Obituaries for Nov. 25, 2009
Edith Erene Dodson
May 27, 1919-Nov. 17, 2009
Edith Erene Dodson, a resident of Boring, died Tuesday, Nov. 17, at her home. She was 90.
A funeral service was held Monday, Nov. 23, at Sandy Funeral Home. Private burial was at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Gresham.
Edith was born May 27, 1919, in Boring to Eric and Ida (Andersen) Nordin. She attended Cottrell Grade School and Sandy High School. After graduating from high school, she attended a business college in Portland.
In 1939, she married William Dodson. They later divorced.
Edith raised her son in Boring and worked at the Oregon Bulb Farm as a bookkeeper for 46 years. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, feeding and watching the birds, and taking care of her home.
Survivors include her son, Ted Dodson of Gresham; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Adventist Hospice, 5835 N.E. 122nd Ave., Suite 135, Portland, 97230-1085.
Sandy Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Richard Melvin Surface
June 29, 1937-Nov. 2, 2009
Gresham resident Richard Melvin Surface, 72, died Monday, Nov. 2, at his home, surrounded by family and friends.
A celebration of his life will be held at Surface Nursery in August 2010.
Richard was born June 29, 1937, in Gresham to Melvin and Dona Surface, who started the retail-wholesale nursery on acreage that is now a housing development near 12-Mile Corner. Richard’s parents also owned the East Winds Café, where he worked in high school.
On Sept. 22, 1984, he married Debbie Morrison in Sunriver.
Richard owned Surface Nursery, which sells shade and flowering trees. He was a member of the Future Farmers of America, and he donated many trees to the Wallowa County FFA. He and Debbie owned a 700-acre ranch outside of Joseph, where the main street is lined with donated Surface trees. Richard and Debbie chose the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation as the curator of their ranch. Owing to their contributions and dedication, Richard and Debbie were Imperial Habitat Partners with the elk foundation.
Richard and Debbie also owned a home in Sunriver on the Deschutes River for many years, and they enjoyed winter activities such as snowmobiling and skiing on the slopes of Mount Bachelor. Richard was a licensed pilot for 30 years, and his Beechcraft Bonanza F33A took him as far east as Charlotte, N.C., as far south as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and as far north as Tsacha Lake, British Columbia, Canada. Richard’s last cross-country trip was to a Rocky Mountain Elk Habitat council meeting in Spearfish, S.D., with a side trip to Mount Rushmore.
Richard also took fishing trips to Costa Rica for tarpon, the Great Barrier Reef off Australia for black marlin, and by sailboat charter to Grenada. His last trip with Debbie was in 2008 on a South African safari with National Geographic. Richard flew a DC-3 from the left seat during the expedition.
Survivors include his wife; daughter, Jill Surface of Culver; and sister, Jean Surface of Troutdale.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, OHSU Foundation, 1121 S.W. Salmon St., Suite 200, Portland, 97205-2021; to Mt. Hood Hospice, P.O. Box 1269, Sandy, 97055; or to the Horticultural Research Institute Endowment Fund (Melvin, Dona, Richard and Debra Surface fund), 1000 Vermont Ave. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C., 20005-4914.
Gresham Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.
Darrell “Mac” McManus
Dec. 4, 1926 — Nov. 21, 2009
Former Sandy resident Darrell “Mac” McManus, 82, died Saturday, Nov. 21, in Portland.
A funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, at Sandy Funeral Home, 39551 Pleasant St. Burial will follow at Firhill Memorial Cemetery.
Mac was born on Dec. 4, 1926, in Olathe, Colo., to Emmett and Mabel McManus. He was raised and educated in Colorado until age 14, when his family moved to Oregon. They settled in Sandy, and he attended Sandy High School.
Mac enlisted in the U.S. Navy on Sept. 14, 1944, at age 18. He served on the USS Farragut during World War II, until the ship struck a mine in the Philippines. He was honorably discharged on June 26, 1946.
Following his military discharge, he returned to Sandy and on June 26, 1947, married Anne Steenson.
Mac worked in the shipyards prior to his military service. After the war, he was employed in the logging industry and later for Reynolds Aluminum. He was a truck driver until his retirement at age 77.
A beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Mac enjoyed spending time outdoors and was a frequent presence at his children’s, grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s sporting events. He was an avid hunter, golfer and dancer. Mac also was a “No. 1 fan of the Oregon State Beaver” football team.
Survivors include his sons, Kenn McManus of Troutdale and Greg McManus of Sandy; daughters, Darla Melvin of Dufur and Diane Blake of Canyon City; sister, Maxine Johnson of Gresham; 15 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Sandy Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.