In Memoriam - Alumni

1930s

Lucile Annetta Eskeldson BA ‘38, December 26, 2008, age 92. She married John Eskeldson in June 1938 and the couple settled in Lebanon, Oregon, where she lived the rest of her life. At age 40 Eskeldson returned to school at Oregon State University to study education. She opened a cooperative school at the First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon and taught there for 40 years.

1940s

Donald Hite BA ‘40, March 29, age 91. Hite served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II and married Virginia Lee Willson during that time. As a teenager, Hite was a pianist and vocalist with the big band formed by his brother Woody in the 1930s. The Woody Hite Big Band was at the forefront of the swing music era in Oregon but disbanded during World War II. In 1971, Don Hite helped reunite former players and the group again became popular for its 1940s big band sound. Though Hite retired from the music business in 1994, the band plays on to this day. Hite also had a 27-year career with US Bank and was a lifelong member of St. Francis parish in Sherwood. Survivors include his daughter, Suzanne Hite Herburger MAT ‘79.

Carl Kurath BA ‘42, December 21, 2008, age 91.

Eloise Rose Volpel Hardin BA ‘46, November 26, 2008.

Robert Lundborg BA ‘47, December 22, 2008, age 85. Born in Portland, he served in the Navy during World War II. Lundborg was an elementary school teacher. He was married to Alice Vrooman, who died in 2004.

Curtis Gumm BA ‘49, March 18, age 89. Gumm was born in Portland and served in the Army Air Corps. He worked for W.R. Grace, and he and his wife, Phyllis, and their children lived in California, South Carolina, Colorado, Oregon, and Missouri.

1950s

J. Merrill Peterson BS ‘50, December 17, 2008, age 86. Peterson lived his entire life in southeast Portland, was a lifelong member of Hinson Baptist Church, and served for 40 years on the board of trustees of Multnomah University. He and his wife, Melba Baller Peterson, had two sons. He had a career working as a certified real estate appraiser. At Lewis & Clark Peterson lettered in basketball and baseball, and he greatly enjoyed coaching and watching sporting events with his friends and family, especially his grandchildren.

Robert Forrest Mims MEd ‘53, December 20, 2008, age 81. Mims taught elementary school for Portland Public Schools for more than 20 years. He was a member of St. Stephens Catholic Church.

Elaine Stanley Inglehart BS ‘55, January 31, age 76. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, and volunteering. Survivors include two children and two grandchildren.

Ronald Dale Christensen MEd ‘56, December 20, 2008, age 84. Christensen was born in Tacoma, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, and served in the Navy during World War II. He was a teacher in Brownsville, Sauvie Island, and McMinnville and an elementary school principal for Portland Public Schools. Christensen moved to Lake Oswego, where he was a member of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. He and his wife, Naida Fuqua, who died in 1993, had two children.

George “Art” Richard Jr. BA ‘56, December 23, 2008, age 81. He was born in Michigan and moved to Oregon in the late 1930s. Richard served in the Navy and the Air Force. He was a menswear buyer for Meier & Frank. Survivors include his wife, Patricia, and their daughter, Kathy.

1960s

Edward Ninian Murphy JD ‘60, October 13, 2008, age 77, in Rancho Mirage, California. A third-generation Portlander and a prominent plaintiff trial lawyer, Murphy practiced law in Portland for more than 35 years. He served in the Oregon Air National Guard, which was activated in 1951, in Alaska. Murphy was an avid golfer. He was a member of the board of regents of the University of Portland. In addition to his wife of 27 years, Anne Fraser Murphy, he is survived by his children and 24 grandchildren.

Brenda Ambuehl CAS ‘61, March 4, age 69. After attending Lewis & Clark, she married Ellsworth “Dede” Ambuehl; she earned her bachelor’s degree from Marylhurst University while raising their two daughters. Ambuehl was active as a volunteer before rejoining the workforce, where she worked primarily as a meeting planner. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 58 and later rediagnosed with a rarer neurological disease, progressive supranuclear palsy. When her deteriorating condition forced her to retire, she became a passionate advocate for Parkinson’s and PSP research and education.

Alvin Davidson BS ‘61, November 2, 2008, age 93, of congestive heart failure. Davidson was born in South Dakota and served in the Navy for 22 years. He was a stockbroker for Handel Lundberg Securities for 35 years. He was a longtime member of St. James Lutheran Church and a founding organizer of the Mount Sylvania Little League, where he coached and volunteered for more than 20 years. After retiring he lived in Honolulu and Vancouver. He and his wife, Lois Ross, had three sons.

Paul McAllister JD ‘68, July 26, 2008 age 81. McAllister was born in Kansas and served in the Marine Corps during World War II. He spent most of his life in the Portland area, where he was a deputy sheriff for Clackamas County.

Robert Leland Hays BS ‘69, December 13, 2008, age 77. Hays was born in Kansas and moved to Gresham as a child. He served in the Coast Guard before attending Lewis & Clark. Hays taught elementary school for 20 years. He married Lael Tillstrom and they had a daughter and two sons. He was a member of Lynchwood Christian Church in Portland for more than 40 years.

1970s

John Thomas Coady, M.M.E. ‘75, November 10, 2008, age 63, of a heart attack. Coady was a teacher and administrator for Portland Public Schools and had also taught in Germany and Syria. He retired to Seaside in 2003. He was married to Susan Schmidt.

Diana Lamb Wivell BA ‘76, January 4, age 54, at her home in Missoula, Montana. She brought enthusiasm and energy to her roles at Big Sky Airlines, Missoula County 9-1-1, and Alpine Veterinary Service, among others.

1980s

Jon Hopkins BS ‘83, October 2008, age 55. He served in the Marine Corps. After Lewis & Clark, Hopkins earned his degree at Oregon Health & Science University dental school; he practiced dentistry in The Dalles and Keizer. He married Catherine Robnett and they had three children.