THE RAPS SHEET Summer 2015 Retirement Association of Portland State Portland State University Post Office Box 751--RAPS Portland OR 97207-0751 Koinonia House, second floor SW Montgomery at Broadway Office Manager Carissa Ponting (503)725-3447, raps@pdx.edu Campus mail: RAPS Web: www.pdx.edu/raps Summer Term Office Hours: No scheduled hours but email and phone messages are checked frequently. Officers Priscilla Blumel President Eileen Brennan President-elect / Program Chair Susan Poulsen Past President / Elections Chair Robert Lockerby Secretary Nancy Benson Treasurer Mary Ricks RAPS Sheet Editor Larry Sawyer RAPS Representative to Regional & National Retirement Associations, Website Editor Board Members-at-Large Nancy Chapman Chik Erzurumlu Brian Lewis Committees Steve Brannan History Preservation and Pictorial History Book Chair Terril Doherty Social Committee Chair John Cooper Friendship Chair Brian Lewis Membership Chair Nancy Chapman Scholarship Chair Chik Erzurumlu Awards Chair RAPS Annual Summer Picnic Scheduled for August 20 Gordon Solie, Chris Lewis, Art Emlen, Brian Lewis (behind Art), Dave Krug, Bitsy Emlen and Mary Krug at the 2012 Picnic. Photo by Larry Sawyer he RAPS summer picnic will be at a new site this year. It will be at Overlook Park, located at North Interstate Avenue and Fremont. The park is next to the former Bess Kaiser Hospital, on the bluff overlooking the Willamette River. We will be in the large stone picnic shelter on the Fremont Street turnaround. Both the shelter and the site are accessible to the handicapped. The park is served by the MAX Yellow Line. Northbound, the line begins at PSU (stop #10293). Overlook Park is stop #11510. The Yellow Line ends at the Expo Center in north Portland. Parking for Overlook Park is located on Fremont Street, with overflow in the adjacent lot. The festivities will begin at 4:00pm Thursday, August 20. As always, it will be a potluck. Please bring your own beverages and a dish to share. Terril Doherty is coordinating the picnic; please contact her and tell her what dish you will be bringing so that she can insure that we have a balanced menu. Terril’s phone number is 203-238-0545; her email is theterriljoan@gmail.com. T
President’s Message Thank you, RAPS members, for the privilege of serving you as your president this past year. I have renewed friendships forged in the past, made new friends and enjoyed the fellowship one can have at the many RAPS events. As a bonus, it was a pleasure working with an excellent group of RAPS officers. They are an amazing group of volunteers who give generously to our retired PSU community. The RAPS Office Manager this year and next, Carissa Ponting, brings experience and talent to the office. Thank you, Carissa, for making our office hum. I hope to see you at RAPS events this coming year. --Priscilla Blumel To Go or Not to Go hat is the question. Should RAPS offer the membership a trip to Ashland to see the Shakespeare Festival plays again next year? Ask any RAPS member who went last year; each one would say it was a wonderful experience. Why not offer a trip again? Below are thoughts, ideas and/or suggestions discussed by a small committee: The Siskiyou Center offers so many different programs that not only include plays and classes, but also include lodging and meals. Why reinvent the wheel? One RAPS member, who went to one of the programs offered by the Siskiyou Center, as the group did last year, said they would prefer to skip the classes and just attend the plays. Others thought they would like to see different plays but would like to attend a program that included classes offered by the Siskiyou Center. It is difficult to find a date that is convenient for all group members. It is also difficult to find plays that everyone wants to see. Transportation seems to be a problem for a group. Finding transportation that was a reasonable price was impossible, and transportation for the physically challenged was difficult. So what is the answer? The committee suggests possible options: Make your own plans. If you want to share transportation, let the RAPS Office Manager know your choice of plays and dates in case others plan the same. Go online to www.siskiyou,com, and find a program that best suits you. You can register online. The RAPS Office Manager could record the dates the member plans to go to Ashland, and the names of other members traveling to Ashland on the same dates. Volunteer to coordinate a trip to Ashland for interested RAPS members. --Maxine Thomas 2 T
RAPS Group Reports The RAPS Book Group is continuing to meet through the summer. We had a delightful meeting in Nancy Chapman’s garden on June 16 and talked about Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains. The book tells of the work of Paul Farmer in Haiti, and is inspiring in its depiction of what can be accomplished by the dedicated work of a single person, and disturbing in its recounting of the poverty in Haiti. We will be meeting on July 21 at the home of Eileen Brennan and discussing Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Eric Larson. It is the story of the torpedoing of the passenger liner Lusitania during World War I, told in detail and from many perspectives. Eileen’s address is 5945 SW 152nd Avenue in Beaverton. Email her at brennane@pdx.edu or telephone her at 503-646-6297 if you plan to attend. In August, we will be discussing All the Light You Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It is a tale of occupied France during World War II, and examines the forces shaping a German soldier and a French partisan, two very young people whose paths briefly collide. We will meet at the home of Marge Terdal, probably at her beach home. Though we usually meet the third Tuesday of the month, the date may be different in August. In early August, an email to current book group members will provide more definite information about this meeting. Others wanting more information should contact Marge in early August, at 503-808-7438 or dbmt@pdx.edu. On September 15, we will meet to discuss The Residue Years by Mitchell Jackson, a Portland author who writes about growing up as a black youth in a neglected part of the city. The September RAPS Sheet will contain information about the place of this meeting. The book group meets at 1:30 pm on the third Tuesday of each month. New members are always welcome. --Joan Shireman The RAPS Bridge Group will meet (or has already met) on Tuesday July 7, 2015. We meet regularly on the first Tuesday of each month. Given the timing of the monthly RAPS Sheet, let me inform you of upcoming bridge sessions: August 4, 2015 and September 1, 2015. We gather in the conference room of Friendly House’s Anderson Building. This building is on the north side of NW Savier Street, around the corner from the main entrance to Friendly House at 26th and Thurman. Playing begins at 1 pm and continues to about 4:30 pm. We are friendly and are always looking for new players. If you wish to join us, please contact Steve Brennan, 503-646-6297. My email address is the.steve.brennan@gmail.com. --Steve Brennan The RAPS Hiking Group has held two hikes since the May RAPS Sheet appeared. May 21 found three of us on the Weldon Wagon Trail across the river from Hood River. The three of us stopped, identified, and photographed many wild flowers. We were about two or three weeks too late to view whole hillsides yellow with Balsamroot blooms. On June 12, nine hikers took a short 1.5-mile stroll at Smith and Bybee lakes. Many waterfowl were seen, along with beaver and Pacific Painted Turtles. Lunch was at St. Johns McMenamins. Two recent PSU retirees and a guest Japanese instructor from Pacific University joined us. Before you receive the next RAPS Sheet, we will hike from Fort Clatsop to Sunset Beach on July 10, to Umbrella Falls and Elk Meadows on the east side of Mount Hood on August 14, and to Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain near Government Camp on September 11. If you wish more details on these hikes, please contact Larry Sawyer at 503771-1616, or larry_sawyer@comcast.net. (There is an underscore between “larry” and “sawyer” in that email address.) RAPS members who have signed up for email notices from the Hiking Group will receive more details later, and will be able to view hike photographs shared by several hikers. --Larry Sawyer 3
In Memoriam: Brock Dixon, 1922 - 2015 rock Dixon was born in South Dakota, and moved with his family to McMinnville, Oregon during the depression of the 1930s. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Pacific University and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Southern California. He served as an officer in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he became a member of the faculty at Vanport College. At Vanport and later at Portland State College, Brock Dixon taught political science, government and history. As one of the earliest members of the faculty, Professor Dixon played an important role in the growth of Portland State. In 1951, he was a member of the first Advisory Council. In 1952, he was a member of a committee whose purpose was to persuade the legislature to create a full four-year college in Portland. With the late Frederic Waller, he developed a plan for an honors college. When Vanport became Portland State College, he served as an assistant to the Dean of Faculties, and later to President Millar. He was also the head of the PSU Department of Political Science. In the 1960s, Professor Dixon left Portland State to serve as Provost of Pacific University. After three years at Pacific, he moved to the University of Nevada–Las Vegas, where he served in a variety of administrative positions, including Dean of Administrative Services and Vice President for Adminstration. He retired from UNLV in 1985 and moved to Melbourne, Australia, where his son, Gale, is Director of Southeast Asian Studies at Monash University. Professor Dixon and his wife maintained their home in McMinnville, as well as their home in Melbourne. Gale Dixon will return to Portland in July to arrange a memorial service for his father. RAPS extends sincere condolences to members of Brock Dixon’s family. John Cooper, Professor Emeritus of English In Memoriam: Elizabeth Trudeau, 1927-2015 lizabeth Trudeau, a member of RAPS, passed away peacefully May 28, 2015 at her home. Her husband, S. John Trudeau, Dean Emeritus of the College of Arts and Letters and Professor Emeritus of Music, preceded her in death The efforts and financial support of Elizabeth Trudeau and her husband were responsible for the creation of the Peter Britt Music Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon. Thanks to them, audiences and musicians have enjoyed the festival for half a century. Elizabeth Trudeau is survived by her four children, one sister, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. A celebration of life was held on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at Ascension Episcopal Parish, where she was an active parishioner. Donations may be made to Ascension Episcopal Parish, 1823 SW Spring Street, Portland, OR 97201. RAPS extends sincere condolences to her family. John Cooper, Professor Emeritus of English In Memoriam: Kathy L. Monza-Dusky, 1951 - 2015 athy (Kit) Dusky passed away June 12, 2015 in San Antonio Tlayacapan, Jalisco, Mexico of complications of FTD (Frontal Temporal Dementia). Kit was born February 22, 1951 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, to Louis and Bea Monza. She lived in Beaver Falls with her parents and siblings until she graduated from Beaver Falls High School in 1969. She had a passion for reading that eventually led to a career in librarianship. After high school, she attended Muskingum College in Ohio. When she married, she left college. She and her husband settled in Boise, Idaho in 1975. After they divorced, she began working at the Idaho State Library and attending Boise State University. 4 B E K
In August 1976, Kit met Glenn Dusky. In 1977, Glenn moved to Portland, and shortly thereafter Kit joined him. She began working at PSU in the Circulation Department of the library. In 1979, she and Glenn were married. Kit Dusky eventually moved from Circulation to Cataloging, which she loved. She earned a master’s degree in Education with library media certification at PSU and became a faculty member in the Cataloging Section. In 1991, she left for the University of Pittsburgh to earn her master’s degree in Library Science. She began classes at Portland State towards a doctoral degree in Education. She completed the required coursework and took a sabbatical from work to complete her dissertation. Unfortunately, she was not able to do so because of the onset of dementia. After having to drop out of the doctoral program, she continued to work in the cataloging section as long as she was able. She retired as an Associate Professor. Kit served on many library and university committees. In 1999, she served on the Board of the Association of College and Research Libraries - Oregon Chapter. She also taught library classes for Emporia State College in Kansas through their distance education program for several years. In May 2012, she and Glenn moved to Mexico to obtain more affordable care options for her. Her husband Glenn Dusky; her stepson Dwayne Dusky of Gresham Oregon; her brothers Joe Monza, Tom Monza, and Jim Monza; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren survive her. A memorial service will be held in Mexico on July 11, and another in Oregon August 15 at Oak Hills Presbyterian Church at 5101 SE Thiessen Road, Milwaukie, Oregon, time to be determined. RAPS extends sincere condolences for their loss to the members of Kit Dusky’s family. John Cooper, Professor Emeritus of English In Memoriam: Don C. Gibbons, 1926 - 2015 on Gibbons was born in Newport, Washington, and grew up in South Bend, Washington. He served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. After leaving the Navy, he attended the University of Washington, where he earned a Ph.D. in Sociology. It was at UW that he met his future wife, Carmen Baker. They were married in 1952. Carmen Gibbons passed away in 2008. Professor Gibbons’ first academic appointment was at San Francisco State University, where he was also department chair from 1966 to 1968. He moved to Oregon and joined the Sociology faculty at Portland State University in 1969. He taught at PSU until his retirement as Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Urban studies in 1991. Don Gibbons served as chair of the Sociology Department at PSU from 1971 to 1974. Among his students at PSU was Charles Moose, former chief of the Portland Police Bureau. Don Gibbons’ academic specialty was in criminology. He was the author of six books addressing crime and the treatment of criminals, especially young criminals, from a sociological perspective, along with an Introduction to Criminology. He was also an artist, and one of his paintings hangs in the office of the Department of Sociology. His sister, Beverly Bergau; his son, Michael Gibbons; his daughter, Diane Erwin; and three grandchildren survive Professor Gibbons. A memorial service was held on May 2, at the Cedar Hills United Church of Christ. RAPS extends sincere condolences to Professor Gibbons’ family. John Cooper, Professor Emeritus of English 5 D
In Memoriam: Carl Markgraf, 1928-2015 arl Markgraf was born in Portland. He graduated from Jefferson High School, and served in the US Navy from 1946 to 1949. He later served as first lieutenant in the US Army National Guard’s combat engineers. He earned a B.A. in English from the University of Portland. Carl and his wife-to-be Mary Barbara Irene Fleming were active in the University of Portland Theater. They were married in 1951. In 1954, he received the University of Portland’s first master’s degree in theater arts. He taught and directed English and Drama at Wy’East High School in Hood River and at Marylhurst College. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of California at Riverside in 1970. Professor Markgraf joined Portland State University’s English faculty in 1966. He taught courses in drama, including Shakespeare, and nineteenth century literature. Much of his scholarship was focused on British literature of the last decade of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was author of several books, scholarly articles and reviews, and encyclopedia entries. As Portland State University’s English teacher certification adviser, he helped hundreds of students meet the requirements to teach in public high schools. He was an amateur and professional actor on stage and on television. At Portland State, he performed in George Bernard Shaw’s Don Juan in Hell. Professor Markgraf was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara in 1991. They had seven children: Cecily Schoning, Elinor, Karl, Lise, Thomas, Paul, and Anna Gregory, twenty-two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. A funeral Mass was held on June 5, at Holy Rosary Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Blanchet House or to the St. Francis Dining Hall. RAPS extends sincere condolences to Professor Markgraf’s family. --John Cooper, Professor Emeritus of English In Memoriam: Robert Williams, 1929-2014 obert Williams, Associate Professor Emeritus of English, was born in San Francisco in 1929 and grew up with his brother in an Episcopal boys’ home. He died in Portland in November 2014. He earned his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Berkeley. He was a teaching assistant at Berkeley for four years before receiving his doctorate. He taught at Central Washington University for three years before joining the faculty of the Portland State College Department of English in 1967. Professor Williams’ academic specialties included literature of the Renaissance, especially Renaissance drama, satire, and comedy. He was an active member of the Pacific Northwest Renaissance Conference, presenting several papers before it and chairing a session of the conference at Portland State University. He also produced a performance of a Renaissance play for the Conference and another play performed at the New Theater, Portland. While at Portland State, he developed an interest in technical writing while preparing reports for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bonneville Power Administration. Technical writing has become a stable offering of the Portland State University English Department. Professor Williams loved working with wood, both as a carpenter and home remodeler and a sculptor. He helped remodel the houses of several colleagues, and he produced a number of fine woodcarvings. His daughters, Christine Laennec of Glasgow, Scotland and Sarah Wayland of Portland; an older sister, Evelyn, of Mountain View, California; and five grandchildren survive Professor Williams. A memorial service was held at the home of Gregory and Jane Goekjian. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Community Music Center, 3350 SE Francis Street. Portland. RAPS extends sincere condolences to Professor Williams’ family. --John Cooper, Professor Emeritus of English 6 C R
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