Harold (Hal) Eugene Secrest

Until the moment he drew his last breath, he was our model of a life well-lived. Never wavering in his integrity or his love for his family, he bore the physical pains and indignities of his final days with grace and equanimity.

Born in Slayton, Minnesota, Hal passed away at the age of 88. Son of Verne and Clara Secrest, he grew up in Galesburg, Illinois. He served as a meteorologist in the Army Air Force with an honorable discharge in 1946.

He and Janice Marie Lamb were married September 16, 1945 at Stanford Memorial Church. Hal obtained a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 1949. He worked for Varian Associates, an electronics firm in Palo Alto, California, until 1968. During that time, he helped set up a subsidiary in Switzerland (where he and his family lived for two-and-a-half years) as well as creating a joint venture with Nippon Electric Co. in Japan.

In 1968 Hal moved his family to the Willamette Valley, purchasing both a 300-acre farm south of Monmouth and a hardware store in Independence. Hal and Jan operated Town & Country Hardware until their retirement in 1985.

Hal was active in civic affairs, receiving the "First Citizen" award in 1974. He served on the Soil & Water Conservation Board and was a life member of the Master Gardeners. He served on the boards of the WOSC Foundation, Gentle House and the Jensen Museum. He and a dedicated group of volunteers remodeled Gentle House and the Jensen Museum.

When he was stricken by Parkinson's disease, Hal lost much of the strength of his body but never of his spirit. He and his wife moved to Dallas Retirement Village in 2006, where they found an extraordinary community of support. He died there, surrounded by love and his family on October 16, 2009.

He is survived by Janice, his wife of 64 years; two children, Barbara Secrest (husband Ben Beckley) of Sisters, and Anne Schulte (husband Clarence Schulte) of Bothell, Washington; and three grandchildren, Sarah, Matthew and William Schulte.

A celebration of his life will be held November 14, at 2 p.m. in the Chapel at Dallas Retirement Village, 377 NW Jasper St., Dallas, OR. 503-623-5581 or 541-383-2847.