Doug Eaton
1968
Name in High School: Doug Eaton
Favorite High School Memories: I grew up in the Grant HS district and my family moved to Westwood Dr above the old Hillvilla Restaurant just in time for my Freshman year at WHS. My three younger brothers went to Robert Gray. As soon as I graduated from Wilson my family moved to Lake Oswego so I lost ties with my high school years.
I remember walking to school every day uphill both ways and taking short cuts through the neighborhood woods. Wilson was a great school, probably the finest in Portland at the time. I haven’t been back inside the building in 50 years and would love to see it again. First memories were of seniors telling the Freshman where the elevators were…Ha! Funny that one stark memory is the police busting a student in a classroom for marijuana!
I was on the Statesman staff my junior and senior year and hung out there a lot. I have great memories of the ski bus with my brother Craig, WHS grad ’70, and lessons at Timberline. There were some great snowy winters when we were in high school.
I have to give a shout out to OMSI for their summer Geo/Paleo camp I attended my sophomore and junior years, a big influence on my life. I guess I was a science nerd! And I remember the cafeteria and liking the rice and gravy bowl at lunch! And then there is the great music of 1964-68 at the after game dances and on transistor radios out in the strawberry and bean fields in the summer. And summer fun swimming at WHS.
Favorite Teachers: I have great memories in Don Defler’s Biology class freezing grasshoppers and then bringing them back life to and raising fruit flies. I was his student aid my junior year. I got back in touch with Don five years ago after seeing his name acknowledged in the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I emailed the author and she sent me his email. Don had inspired her with his teaching of bio/genetics at PCC. I enjoyed Miss Cook for English and Journalism. I thank her today for teaching me the love of literature and appreciating metaphor. Miss Linder and Miss Coffman were great French teachers. Mr. Larson was fun in history as was Mr. Murray in English. I think Mr. Makinster in PE was an ex GI! He had us climbing ropes and on the // bars in gymnastics. He inspired me to stay in shape my whole life. And I remember nice Mrs. Steed for Math and Mrs. Bartell was rather scary in trigonometry but a good teacher. She lived at the end of Westwood Lane on a dead end gravel road just down from our house. Needless to say I never went down there!
Now…
2018
Spouse/Partner: Roen Hogg
Children: None. Have raised three Golden retrievers and an Aussie Shepherd.
Occupation: After graduation I went on to OSU in Pre-Dent and decided after four years I never wanted to be a dentist, my dad’s idea! I remember how I loved my studies at Wilson and the wisdom of Dr. Proppe who had each Freshman on day one answer ten questions. We then sealed them in an envelope and opened them at graduation. a sort of time capsule. I remember the one question on what career we wanted to pursue and I had written a high school geography teacher. So I knew all along I wanted to teach. I followed Don Defler’s path and became a biology teacher at West Albany HS for thirty years. I also taught Geology, Oceanography, Forestry, Wilderness Survival and in my last eight years a senior rite of passage course. Each course had fantastic field trips.
In ’86-87 I did a Fulbright Teacher’s Exchange to Coventry England, now my second home. I retired in 2004.
Favorite Pastimes: Over the years, alpine and XC skiing, backpacking, mountaineering in the Cascades and world travel. I’ve been a musician in marimba and steel drum bands in the 90’s and in the last five years took up the bagpipes and accordion, the two most maligned instruments! Am in the Willamette Valley Pipe and Drum Band and looking forward to a good season especially piping in the OSU grads in June. I’ve restored our 1922 bungalow in Corvallis and listed it in the National Register of Historic Places. Am on the Benton County Historic Resource Commission, on the board restoring and reopening our 1922 downtown movie palace and currently help leading a renovation for my old college fraternity house in town. I celebrate 50 years since coming to Corvallis.
Highlights of My Life Since High School: Highlights besides pastimes….Seeing the world.
Backpacking throughout Europe and N. Africa four summers in the 70’s, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and Indonesia in the 80’s, Kenya, Ireland in the 90’s and trips back to see friends in England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark in the ’00’s and more recently travels to Scotland, Iceland and the Galapagos Islands. We love road trips around the west.
In the summer of 1990 I worked for OMSI on a summer NSF Paleontology program with a Geo prof from UO and ten high school students. Oh, and meeting my partner, now hubby, over two decades ago. He is on the Corvallis City Council and running for Mayor in November. Exciting political times for sure!
I have never made a WHS reunion. I was either traveling or out of the loop. I am glad to be reconnected and thank our class reunion team! I look forward to the 50th and am expecting a surreal experience. I hope I remember some of my classmates! I am in touch with Jan Rabin Harrington from our class who grew up across the street from me in our Alameda neighborhood.
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Hi Doug!
Are you going to LOHS reunion with your cousin next Saturday?
Sorry I don’t have your email or I would have sent it there😊
Lizz has talked me into the “pizza party” on the 25th!
Take care,
Nancy
Doug, I really enjoyed your Memory Page – nice job! I congratulate you on your teaching career and your on-going community involvement in Corvallis. I didn’t know you well but I think you must have known my girlfriend Patsy Kullberg who was also on the Statesman Staff – editor I think. I hope we get a chance to visit at the reunion.
Doug,
What an exciting and full life! You have given much to the future generations and I commend you.
Hillvilla…my mother and I were trying to remember the name of the restaurant that use to be there! I lived off Terwilliger, not far from there. Good memories…
And I so agree that Wilson was an excellent school. My parents moved to that area because nationally Wilson was one of the best!
See you in September,
Nancy