Obituaries
Jack Evans
John “Jack” Evans, 78, died August 24 at his home in La Grande after a long illness.
Mr. Evans was born in 1927 in Wallowa. He graduated from Wallowa High School in 1945 and attended the University of Oregon, graduating with honors in 1951. He earned his master’s degree in 1956 from the University of Washington.
His career at EOU spanned more than 30 years. He first became employed at Pierce Library in 1956 and later served as its director from 1974-87. He retired from EOU in 1988 with emeritus status.
In 1990, Mr. Evans wrote a book, “Powerful Rockey: The Blue Mountains and the Oregon Trail,” featuring diary entries of pioneers who passed through the Grande Ronde Valley. His detailed account of Union County’s past was recorded and published in 2004 by the Union County History Project. He served on the board of the Historic Preservation League of Oregon and the Union County Museum Society, and was involved in numerous other organizations including the Oregon Historical Society.
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Glen McKenzie
Glen McKenzie, 88, died August 14, 2006 at a care center in La Grande. He was born Aug. 22, 1917, in Summerville and attended La Grande High School, graduating in 1934. Two years later he graduate from Eastern Oregon Normal School.
Namesake of EOU’s McKenzie Theatre, McKenzie was a trustee of the EOU Foundation, a charter member of the EOU President’s Club and a board member of the Grande Ronde Hospital Foundation. A member of the Theta Delta Phi Honor Society, he also served as a civilian pilot in the Army Air Forces and farmed with his father in the Grande Ronde Valley.
McKenzie was a member of numerous county and community associations including the Union County Cattlemen's Association, the Oregon Wheat Growers League, the Imbler school board, and the Union County Planning Commission. Awards include Man of the Year in 1974 and Cattleman of the Year in 1989.
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Sean Sullivan
Sean Sullivan, 27, of La Grande and formerly of The Dalles, died August 14, 2006, in Riggins, Idaho, following an automobile accident.
The son of Joseph Patrick and Toni Gaye Walker Sullivan, he was born June 15, 1979 and attended The Dalles High School, graduating in 1998. He went on to graduate from EOU in June 2006 with a degree in rangeland management.
Sullivan worked at various jobs, including D&B Supply and at the auction yard. He was working for the Forest Service at the time of his death. An Eagle Scout, he enjoyed many things including racquetball, hiking in the Wallowas, four-wheeling, playing pool, fixing cars, and spending time at his family's cabin at Wallowa Lake.
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Dr. Shapur Shahbazi
Dr. Ali Reza Shapur Shahbazi, 63, of La Grande passed away on July 15, 2006 in Walla Walla, Wash., after a long battle with stomach cancer. He was born September 4, 1942 in Shiraz, Iran.
Dr. Shahbazi retired in 2005 from a 20-year career at EOU where he taught art history, historiography, ancient history, women of the classical world and Middle Eastern history. He was one of the world’s foremost authorities in several areas of pre-Islamic Iranian history, language and culture and is the author of 16 books and 180 articles and publications. Dr. Shahbazi founded the Institute of Achemenid Research at Persepolis, Persia’s ancient ceremonial capital, and served as its director from 1973 until the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
In recognition of his role as an Iranian national treasure, he will be buried at the tomb of the 14th century mystic poet Hafiz in Shiraz, an honor reserved for the most beloved literary figures of Iran.
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Dr. John Cobb
John Logan Cobb, 71, who taught voice and conducted choirs at Eastern Oregon University for 30 years, died July 4 in Portland from complications due to pneumonia.
Dr. Cobb was born Sept. 25, 1934 in Rochester, New York. He earned a bachelor's degree in music education from Illinois Wesleyan University, a master's from Indianan University, and a doctorate from the University of Oregon. Dr. Cobb began teaching and conducting music at EOU in 1960, where his career continued for 30 years. He retired in 1991.
In October 2004 Dr. Cobb was a guest conductor for the EOU 75th Anniversary Celebration Concert. He sang in the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus and was a founding member of the Male Ensemble Northwest.
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Rollin Schimmel
Rollin Dean Schimmel, 61, died Saturday, May 20, 2006, in a rafting accident in Klickitat County, Wash.
Mr. Schimmel was born January 1, 1945, in Hillsboro. He grew up on a dairy farm and graduated from Rainier Union High School in 1963. He went on to attend EOU and graduated in 1967 after devoting four years to wrestling at the university and winning a title in the 160-pound division at the NAIA National Tournament.
In May 2002, Mr. Schimmel was inducted into the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Oregon High School Wrestling Hall of Fame and the EOU Athletic Hall of Fame.
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Robert Brandon
Robert Leslie Brandon, 65, of La Grande and Battlement Mesa, Colo., professor emeritus at EOU, died unexpectedly June 12.
Mr. Brandon was born in 1940 in Seattle. He graduated from the University of Washington in civil engineering in 1962, and served in the Navy. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from California State University at Northridge in 1969, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Colorado State University in 1972.
He represented EOU on the Oregon Inter-Institutional Faculty Senate and served as Chairman of the Athletic Committee. In 2000 he was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award from EOU. He retired from teaching in 2002 and was inducted into the Cascade Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame the same year.
Mr. Brandon was a member of Pi Mu Epsilon, Tau Beta Pi, the American Mathematical Association and the Mathematical Association of America. A memorial fund has been established in his name through the EOU Foundation.
Contact Information for Admissions
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Email: advancement@eou.edu