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Boone, John D. 'Jack' 89 and Helen E. 84
Born in Tillamook to
Howard C. and Bertha G. Boone, Jack was the middle child of
three. He was preceded in death by his older brother, Fred; and
younger sister, Gladys. The family moved to Marshfield, (now
Coos Bay) when Jack was 4 and then to Portland when he was 17.
There he met Fred Elsasser, who according to Jack was the
unofficial greeter at Grant High School. This friendship led to
an introduction to Fred's little sister, Helen, Jack's future
wife.
After graduating from Grant in 1938, Jack enrolled at the
University of Oregon, majoring in pre-law. He was a member of
Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and a loyal Duck. He attended the '58
and '95 Rose bowls with son, Mike, always a fun memory for all.
Jack's education was interrupted by World War II. He served as a
paratrooper in the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne
Division . He
received a battlefield commission to lieutenant, was awarded the
Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, four Battle Stars and
numerous badges and citations.
Upon his return to Oregon, he
re-enrolled at UO, married Helen Sept. 15, 1946, and graduated
in 1948, insisting his diploma read class of 1942, as it wasn't
his fault that he did not graduate with his class!
Helen was
born in Portland, the youngest of seven, to Fred and Mary Elsasser.
The only one born in the United States, her siblings were born
in Canada. Her brothers, Ron, Vic, Willie and Fred; and sisters,
Judy and Jean predeceased her.
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She attended Beaumont Grade School and
graduated from Grant High School, class of 1943. After high
school, she moved to the Long Beach,
Calif., area to live with her sister and work at an aircraft
factory to support the war effort. She moved back to Portland
and worked in the shipyards until the end of the war. She
married Jack and they lived in Eugene until 1954, when they
moved to Portland. They were married for over 63 years and were
never separated for more than a couple of days, making the short
period between their passings appropriate. They resided in
Northeast Portland, raising three boys (a fourth son, Bill, died
in 1960). They were active in all facets of their children's
lives, Little League, Boy Scouts and school activities. They
were active members of Bethany Lutheran Church. In 1969 they
retired to the Lincoln City area where they lived for more than
20 years. They remained active in the local church, Kiwanis, and
other local organizations. Later, they moved back to the
Willamette Valley to be closer to family.
Survivors include
sons, Mike (Debbie), Randy and Howie (Sheri), grandchildren Aryn
(Rick) Hansen, Zak (Jennifer) Boone, Megan Boone, Katie (Bradly)
Newton and Ashley (Cory) Otheim; and eight great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank the staff at Farmington Square in
Salem for the care and love given over the last three years and
also thank the people at Signature Hospice as well. Donations
may be made in Jack and Helen's names to either the Alzheimer
Research Foundation or Signature Hospice. A memorial service and
celebration of their lives will be at 3 p.m. Friday, March 26,
2010, in Bethany Lutheran Church, 4300 N.E. 37th Ave., Portland.
To view a memorial video, go to www.mem.com helenboone.
Published in The Oregonian on March 21, 2010
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