Hood River Bowling Alley, winning many trophies in each activity. As children came upon the scene, Leonard served as Little League coach for a few years. In 1976, he was awarded “Businessman of the Year” for Hood River County. His busiest community service was with the Hood River Volunteer Fire Department. He spent 32 years in the fire department, first as Captain, then President, next as Assistant Chief for many years, and lastly as Fire Chief before resigning from his post in 1983.
Leonard was preceded in death by his mother, father, step-mother and step-father, his adopted sister, Helen Kline Andrews, who attended school in Hood River, and a half-sister, Shirley Ann Kline, who attended Barrett Grade School in Hood River but drowned in 1946 before starting high school.
Leonard is survived by his wife, Iris, and their three children: Kevin Hay (wife Mary Ann), Keith Hay (wife Teresa Russom-Hay), and Heather Hay Bacci (husband Thomas Bacci). Six grandchildren surviving are: Graham Hay, Lauren Hay, Amy Hay, Alisha Hay, Taylor Bacci, and Tanner Bacci. Also surviving is a niece, Jeanne Semidey, and a nephew, Scott Andrews, who both reside in Ocala, Fla.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, Nov. 10, at 1:30 p.m. at Anderson’s Tribute Center in Hood River. Following interment at Idlewild cemetery, a reception in celebration of Leonard’s life will be held at Anderson’s Tribute Center.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that any contributions be made to the Hood River Volunteer Fire Department or Hospice of The Gorge, c/o Anderson’s Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont, Hood River, OR 97031.
Constance Young
Constance (Connie) Lynn Young of Hood River died Nov. 2, 2003, at her home. She was 42.
Connie was born June 21, 1961, to Robert and Dorothy Schram of Gladstone, Mich. She had lived in Hood River for 14 years.
Connie worked as an instructional assistant for high-needs kids at Mid-Valley Elementary School in Odell for eight years. She also worked as a server at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Wash.
She enjoyed running, biking, gardening, the mountains, and most of all, being with her husband, Jeff, and 10-year-old daughter, Hannah. She enjoyed watching Hannah play her many sports, including soccer, skiing and windsurfing.
Connie is survived by her husband, Jeffery Terrence Young, and her daughter, Hannah, both of Hood River; her parents, Robert and Dorothy Schram of Gladstone, Mich.; her brother, Joe Schram; and her sister, Catherine Lunenberg.
A memorial service was held on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Memorial contributions can be made to an account set up at Bank of America in the name of Hannah Young.
Eleanor Weber
Eleanor Marie Weber, a longtime Hood River, Ore., resident, died Nov. 4, 2003, in Gresham, Ore. She was 83 years of age.
Private family services were held with interment at Idlewild cemetery.
Eleanor was born June 15, 1920, in Hood River, to Elmer and Sadie (Sheldon) Creson. On June 6, 1939, she and Walter N. Weber were married
. He died in 1997. Eleanor lived in the Hood River Valley for 77 years before moving to the Portland area to be close to her family after her husband died.
She is survived by her son, Gary Weber and his wife Nancy of Welches, Ore.; her daughter, Marilyn Hillbury and her husband Ron of Portland, Ore., and her sister, Mary Bowerman of Longview, Wash.
Four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice c/o Anderson’s Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont, Hood River, OR 97031.
Jeffrey Bunch
Jeffrey Roy Bunch, 42, of Hood River, Ore., died accidentally while piloting his plane near Bozeman, Mont. Jeff was born Sept. 26, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisc., the eldest son of Roy and Patsy Bunch.
Jeff spent most of his childhood in nearby Waterford, Wisc., where he made his mark on his hometown, honed his considerable athletic skills and developed the obligatory fanatical allegiance to the Green Bay Packers. Jeff was graduated with honors from Waterford High School, and, having been voted “Most likely to succeed, ” set his eyes firmly on the wider world.
At Carleton College, Jeff majored in economics, played tennis and started a wildly successful bartending school.
Jeff was recruited into the Corporate Intern program at Merrill Lynch in New York in 1982. Upon completion of the program he was assigned to Merrill Lynch’s Capital Markets Group in San Francisco. Jeff embraced the Bay Area, particularly the sub-culture of windsurfers, and windsurfing remained a touchstone of his existence all of his days.
After seven years with Merrill Lynch and two years with Lehman Brothers, Jeff moved back to New York with Barclay Investments, helping institutional clients construct and hedge global fixed income arbitrages. While in New York, Jeff met Patricia Martin of Culpeper, Va. The couple became engaged on a sailing trip off Australia. After their wedding in 1995, they made their home back in San Francisco, where Jeff was a Senior Vice President with Prudential Securities. Jeff co-founded LVS Capital Management in 1996, serving as its President.
He and Patricia decamped to Hood River in 1998, where he was able to indulge his passions for windsurfing, snowboarding, and most recently, flying, as well as engage in a vigorous battle to bring enlightenment to those benighted souls who disagreed with him on ecological issues. Jeff became a licensed pilot in 1999, and found in flying an intense exhilaration to match his utter fascination.
With the birth of Jeff and Patricia’s daughter, Payton Kimberly, in January of this year, a whole new world opened to him, as Jeff discovered and reveled in the singular ineffable joys of fatherhood.
Jeff’s acute alertness for the richness and variety of life’s experiences, and his dedicated commitment to “life lived large, ” served to fill his brief years with an amazing abundance of love, excitement, deep and lasting friendships, high humor, exotic travelogues, and a litany of stories with uniquely Bunch-like features. Jeff drank the cup of life to the lees.
Jeff will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by his wife Patricia (Martin), daughter Payton Kimberly, parents Roy and Patsy Bunch of Bowling Green, Ky., brother Michael, Michael’s wife Patti (Suhm), and their sons Conner and Parker of Lake St. Louis, Mo.
A celebration of Jeff’s life will be held Saturday, Nov. 16, at 11 a.m. at the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River. A memorial fund has been set up by family and friends to provide for Payton’s education. For further information please contact Trish Gooch at LVS Capital Management, 541-387-2688.
James Simpson
James Harold “Jim” Simpson was born in his family home in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 23, 1933, to Joseph Harold and Pearl Neomi Simpson.
He attended Spokane Public Schools, graduating from Rogers High School in 1952. He studied Civil Engineering at Washington State University before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1953. Jim received an honorable discharge from the Army in 1956, following the death of his father he returned to Spokane to support his family and work their farm.
On Aug. 16, 1958, he married
his wife of 41 years, Patricia Marie “Patti” Craine in Veradale, Wash. They made their home in Spokane.
Jim went to work for Standard Oil in 1957, eventually owning his own service station. In 1973 he sold his service station and purchased the Shangri-la Motel in Spokane, where he began his next career as an innkeeper. The Simpsons moved to Hood River in 1976 when they purchased the Meredith Gorge Motel, which they owned until retirement in 1998.
Jim had a passion for service to his community, joining the Hood River Lions club in 1982. During his membership he held club offices of President, Secretary, Treasurer and Newsletter Editor, while maintaining 100 percent attendance. His Lions service was not limited to Hood River. He served in several offices in Oregon District “G” before serving as District Governor in 1991-1992. Jim was elected President of the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation in 1998-1999, after first serving on the Executive Board as Treasurer and Vice Chairman, and as a Trustee on the Board of Directors.
As a hobby Jim enjoyed collecting and trading Lions pins, having a network of friends with whom he traded pins and jokes. Many of the pins in his collection were obtained by attending International Lions Conventions both here and abroad, where he helped coordinate and participated in representing Oregon Lions to the world.
Jim was active in St. Mary’s Catholic Church where he coordinated ticket sales to the church’s annual ham dinner and helped organize bingo. Jim was active in the Knights of Columbus having held all of the local offices and was a Fourth Degree Knight. Jim served the region as Faithful Navigator for the Knights.
Jim’s memberships included 38 years as an ELK, Gyro’s International, Inland Innkeepers Association, and Oregon Lodging Association.
Survivors include his sons, Greg “Bumper” Simpson of Hood River and Joe Simpson of Bend, his daughter and son-in-law Beth and Jess Flem and grandchildren Meghan and Shelby Flem of Hood River, sister Audrey Browning of Sherwood.
His parents, Joe and Pearl Simpson, his brother, Ronald Simpson, and his wife, Patti Simpson, preceded him in death.
Rosary will be recited for Jim on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. at Anderson’s Tribute Center in Hood River, a Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Hood River.
Vault interment will be at St. Mary’s cemetery.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation or the Hood River Lions Foundation c/o Anderson’s Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont, Hood River, OR 97031
Rex Watson
Funeral services for Rex O. Watson will be held on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002, at 1 p.m. at the Hood River Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Rex Owen Watson was born March 27, 1915, to George and Lucinda Watson at Twin Groves, Idaho. Mr. Watson died November 9, 2002, in Hood River, Ore. He was 87 years of age.
Rex graduated from Charlo High School in Montana. He served on a mission for his church in 1937. Rex was a veteran of World War II. He was a staff sergeant in the Army Air Corps, teaching airplane mechanics. He married
Odette Miller on Jan. 10, 1947. He lived in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana for most of their married
life and this is where they raised their four children. They recently moved to Hood River, to be closer to family.
Rex was a member of the LDS Church; he held the office of Elder in the Melchizedek priesthood. He also served as superintendent of Sunday school for many years. Rex retired from the National Institute of Health at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory after 30 years of service in 1977. Rex was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He also enjoyed gardening; He enjoyed traveling, especially to the coast where he loved to walk on the beach.
He is survived by wife, Odette, of Hood River; a daughter, Donna Kingery of Phoenix, Ariz.; a son and daughter-in-law, John and Marge Watson of Phoenix, Ariz.; a daughter and son-in-law, Lawnie and Richard Morgan of White Salmon, Wash., and a daughter and son-in-law, Debra and Robert Munson of Portland, Ore., and a sister, Gladys Pancake of Boise, Idaho.
He is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Greg, Traci, Tara, Shannon, John, Shawn, Erin, Megan, Colin and Lauren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
Vault interment will be at Idlewilde cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, c/o Anderson’s Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont, Hood River, OR 97031.
Leah Abraham
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002, Leah S. Abraham passed away at her home in Portland, Ore. She was 86 years old. A memorial service was held at the First Congregational Church in Portland on Nov. 12, 2002.
Her parents, Madeline and Frank Puppo, welcomed into their home in Portland, Ore., their only child, on May 12, 1916. She was raised there and graduated from Washington High. Then she attended the Portland Art Museum, School of Art and the University of Oregon.
On July 25, 1942, she married
Kenneth M. Abraham. After he returned from serving in World War II, they moved to Hood River, his childhood home, where her husband practiced law. There, they raised their three daughters, Janet, Susan and Laurie, participating with them in PTA and Camp Fire Girls. Leah was active in the Riverside Congregational Church and was president of the Women’s Guild.
She was known as a loving mother and a gracious hostess, who enjoyed entertaining their many friends and business associates at their home. She was a charter member of the “Nile River Yacht Club.”
After her husband retired in 1982, they moved to Portland, where she delighted in the activities of her four grandchildren, Peter and Jayson Van Zeipel, Shelby Bell and Madeline Rice. Traveling was a passion she shared with the whole family, taking them on cruises and trips to exotic places.
There will be a private interment in the Rose City cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Hood River Library or the Riverside Congregational Church.
