obituaries

The Lake Oswego Review, Jul 29, 2010

Gordon ‘Vic’ Smith

Gordon Vincent “Vic” Smith died June 26, 2010 of multiple sclerosis. He was 57.

Mr. Smith was born March 16, 1954 in Florence, Ala., the fourth of six children born to Gerald D. and Mary F. Smith, Sr. The family moved to the Sellwood area in 1959, where Mr. Smith attended Sellwood Grade School and Cleveland High School.

He was a freelance landscaper by profession and worked as a miller at Great Northern Products. He enjoyed going to Portland nightclubs to listen and dance to local bands. He also enjoyed attending Portland Symphony performances and camping at Cove Palisades.

In 1999, he moved to Lake Oswego to live with his sister and her children; his nieces and nephews were the highlight of his life.

Survivors include his brothers, Jerry Smith, Eastmoreland, and Herb Smith, Milwaukie, sister Ginger Bradshaw, Lake Oswego and five nephews and four nieces.

His brother John and sister Mary preceded him in death.

A celebration of Mr. Smith’s life will be held Aug. 7 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Penguin Eatery and Pub in Portland.

Remembrances may be made to Our House Hospice and the Oregon Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

James F. Maurer, Ph.D

James F. Maurer died suddenly at his home in Lake Oswego on July 15, 2010. He was 82.

He was born on June 8, 1928 in Freeport, Ill., to Frederick “Fritz” and Viola “Vid” Maurer. He grew up in Libby, Mont. and spent his boyhood along the Mouse River in the Cabinet Mountains outside Libby and on a cattle ranch near Browning, Mont.

He graduated from high school in 1946, and set off for Alaska to chart unmapped regions aboard the USS Pathfinder.

Dr. Maurer returned to the University of Montana where he graduated in 1951.

After college, he served on the front lines of the Korean War until he talked his way into the Armed Forces Radio Korea Network.

Once discharged, he did a brief stint with New York University’s broadcast program before returning to Montana to manage radio station KLCB. There, he fell for a high school teacher named Wana Barton and married her in 1955.

After a wide variety of professions including forest firefighter, high school English and Spanish teacher, real estate agent, reporter and photographer for Associated Press, trail rider in Glacier National Park and soda jerk, Dr. Maurer decided to pursue a master’s degree in Speech and Hearing. He then took a fellowship at the University of Iowa to earn his doctorate degree.

In 1962, he moved to White Salmon, Wash., and after earning a medical school award at OHSU, transferred with his family to Lake Oswego.

Dr. Maurer became head of audiology for Portland State University, and helped to found what would remain the only American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) accredited program in Oregon during his tenure.

He wrote and contributed to dozens of books and journals; ran a private practice at Providence Hospital; and received international honors for his humanitarian work in Costa Rica.

Dr. Maurer retired in 1991, and spent his twilight years traveling, golfing, fishing, writing poetry and teaching.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Jeff and Cathy Maurer; his son Jason Maurer; his daughter and son-in-law Michelle and Curt Olson; his former wife Wana Maurer; his grandchildren Henry and Sam Olson, and Will and Natalie Maurer; and his sister Mary Lansing. All of his immediate family lives in the Portland Metro area.

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