In Memoriam |
Willard
(Bill) Carey, a La Grande attorney, civic leader and retired two-star Army
general, died May 17, 2001. He was 71.
Carey
was born in La Grande on Nov. 27, 1929 and attended Eastern Oregon State College
and the University of Oregon, where he was student body president and played
varsity football. He earned a law degree from Willamette University in 1956.
Carey
practiced law in La Grande for 44 years and was the senior partner in Carey,
Joseph and Mendiguren. He was an active member and past president in the local
bar association and was a past member of the OSB Board of Governors, serving
from 1972 to 1974.
Carey
was active in the Oregon Army National Guard for nearly 40 years, beginning
as a 20-year-old enlisted soldier in 1948 and retiring from the guard in 1987
as a two-star general. In 1986, Carey was named deputy commander of the 6th
U.S. Army's reserve components at the Presidio in San Francisco - a rare occasion,
since such appointments usually go to a full-time, active-duty Army officer
rather than one from the national guard or reserves. As deputy commander, Carey
was in charge of supervising and training more than 100,000 soldiers in 12 states.
He was selected as the first member of the Oregon Hall of Fame of the 186th
Infantry Regiment, and in 1995 he was inducted into the 41st Infantry Brigade
Hall of Honor.
A
well-known and respected civic leader, Carey helped created the La Grande Industrial
Development Corp., serving five years as president. He was twice elected president
of the La Grande-Union County Chamber of Commerce, and twice he was named the
chamber's man of the year (1966 and 1986). He was a past president of the Anthony
Lakes Ski Corp., president of the Eastern Oregon State College Foundation, board
member of Grand Ronde Hospital and United Way county chair.
Survivors include his wife, Audrey, two sons and a daughter.
•
• • • •
Longtime
St. Helens lawyer George G. VanNatta died June 12, 2001 at his home near
Apiary, Ore.
He
was a lifelong resident of Columbia County, except for the time he attended
classes at Willamette University. After receiving his law degree in 1929, he
returned to St. Helens and practiced for 50 years. In 1978, he was recognized
for his 50 years of membership in the Oregon State Bar and its predecessor,
the Oregon Bar Association.
VanNatta
was a member of the Oregon National Guard and served as medic at the Fort Stevens
shore battery.
His
wife, Irene, preceded him in death. Survivors include three sons, including
OSB member Robert P. VanNatta of Rainier.
•
• • • •
Portland
trial lawyer and lifelong Portland resident James C. Purcella died June
18, 2001 of lung cancer. He was 60.
Purcella
was educated at Portland State University and the Northwestern School of Law,
where he earned in law degree in 1966. He practiced in Portland for more than
35 years and served 10 years as a pro tem judge in county circuit court. He
was a member of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and was a licensed real
estate broker.
Survivors
include a son and three brothers. Another son died in 1994.
•
• • • •
The Oregon State Bar staff lost one of its own this summer. Susann R. (Sue) McDonald, a member of the Regulatory Services department staff, died June 28, 2001 after a long struggle with cancer. Sue's employment at the OSB began Nov. 19, 1987 and she continued for nearly 13 years, even as she was battling cancer. She is survived by a daughter, Kelly, a son, Michael, and a granddaughter, Kennedy. Sue's many friends at the OSB will long remember her. +
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