August 22, 1925 – December 12, 2021
George Junior Roe was born to George Washington and Ina Lethel (Humphries) Roe on August 22, 1925 in Huntington Seashore, California. He handed away peacefully at Salem Hospital following a brief sickness on the age of 96. In 1931, at age 5 the household moved to a homestead south of Alsea, Oregon later relocating to Peterson Butte the place George graduated from Lebanon Excessive Faculty. Whereas in highschool, George and good friend Vernon “Bud” Miles have been at all times up for pranks together with releasing a woodpecker within the library and leaving Limburger cheese on a heating radiator. When questioned about these incidents, George may at all times hold a straight face leaving Bud to bare-the-brunt of any punishment.
On January 1, 1942 on the age of 16 George enlisted in Troop L of the Oregon State Guard and joined the U.S. Navy on October 28 of that 12 months. He skilled as a member of Lion 4 at Farragut (Idaho) Naval Coaching Station as a demolition skilled and deployed from San Francisco on the troopship Cape Perpetua headed for the South Pacific. George was wounded in an explosion on Los Negros Island, Papua New Guinea within the Admiralty Island Group and transported to hospital in Sydney, Australia. Following restoration he returned to base within the U.S. and discharged from service on March 22, 1946. On June 2, 1948 he re-enlisted within the Navy for the Korean Struggle and was primarily based out of Sand Level Naval Air Station in Seattle. He retired from the Navy on Might 16, 1951 and was a lifelong member of the Veterans of International Wars Submit 584.
Returning to Oregon, George graduated from Oregon Technical Institute in 1953 changing into a Journeyman Carpenter. He labored on many initiatives together with the Interstate 5 (I-5) Freeway and constructing regional dams. In 1961, George was appointed Constructing Inspector for the Metropolis of Albany and in 1965 employed as Salem’s first Housing Inspector later selling to Chief. He additionally served because the Constructing Official for Douglas County and Lake Oswego earlier than culminating his profession in 1976, changing into the Chief Structural Inspector for Oregon’s State Constructing Codes Division.
George loved a ardour for music and fell in love with the bagpipes. He journeyed to Canada to hunt out a pipe grasp and discovered from among the finest, Constable Hilton Bacon of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 1957, George began the Albany Scottish Pipes and Drums bagpipe band that marched in lots of parades in Oregon together with the Albany Timber Carnival and Veterans Day. The band additionally staged Army Tattoo performances on the Salem Armory Auditorium.
On September 8 of that very same 12 months, George married the love of his life, Mary Anice “Maryan” (Howard) Roe. They agreed that they have been “Fortunate in Love” and in 1962 they welcomed daughter Laurie. George and Maryan shared a love for journey, having fun with journeys to lots of our United States taking in Civil and Revolutionary Struggle battlefields and museums. Overseas they have been lucky to journey to China, Europe, Egypt, Japan, Spain, Turkey and cruise down the Rhine River.
After becoming a member of the Oregon State Protection Drive (OSDF) in 1967, George based the OSDF Bagpipe Band and later led it in President Ronald Reagan’s inaugural parade in Washington, D.C. in 1981. Band members (and their accompanying households) additionally traveled to Eire, Wales, England and Scotland the place they carried out by invitation within the prestigious Royal Edinburgh Army Tattoo at Edinburgh Fortress. George additionally loved many different varieties of music together with Hawaiian slack key guitar and even tried his hand on the Cajun accordion.
George loved looking, fishing, lapidary and gunsmithing amongst his pastimes and he was at all times up for an journey. This included sharing the hilarious and extremely requested account of a 5-day journey with good friend Invoice Barnes working the treacherous rapids of the Snake River’s Hells Canyon paddling in nothing however small rubber rafts.
Further highlights from George’s unimaginable lengthy life embrace making a run as a candidate for the Oregon Home of Representatives; securing a patent for a bagpipe follow chanter and acquiring his pilot’s license earlier than his driver’s license. He additionally constructed and loved flying his Smith Miniplane but gave up his treasured blue Karmann Ghia convertible and Indian Chief bike when his daughter was born (not likely certain why!). George savored licorice ice cream, pecan pie, Marlene McMahan’s peanut butter fudge, sister Helen’s pineapple the wrong way up cake and sipping Laphroig Scotch whisky. George, alongside along with his delicious smoked salmon, well-known Dungeness crab dipping sauce and “jazzed-up” baked beans might be enormously missed!
George was preceded in loss of life by his spouse Maryan, sister Helen Might and brothers Roy, Kenneth and Don Roe. He’s survived by his daughter Laurie Roe and husband Norman Rasmussen of Corvallis, sisters Audine “Audie” Hamilton of Lebanon, Pleasure Alton of Candy Residence and plenty of loving nieces and nephews. Treasured mates surviving George embrace Mike and Maggie Sather of Salem, Ralph “Brad” Bradford of Monmouth, the Jose and Lupe Cortes household of Salem, Terry and Sue Posenjak of Alaska, Dorothea Galloway of West Salem, Phyllis Edmiston of Turner and the prolonged Tran household of Kim Huong Vietnamese restaurant in Salem.
Gratitude goes out to all who made George’s life particular over his 96 years. This contains his household and mates and the caring crew and friendships established at Bonaventure Senior Dwelling throughout his keep there this 12 months. Thanks additionally to Kaiser Permanente together with Dr. Kerry Watkins, hospitalist Dr. Richard Hunt, nurse Yana and the entire crew at Salem Hospital who demonstrated grace and compassion throughout George’s ultimate days. Further gratitude goes to the crew at Virgil T. Golden Funeral Companies for aiding the household with burial and repair preparations.
As George at all times stated when parting methods, “Ta (ta-ta) for now”! Interment with army funeral honors will start at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, December 23 at Willamette Nationwide Cemetery the place George will be part of his loving spouse Maryan. A Celebration of Life might be scheduled for a date to be introduced within the new 12 months.
Donations on behalf of his life well-lived could also be made to a charity of selection or to: Willamette Valley Pipes and Drums, 7844 Katherine St. NE, Keizer, OR 97303.
Helping the household with preparations is Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service.
