University of Portland Magazine Fall 2021

IRONMAN Fall 2021

Luis Robles ’06, recordbreaking goalkeeper, retires from professional soccer with his Pilot roots intact

FEATURES

2 ON THE BLUFF 3 Campus Briefs 5 The Experts 6 Dream Teams 8 Second Look

38 CLASS NOTES 42 In Memoriam 49 For the Love of It

10 Entry Point

by Makoto Fujimura

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Artist and author Makoto Fujimura uses his art to heal trauma and make sense of his faith.

Humble Keeper

by Katelyn Best Before his recent retirement from professional soccer, Luis Robles ’06 earned the name “Ironman” and broke Major League Soccer records, but he is quick to direct credit for his successes to a couple simple lessons he learned from his UP goalkeeper coach.

Fall 2021 Vol. 40, No. 1 Acting President/Provost Herbert A. Medina Vice President Michael E. Lewellen Editor Jessica Murphy Moo Designer Darsey Landoe Contributors Karen Bridges, Danielle Centoni, Anna Lageson-Kerns ’83, ’14, Hannah Pick Portland Interns Murphy Bradshaw, Haviland Stewart Cover Goalkeeper Luis Robles of New York Red Bulls in action against DC United in the second half at RFK Stadium on October 22, 2017, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) Portland is published three times a year by University of Portland.

Copyright © 2021 by the University of Portland.

All rights reserved.

Editorial Offices Waldschmidt Hall, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203-5798 Email jmurphymoo@up.edu Online up.edu/portlandmagazine

18 The Line

by Blair Woodard One UP professor’s observations of the art and resilience along the US–Mexico border, also known as La Línea.

Printed on 10% recycled and FSC-certified paper in Portland, OR.

32 The Clive Effect

by Danielle Centoni The impact of UP’s legendary coach Clive Charles endures.

Third-class postage paid at Portland, OR 97203. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product—Sales Agreement No. 40037899. Canadian Mail Distribution Information—Express Messenger International: PO Box 25058, London, Ontario, Canada N6C 6A8.

Opinions expressed in Portland are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University administration. Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Magazine, University of Portland, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203-5798.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Behind the Scenes WE’RE DEDICATING THIS issue generally to those who work behind the scenes and specifically to longtime associate editor Marcus Covert, beloved alum, colleague, and friend, who passed away in July after a brief and courageous battle with cancer.

Marcus was a behind-the-scenes person, and I miss him terribly.

Our whole team misses him terribly. He worked faithfully for the University for more than 25 years, almost all of which were for Portland magazine.

This is the first issue that we’ve pulled together without him, and, well, the whole operation was a lot more challenging. (Please note that we have written more on his life in our “In Memoriam” section, specifically on page 44.)

My appreciation for Marcus’s contributions has led me to reflect on others who work with humility behind the scenes. Editors are supposed to be that way. Aside from choices and decisions about what goes into a magazine, the editor should more or less be invisible on the page, the stagehand dressed in black ready in the wings, working hard to make sure the singer looks and sounds her best, so that the audience, dazzled by the singer’s performance, thinks of the singer and only the singer. That’s what editors want for their writers. We want the writer’s voice to shine on the page.

And it occurs to me, if you’ll allow me to continue the reflection (and risk mixing a metaphor), that everyone who works at UP wants the same for the students. We want them to do well here, to figure out their voice, and to use it out in the world.

It has been so great to have students back on campus this fall after such a quiet, mostly-online academic year last year. Their energy, the hope they inspire—it’s everywhere. They are the reason we come to work. They are the reason any of us is here, working in the wings.

Jessica Murphy Moo, Editor

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THE STUDENTS ARE BACK

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BOB KERNS

Among the treasured orientation-week traditions is a candlelight event at the bell tower before classes begin.

BOB KERNS

ON THE BLUFF CAMPUS BRIEFS

(Re)introducing Acting President/Provost Herbert A. Medina WHAT CAN WE tell you that you don’t already know about Acting President/Provost Herbert A. Medina? If you’ve been reading our pages, you know that he’s had a busy few years on The Bluff. He came here three years ago as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and as a math professor. When he earned the provost position last year, we wrote about his academic goals for the school (including a new core curriculum), and about his “trek record” of walking the spiritual pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela 12 times.

You also know, from an inspired reflection he wrote for the Summer 2019 issue of Portland magazine, that he sees in mathematics not only a language of nature, but also a universal language of God. He is originally from El Salvador and is a first-generation college graduate. He believes wholeheartedly in the value and impact of education on an individual’s life and on an entire family line, and he fully believes in the Holy Cross mission of University of Portland.

Unless you saw him in action during the hustle and bustle of move-in/orientation week, you might not know that he was there—seemingly everywhere!—welcoming students and their parents from all over the world. He even had the opportunity to speak in his beloved first language to parents from El Salvador, Guatemala, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico.

A shared language builds kinship, as does presence. Medina understands this. When asked why he felt it was important

to be present to parents, he said he wanted to convey the following message: “You’re trusting us with your greatest treasure.

You’re part of the family now. We’re always here for you.”

Part of his not-small job this year is to get the gears moving on the University’s next strategic plan, to move steadily forward on the new core curriculum, and to keep the momentum going on the University’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

He is also aware that he is guiding the University through a transition, not only in terms of leadership, but also in terms of moving from an online-learning pandemic year to an in-person pandemic year.

While he’s not teaching a math class right now, he still wants to show up for students. An example: he recently spoke on the FirstGen Podcast and offered some sound advice. As a first-generation college student himself, he believes in the importance of UP’s FirstGen programming and knows that many of the students who are the first in their families to attend college look up to him.

Also, in late October, Medina is meeting up with the student ambassadors of UP’s FirstGen program for a fun bowling match. But we’d like to give the students a little heads-up. Of all the things you know about Acting President/Provost Herbert Medina, you may not know this: He has competed in bowling leagues and averages 180! The event will be friendly, of course, but the competition may be stiff. Students, you’ve been warned!

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ON THE BLUFF CAMPUS BRIEFS

Coming Up THIS YEAR’S SCHOENFELDT Distinguished Visiting Writers Series will feature a conversation with author and speaker Mitchell S. Jackson.

Born and raised in Northeast Portland, Jackson is the 2021 Pulitzer Prize winner in Feature Writing and also won the 2021 National Magazine Award in Feature Writing. His debut novel, The Residue Years, won a Whiting Award and The Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. Jackson has been featured in publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Paris Review, and his writing has also been featured on This American Life, among many other places. His memoir Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family, published in 2019, was named one of the best books of the year by NPR, Time Magazine, and The Paris Review, among many others. Jackson works as a columnist for Esquire. His upcoming novel, John of Watts, is currently in production.

Schoenfeldt Distinguished Visiting Writers Series will host a lecture with Jackson on November 10 at 7:30 p.m.

JOHN RICARD

HEAR THE TALK Join in-person at the Buckley Center Auditorium or online.

To access required registration information, go to: up.edu/schoenfeldtwriters/upcoming-speakers.html

Christine Sinclair Was Here

ADAM GUGGENHEIM

When you get word that UP alum, Portland Thorns captain, and the world’s all-time leading international scorer is going to be on campus for a commercial photoshoot, well, you find a way for your in-house photographer to be there too.

Welcome back to The Bluff, Christine.

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ON THE BLUFF THE EXPERTS

BOB KERNS

HECTOR MENDOZA Campus Minister for Liturgical Music

Beauty, Holiness, Connection HECTOR MENDOZA, UP’S new campus minister for liturgical music, started his musical journey when he was only a child.

By the age of seven, he was already performing percussion in the Venezuelan ensemble “El Sistema.” He trained with several classical composers while he lived in Venezuela, and he eventually traveled to the University of Vienna, where he taught about contemporary Venezuelan music and its influence on Europe.

Mendoza moved to the US with his son after his wife passed, seeking to start fresh. “I wanted nothing but to forget about my past,” he says. “In fact, I wanted to quit being a musician.” He was confused and angry with God. Perhaps ironically, one of the first jobs he worked was playing with a church orchestra. “I had never played at Mass except for classical pieces,” he says. But the work ended up strengthening his connection to liturgical music.

When he eventually shifted from playing to conducting, the church setting inspired him to approach music in a different way. “In a classical orchestra, when I conduct, my

mission is more about perfection; it’s about the best result possible,” he says. But Mendoza conducts his liturgical music with three main goals in mind: beauty, holiness (which he says is, for him, one of the most important), and connection. “The music needs to be connected to what is happening in the liturgy,” he says. “My mission is to see the congregation singing and connected with the emotion and the spirituality that moments demand.”

Even though Mendoza immerses himself in his liturgical music, he still listens to a wide variety of genres. “I am always hearing all types of music: jazz, classical, reggaeton, salsa, bachata, etc. For example, right now I am hearing a lot of Tigran Hamasyan,” he says. “I am always searching.”

Mendoza’s UP debut was Easter Mass last spring, but his big debut was Orientation Mass, where he led an ensemble for the new students before the start of the school year.

—Danny McGarry ’17

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ON THE BLUFF DREAM TEAMS

TOP TWO IMAGES: BRENNAN CROWDER

ON A RACE TRACK in Wilsonville, Oregon, six University of Portland engineering students—otherwise known as the Pilot Speed Racing Team—stepped into their go-karts, strapped on their helmets, turned the ignitions, and approached the starting line, motors rumbling. The air smelled of gas and burning rubber. The flag rose. And they were off.

After a year of virtual classes, the students were eager to leave behind their makeshift classroom, trade in their textbooks for wrenches, and swap their Zoom calls for an in-person race around the track.

But racing rented go-karts powered by gasoline was really only a stepping stone. Their real goals were to build their own go-kart that runs entirely on clean energy and to race it in the Electric Vehicle Grand Prix (EVGP), a collegiate competition in Indianapolis hosted by Purdue University in September of 2021. UP’s team won first place! They also set the track’s alltime record.

Led by Shiley School of Engineering instructor Gregg Meyer and funded by Board of Regents member and alum Rich Baek (’93 MSEE, ’02 MBA), the team of engineering students— Madi Schalk ’23, Brendan Sample ’23, Kayla Medof ’23, Marc Raffaeli ’23, Sierra Repp ’23, and Aidan Kearney ’22—gained hands-on experience in the burgeoning field of clean energy.

The soft skills they worked on are important too. “When our students leave after finishing their senior year, they enter

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the workforce with technical skills, with teamwork skills, with multidisciplinary collaboration skills, with self-confidence, and with the determination that it takes to work on a team,” Meyer says. “I want them to be able to walk into that job on their first day of work and hit the ground running.”

And they disproved some racing-world stereotypes along the way. “I was actually really excited to do something like this because you don’t normally see a woman in a pit crew,” says Medof. “You don’t usually see a woman engineer taking the lead on the engineering or race team. I was excited when I saw the list for who got in, that we are 50 percent women and 50 percent males, which is not the usual ratio. And what I’m hoping to do in this setting is take initiative and take the lead, and show that I can do as much as they can.”

While having fun, making connections, and getting hands-on engineering experience are vital pieces of this project, healthy competition, while perhaps not the main goal, is also part of the program. “Honestly I walked into this just to have something to do this summer that seemed fun,” Repp says. “But now, obviously, my goal is to win.”

HAVILAND STEWART was Portland magazine’s summer intern. During the school year, she is the Living Section editor for The Beacon, University of Portland’s award-winning student newspaper.

BOTTOM AND RIGHT: BOB KERNS

Engineering Students Race in the Electric Vehicle Grand Prix

Top two images: The winning vehicle and the winning team at the EV Grand Prix at Purdue University. Bottom and right: UP engineering students build and test the vehicle.

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Development of the Franz River Campus continues apace. Pictured here is the new Walter E. Nelson Physical Plant building.

NASHCO PHOTO

Franz River Campus

ON THE BLUFF SECOND LOOK

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Artist and author Makoto Fujimura visited University of Portland (via Zoom, from his studio in Princeton, NJ) in early September to give the Zahm lecture, an annual talk on faith and reason. Days later, on September 11, 2021, Fujimura relaunched the Kintsugi Academy, which he co-founded as a way to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, an event that gave his work new focus. What follows is an excerpt of Fujimura’s remarks.

B Y M A KO T O F U J I M U R A

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HIS IS KINTSUGI, teaware that was mended in the 20th century. As you can see, gold is creating a design. Kintsugi masters use Japan lacquer. It’s a fairly secretive tradition because the lacquer is notoriously difficult to handle and it’s highly poisonous and toxic. It’s like poison ivy except it’s five times stronger. Only a few masters exist, and they mend these bowls using the lacquer so they can be reused. Instead of gluing the bowl back together as if nothing has happened, Japan lacquer masters mend it but use the fractures to create these designs and so it is literally new creation. The Japan lacquer becomes the river of gold that runs through the cracks. The resulting bowl, the Kintsugi bowl, is far more valuable than the original, even though the original may be of renowned ceramic value.

In consumer culture, the broken vessel is something to be thrown away, buy a new one, or you fix it so it looks brand new again. In Japanese culture, something that is broken is an entry point into beholding that fragment as beautiful, something that is valuable.

To me, that signifies something, that this is part of God’s way of showing us how we might go through brokenness and trauma and be brought into new creation. We recall Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. It is astonishing to me that he would come back as a human at all. After all the suffering that he’d been through, he could’ve chosen to be anything, but he chose to be human. And his post-resurrection appearance, not only is he resurrected humanity, but it is also a wounded reality. Jesus’ wounds are still with him, and that’s a profound reality of the new creation.

Rather than staying with perfected reality beyond the grave, beyond suffering, Jesus wanted to remind us that it is through his wounds that we are healed. It is as if he is communicating to us, signaling to us, that our wounds, our traumas, our brokenness are but an entry point into greater promise that Jesus brings on post-resurrection day. And so we live on this side of the resurrection, and we can look at a Kintsugi bowl and remind ourselves that this is part of our journey, our journey home, our journey of new discovery, our journey that allows us to see beyond our own Ground Zero experiences. Even literally standing on top of the ashes, we can see God’s work in front of us.

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Kintsugi by Kunio Nakamura. Box ©Makoto Fujimura.

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MY PAINTINGS ARE considered to be in the contemporary art vein and yet they also use traditional Japanese materials, going back to 8th-century Japan and refined in 15th/16thcentury Japan especially.

I was very fortunate to receive a national scholarship and to go back to Japan and spend six-and-a-half years there mastering the craft of Nihonga, a Japanese style of painting, and that’s what you see here. These are the materials for Nihonga.

Pulverized minerals mixed with natural hide glue. It’s all water based. The work can be monumental. There are layers and layers. Sometimes there are over 60 to 100 layers as preparation before I start. I call what I do slow art. I try to slow things down to resist the quickening of time.

I call what I do slow art.

I try to slow things down to resist the quickening of time.

Part of this slow process for me is prayer. It is a way for me to understand my role as a human being creating beauty in a broken world. I have to have the pigments be pulverized, the minerals be pulverized. Once when I was speaking in New York City at one of my galleries, a friend said to me that process of pulverization, of creating something new, is exactly what God does with us. I thought that was profound. I did not realize in the ’90s that I would be directly impacted by 9/11. I lived three blocks away. My children became, that day, Ground Zero children. And the trauma of that day still continues to this day, but I kept on working with these materials, which became a metaphor of my life. God is pulverizing me, and God is also creating something too.

Charis-Kairos (The Tears of Christ), Copyright © 2011 Makoto Fujimura

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Walking on Water—Glacier, Copyright © 2021 Makoto Fujimura

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THIS IS WALKING ON WATER—GLACIER , a 12-foot painting that has been featured in the “Re-Membrance” exhibit, commemorating the 9/11 terrorist attacks; the 3/11/2011 Great Tohoku earthquake, tsunami, and ongoing nuclear meltdown; and the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.

Close up, you can see the sand-like pulverized minerals. They’re literally prisms, so when you look at the surface of my paintings, if you stay with it 15 to 20 minutes, you start to see a hue of refracted light that comes off of the prismatic pigments. They have this rainbow hue. Your mind shuts down for you to begin to see that light. Slow art.

This painting is from a series of paintings, mostly abstract works, large paintings that deal with pulverized azurite and malachite, and they are poured over the canvas.

I literally walk on top of the paintings. And then that becomes part of the metaphor of thinking about the response to trauma, in this case the 3/11/2011 disaster in Japan, the tsunami, and the ongoing nuclear meltdown. How do I as an artist respond?

MAKOTO FUJIMURA’S most recent book, Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, was published by Yale University Press this year.

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One UP professor’s observations of the art and resilience along the US–Mexico border, also known as La Línea.

S T O RY A N D P H O T O S B Y B L A I R W O O D A R D

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ORDERS BETWEEN NATIONS ARE human creations. They represent the limits of a national self, the line where the imagined division between “us” and “them” takes place. For so many reasons, borders are places of fascination for me.

Liminal zones. Sites of change. Points of no return. Places of opportunity and hope as well as of pain and sorrow. I have been studying the human exchanges between border nations now for over twenty years, and I still am captivated by their stories. What side of the line you see as the “other” side, “el otro lado,” can determine so much.

The US–Mexico border is known as many things—gateway, frontier, escape, opportunity, separation, or simply as La Línea/The Line. One of the places along La Línea that I visit often is the Playas de Tijuana. These city beaches are in the farthest Northwest corner of Mexico.

The district is made up of several neighborhoods and beaches that run south of the border for about a mile until colliding into the sheer cliffsides of the Baja Peninsula. The beaches are a destination for locals and tourists who come there to hang out, have dinner, swim, and celebrate quinceañeras. The beaches are a buzzing dynamic place where one’s senses come alive: the sounds of the surf crashing, norteño bands busking, kids laughing. You can smell the ocean, the fresh seafood, and tacos from the many restaurants that line the cliffside. The wooden planks of the boardwalk creak underfoot as people stroll along.

But Playas is not just a place to get away from the city; it is also heavily political and full of global and personal meaning. It exists along the portion of the US border wall that extends more than three hundred meters into the Pacific Ocean.

In the United States, on the other side of that wall, is Imperial Beach, which is deserted and under constant Border Patrol surveillance. The contrast between

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the vibrancy of the beaches in Tijuana and the vacant wetlands in the United States is telling.

As part of the contrast, the citizens of Tijuana have turned the border wall and the boardwalk into a living art exhibit.

The art only exists on the Mexican side of the line, with murals expressing joy and hope as well as pain and sorrow.

The wall is more than just a symbol of the relationship that the United States has with Mexico and the global south in general. It is more than just a barrier.

It is a sacred site. A place where crosses are erected and blessings are made.

Where tears are shed and memories kept. Where hope for justice, empathy, and a better future is expressed.

I have been photographing these murals now for almost a decade, and I’ve observed that the wall itself is in many ways a living structure; as the ocean rusts it and wears it down, the United States keeps adding and rebuilding it.

Because of these same forces, the artwork on the Mexican side is also constantly changing. The art fades with the salt air, and in some places, messages have eroded or been torn down. In other places, the messages have been painted again and again, layer upon layer. These constant changes turn an inanimate object into something that seems to have a life of its own through rebirth, decay, and eventual regeneration.

The murals vary. Some are overtly political. Others are more personal and reflect on a specific event or family member. Some are intricate and professional, formal art projects that have been funded either in the United States or in Mexico and created by teams that sign their work. Others appear to be

more spontaneous and makeshift. All are impactful.

Starting at the ocean and moving inland, there are currently two large mural projects. The first is of several faces—portraits of 15 people who have been deported, individuals from all walks of life. This project, known as the Playas de Tijuana Mural Project, is under the direction of Lizbeth De La Cruz Santana, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Davis. Some of those depicted in the portraits are the artists themselves. QR codes accompany these faces and tell their stories and many others in digital form.

Another mural portrays an upsidedown US flag with crosses instead of stars and a stop sign with the word “Lies.”

The upside-down flag is an international sign of distress and is dedicated to the US military veterans who have been deported to Mexico. Their names are written on the slats of the wall in the opposite direction as the flag. On a recent visit I witnessed a deported US veteran painting more names and the word “Repatriate.” He expressed hope that this will be the last time he needs to paint on the wall. Recently the Biden

Administration has pledged to bring these veterans back to the United States.

As you walk along the wall there are crosses and handprints. The names of loved ones. Posters and flyers with the photos of people who are “desaparecidos,” disappeared. You come to a doorway that seemingly no longer opens. On the door are a large heart and a single word: Love.

Other words blanket the wall: Empathy, Justice, Peace. Paintings of animals, both life-like and cartoon, adorn the barrier throughout: birds, whales, and pandas.

Next, a Bansky-esque figure with a rope and grappling hook. Then, flowers and human figures.

One of the murals that I’m particularly fond of—a monarch butterfly—has been preserved and repainted. The monarchs are renowned for their annual migrations both north and south. Some of the butterflies fly over three thousand miles from the United States to Mexico. They are the only butterflies known to make a two-way migration like many birds do. The beauty of the butterfly stands in stark contrast to the wall and makes the obvious point that no wall can stop a butterfly—or the will of people to overcome obstacles to obtain justice and a better life.

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You may see something in one direction that you have not seen in the other.

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All the murals along the wall form a type of collage. A mosaic of different statements and emotions, which all come together to form a singular picture of resistance. Because the slats of the wall are triangular, you may see something in one direction that you have not seen in the other. It’s also telling that you can’t see the murals if you’re looking at the wall straight on. One has to look at the barrier from an angle for the images to appear. This is very emblematic of the relationship between the United States and Mexico on many issues. In some ways things that appear to be straightforward really can’t be seen unless you take into account different angles, different perspectives.

Ultimately, the border challenges us. The Line, La Línea, confronts us about how we view ourselves, other nations, other peoples, and what it means to be on one side of the line or the other. Part of what I believe we need to do as human beings is try to see people’s stories from the other side. Part of why I continue to go to the border is to look at the United States from the other side.

What I’ve found is that in many ways “the other” side has a better view and a deeper understanding of “us” than we can possibly imagine. The opportunity to cross the border and to look back, to try to see oneself from another’s view, is a privilege that I do not take for granted. It informs so many parts of who I am—my teaching, writing, politics, and personal relations. Attempting to see ourselves and others from el otro lado is, in my opinion, a key to understanding.

Seeing the line from the other side serves as a reminder that walls don’t work, that fear will not win over love, and that no wall will dampen the human spirit, or keep butterflies from flying home.

BLAIR WOODARD is an associate professor of history and environmental studies at the University of Portland. His research and teaching interests focus on US–Latin American relations and popular culture.

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Humble Keeper Before his recent retirement from professional soccer, Luis Robles ’06 earned the name “Ironman” and broke Major League Soccer records, but he is quick to direct credit for his successes to a couple simple lessons he learned from his UP goalkeeper coach.

B Y K AT E LY N B E S T P H O T O S B Y M A RY B E T H KO E T H

WHEN LUIS ROBLES ’06 decided to retire from professional soccer after 14 seasons, he didn’t plan to tell anyone. He knew he was done the moment he’d broken his arm while playing for Inter Miami; why make a big deal out of it? He figured he’d just step back.

It was an impulse that says a lot about the former Pilots goalkeeper. Robles excelled at UP, setting a school record with 346 career saves, and went on to become a legend in MLS, earning three Supporters’ Shields with the New York Red Bulls and setting an all-time league record for consecutive starts that seems almost untouchable. But Robles prefers not to make things about him.

That unselfishness manifests in many ways, small and large—from his fabled work ethic to his generosity with fans to the fact that when talking about his career, he tends to say “we,” referring to himself and his wife, Cara, more than “I.” That humility has defined him as a player and as a person— and he learned it, in part, at the University of Portland.

ROB LES GR EW U P I N SI ER RA VISTA , AR IZONA .

His dad was a military man, retired from the Army but still working on the Fort Huachuca base just outside of town. Robles aspired to a soccer career from an early age, and the work ethic that he came to be known for as a pro cemented in his teen years.

“On Friday nights, instead of going out, we were out on the field working on our game,” remembers his best friend, midfielder Miguel Guante ’06, who also ended up at UP. “You know, I was working on crossing, and he was dealing with crosses, or shooting. We just couldn’t get enough of training on our own.”

Together with two other guys from Sierra Vista, the pair played on the same club team in Tucson, an hour’s drive away.

By his junior year, Robles was getting recruiting calls from schools across the country. “It’s such a great ego thing, all these universities calling and saying, ‘We want you, we’re going to give you a scholarship.’” He got offers from Stanford, Harvard, and Brown—schools where he could have been a starter right away and gotten a big-name degree to boot.

The call he got from the University of Portland was different: there were no grand promises, no attempt to recruit Robles in the traditional sense. “The phone call was simply saying, ‘Hey, you have five college visits. We want you to take one of them here,’” Robles remembers. “It was very, ‘This is what we can offer.’”

He and Guante visited the same weekend. They took in a game—a 1–0 win by the Pilot men over Indiana—and got to know the coaching staff.

“The line that got me was from Clive Charles,” he says.

“I go into the office and we talk about recruiting. He says, ‘If you want to be a rocket scientist, go to Stanford. If you want to be a banker, go to the Ivy League. If you want to be a professional soccer player, come here.’ And that was it, I was done.”

Charles wasn’t bluffing (no pun intended). For one thing, Portland offered something few other schools in the country did: a full-time dedicated goalkeeping coach, Bill Irwin. The onetime Timbers keeper had trained a string of goalies who’d gone on to the professional ranks, including US Men’s National Team stalwart Kasey Keller ’10.

Beyond the program’s outsized list of professional alumni— and Charles’s and Irwin’s own resumes as professional players—Robles and Guante could tell that this was a place where they’d be both challenged and nurtured. “It was comforting for us,” says Guante, “but it was also challenging in the way that we wanted to be challenged. I think we always felt like we were going to develop on the field and off the field, be pushed in ways that we hadn’t been pushed before.”

IRWIN WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE 6' YOUNGSTER. “He fit the profile for a goalkeeper,” says Irwin. “Real good size. Good hands. He just, watching him play, he ticked all the boxes for us.”

Robles wasn’t really ready for college soccer, though. His potential was obvious, but he’d never gotten the high-level training needed to compete at that level. What’s more, the Pilots already had a starting keeper, senior Curtis Spiteri ’05.

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“In Portland,” Robles says, “there’s honor in the way that they value their seniors and their upperclassmen. [Spiteri] was on scholarship; he was one of the best goalkeepers in the country.”

So the team made the somewhat unusual move of redshirting Robles for his freshman year. For UP to give some of their limited scholarships to goalies at all was one thing—to give one to a guy who wouldn’t play his first year was a big statement. It was an investment in Robles.

He remembers that semester as one of the hardest of his life. “During practice, I’ll be honest, I just wasn’t good,” he says.

“That jump from high school to college…the ball was coming so quickly, the game was moving so quickly, everyone was so much stronger than me.”

Compounding Robles’s frustration, Guante was making a big impact. “Not only was Miguel a starter, but he was excellent, like, amazing, and a big part of the team.” The two were roommates, and Robles would be stuck at home while Guante was on the road with the team, competing and winning.

when Guante’s dad was deployed to Iraq. Guante repaid that support when Robles’s brother also went to Iraq.

Irwin, meanwhile, gave Robles the individual training he needed to succeed. At some point, Irwin suggested he come to the practice field one morning a week for an extra training session. One day a week turned into two, and eventually the extra sessions became a daily ritual.

“I ruined his knees, I ruined his back,” Robles says of that training. “This is why I feel so indebted to him in every way. He was committed to me, and my experience really was about the graciousness of his time and his expertise that he passed on to me. If I didn’t have that, there’s just no way that I could have been the professional that I was.”

Irwin’s voice would loop in Robles’s head as he played, telling him to stay focused or keep his eyes on the ball. Much of what the coach taught applied to life off the field, too. Two themes in particular have stuck with him since.

First, “take care of the little things, and the big things will work themselves out,” Robles says. “I think in the end, the big

I go into the office and we talk about recruiting.

He says, “If you want to be a rocket scientist, go to Stanford. If you want to be a banker, go to the Ivy League. If you want to be a professional soccer player, come here.” And that was it, I was done.

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things worked out because he helped me define what those little things are: having the right mentality in practice, knowing that practice isn’t always going to be perfect.”

Second, “the one that I always loved—and still love—is, leave the place better than you found it.” Robles was hungry to play, but he also knew that ultimately, everything was about the team’s success, not his own.

“You commit to what the group’s doing, and you’re mindful of the next person that’s coming in, so that when you leave, it’s not felt, it’s just seamless,” Robles says. “That’s something that I tried to be mindful of in college, which allowed me to not be insecure, right? If I’m pouring into other people and thinking about the legacy piece, even when I move on…instead of looking over my shoulder, I want the person right next to me, walking with me, so that we’re doing this together.”

A F T E R G RA D UAT I N G, RO B L E S WA S S E L E C T E D in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft by DC United. But MLS was still considered a backwater at that time, and he dreamed, like so many players do, of playing for a big European club. He landed a deal with FC Kaiserslautern and headed to Germany.

For a while, everything was falling into place. He started with the second team, moving up to the first team the next season; a few months later, he landed the starting spot after the club’s top keeper, German international Tobias Sippel, was injured, and he held that spot for the rest of the season.

TIM CLAYTON/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

More than anything, he was determined to pay back the trust the school had placed in him. “I just wanted to, if anything, not embarrass Bill,” he remembers. “Guys talk in the locker room. They know who’s on scholarship…. And here’s a guy who’s not going to contribute in any way, and he’s on scholarship. And then by the way, he’s not good in training?”

Ultimately, though, that year was critical to Robles’s development, both as a player and as a person. “I don’t know if I could have developed properly if I went to a school where they made me a starter right away,” he says. “Also, just from a character development standpoint, it was a good year, because I needed to be knocked off whatever perch I was on.”

To Guante, the way Robles handled that difficult year says a lot about him. “Something that you see less and less of every day is players that are that talented being patient enough to see it out,” he says. “Versus maybe just entering the transfer portal and going somewhere where they’re going to play right away.”

The Pilots program wasn’t a school of hard knocks, though.

It was, as advertised, a nurturing environment, almost a second family. Irwin and Charles would invite homesick students over for a homemade meal or to do a load of laundry. Players from the men’s and women’s teams would meet up at night to get in an extra training session.

Robles and Guante strengthened their friendship in that family setting. They’d talk about their goals within soccer; Robles was there for Guante when Charles passed in 2003 and

Robles, New York Red Bulls, makes a save during the New York Red Bulls v. Colorado Rapids, Major League Soccer regular season match at Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey. March 15, 2014.

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Robles may have retired from professional goalkeeping but, with a family of five, there are still a lot of balls in the air.

That summer, he married Cara, his high school girlfriend, and represented the United States at the 2009 Gold Cup. Robles broke into the national team because he’d been doing well in Germany, but Kaiserslautern hired a new manager that summer, and ironically, spending time with the national team instead of the club knocked him down the depth chart for the 2009–10 season. Robles rode the bench most of that year, then moved to Karlsruher SC, where he took a similar path—spending his first season as a starter and falling out of favor the following year.

Five years into his time in Germany, his career seemed at a dead end, and he and Cara were dealing with a series of personal challenges. They were far from home at a time when family felt more important than ever.

“It was a dark time in my life,” he remembers. “My dad was dealing with some health issues, my wife’s dad had stage four oral cancer, we had just experienced a miscarriage, and we were pregnant again. So, there were a lot of things going on.

And it’s sort of what led to the clarity that we had [about] coming back to Major League Soccer.”

Robles’s agent struggled to make any connections in MLS, he said in a video the league produced in 2016. Robles had a problem: per the league’s byzantine roster rules, because he’d played with the national team, he had to go through the allocation order, rather than signing directly with a team.

Except those rules had been designed for stars like Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, not for a guy who hadn’t been

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capped in three years and had hit a rocky patch in his career.

To use an allocation pick on a relative unknown like Robles was a big risk.

Cara had an idea. If his agent couldn’t make something happen, why not do it himself? “She said, ‘Why don’t you just Google it?’ ” he said in the 2016 video. “Are you kidding me?

That’s so lame. I’m not going to Google ‘Major League Soccer.’

Well, anyways, she won.”

Robles got in touch with Ali Curtis, who was in charge of player relations for the league. He told Robles the Red Bulls were interested, but it would be tough. He’d have to prove himself all over again.

In the end, after nine other teams passed, New York used their pick on him.

“They were willing to take a chance,” says Robles. Like the Pilots once had, the Red Bulls made an investment in him.

“There’s no chance that they had any idea what they were getting. I had no idea.”

Any MLS fan will already be familiar with what New York got with Robles. His return to the US came at a moment of renaissance for the Red Bulls and for the league: Portland, Vancouver, and Montreal had just joined as expansion teams; international stars like Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane, and Tim Cahill were choosing MLS; and the league’s average attendance was rivaling that of the NBA and the NHL. Two years before Robles’s arrival, the Red Bulls had moved into a new soccerspecific stadium in New Jersey.

It was against that backdrop that the Pilot standout was to become one of the league’s iconic players. In 2016, he earned the title of “Ironman,” first breaking the record for consecutive complete games played, then consecutive starts, and finally consecutive appearances. By 2018, when he was finally forced to sit a game out due to injury, he had started an astounding 183 games in a row.

Luck is certainly a factor in a streak like that. No matter how meticulously a player trains and prepares, freak injuries happen—as do illness, family emergencies, and other unforeseeable obstacles. On the other hand, nobody gets there without doing just about everything right.

There was no magic wand. Just as Irwin had taught Robles a decade earlier, it was the little things: he ate well and got enough sleep. He hit the weight room religiously and practiced yoga to maintain his strength and mobility. He spent hours watching film. All that preparation added up, and the rest worked itself out.

Irwin’s second lesson was also still on Robles’s mind. The team won the Supporters’ Shield three times during his tenure, and he was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2015. But when he looks back on his career, he says he doesn’t miss playing; he misses the ways he was able to impact other people.

To that end, he served on the executive board of the players’ union, advocating and bargaining on behalf of teammates and rivals alike. He also relished the opportunities his club gave him to volunteer in the community.

“They had their community partners,” Robles says, “and whatever that was, I was all in. If they needed me to deliver groceries, I’d do that. If they needed me to play with the kids during a soccer camp, I did that. If they needed me to go visit a kid who was dealing with pediatric cancer, I would do that.

And to me, it never felt like an obligation. It just felt like a great responsibility, a great way that I can be generous with other people.”

IT WAS PERHAPS WITH IRWIN’S ADMONISHMENTS to value the group over the individual in mind that Robles thought, after a short stint with Inter Miami, he’d slip quietly into retirement—seamlessly, as he put it—and into this next phase of his career. Currently, he works for Overseas Network, managing hospitality and accommodation sales to the US market for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In the end, he did make an announcement, after some urging by the friends he’d made in the soccer world. “It’s not just for you,” he recalls Gregg Berhalter telling him, on the podcast The Call Up last January. “It’s for the people who were part of your career, part of the journey.”

In his announcement on Instagram, he wrote, “My career is full of memories and great stories yet the thing that sticks out the most is the people whom I’ve met along the way.”

KATELYN BEST is a freelance writer.

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OREGON SPORTS HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM

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The Clive Effect

The impact of UP’s legendary coach Clive Charles endures.

BY DA N I E L L E C E N T O N I

IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT , it’s the small gestures that stick with us. Something said in passing. A small memory from an ordinary day. An otherwise fleeting moment that somehow lodges itself deep inside, takes root, and changes us forever— in a good way, one hopes.

UP’s legendary coach Clive Charles had a gift for offering small gestures that mattered to people, that still matter, even years after his passing. A former English football player, a defender for the Portland Timbers, the coach who led the Pilots to their first NCAA Championship during his 1986 to 2002 tenure, Charles mentored his athletes to achieve their maximum potential. Several made it to the highest levels of the sport. They became pro athletes, Olympians, World Cup winners. But even more than his successes on the field, his true legacy seems to come from how he treated people.

Allen Hopkins Jr. never played for Charles. In fact, the player relations consultant for Major League Soccer, and former pro soccer broadcaster for ESPN, FOX, and NBC, merely crossed paths with him, but Clive still made a mark. The first time was back in 1995 when Hopkins was 22, fresh out of college, and working at San Diego State as the youngest full-time men’s assistant soccer coach in Division I soccer. He was so young that four of his players were older than he was.

“It was my first tournament, and it was in Portland,” Hopkins recalls. “I go up there and meet Clive, and as a Black player coming up, you glom onto anyone who looked like you.

That whole weekend he’s looking after me in his own way— a head nod here, a joke there, checking on me. That energy always stuck with me.”

The memory of that weekend grew, twenty-six years later, into the Clive Charles Initiative, a program aimed at increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the hiring of coaches for men’s (and soon women’s) Division I soccer programs. “People need

to see themselves in the game,” says Hopkins. “That’s what Clive did for me so many years ago. It’s important to see someone you identify with in a space [where] you want to be.”

Hopkins, co-founder of the Soccer Collective on Racial Equity (SCORE), which supports the Black Players for Change and the United Soccer League Black Players Alliance (USLBPA), was inspired to craft the initiative during the spring of 2020, as protests for racial justice raged around the nation. “I realized representation has to go from the bottom up,” he says. “It’s probably more important to have 10 Black coaches at the college level than three coaching major league soccer. The pipeline needs to be nourished.”

The initiative was formally launched this past spring.

Schools that opt in are essentially making a commitment to include Black and other underrepresented candidates in the pool for coaching vacancies. SCORE keeps an updated list and facilitates finding suitable candidates. So far, 17 head coaches have taken the pledge, including University of Portland’s Nick Carlin-Voigt.

“I feel like Clive is a hall of famer; he just doesn’t have that official title. But you look at his legacy, people who have played with him, the love and respect for him is ubiquitous. I wanted to honor that,” says Hopkins.

If a few chance encounters with Clive Charles over the course of a busy tournament weekend could empower Hopkins to push for lasting change in the sport, consider the impact Charles had on those who spent years with him. We asked a few players to tell us, in their own words, how playing for Charles impacted their lives to this day.

DANIELLE CENTONI works in UP’s marketing and communications department and is a longtime freelance food journalist, cookbook author, and soccer fan.

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MICHELLE FRENCH ’98 UP WOMEN’S SOCCER HEAD COACH Olympic medalist and four-year starter for UP from 1995–98, during which time she helped lead the Pilots to three NCAA Final Four appearances and three West Coast Conference championships (1995–97).

“

Clive had a way of making the game extremely simple and incredibly enjoyable, really without even trying.

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UP ATHLETICS

It was his personality. You have to have joy out there when you’re playing, and if you’d get to a point and the joy wasn’t there anymore, he’d have a conversation to get you back to that spot.

He was such a prankster. He’d say, ‘Frenchie, Frenchie come here, I have something for you.

Open up your hand.’ Then he’d put a gum wrapper in my hand. ‘Go throw this away for me.’ Every year there would be a naïve freshman who would come in. Let’s say her name was Sally. He’d say.

‘Ok, Sally, come over here. I’ll race you for $100.’

Sally’s like ‘Yes! Let’s go.’ Everyone who was already there knows what’s going to happen, and they’re like, ‘Come on, Sally, you got this!’ Everyone lines up, cheering. He’s standing up, does a couple stretches. They get on the starting line. Ready, set, go! Sally shoots off and Clive takes a couple steps.

After a while she realizes Clive’s not running. She’s like, what’s going on? And he says, ‘You got to pay attention to details. I said I’d race you; I never said I’d beat you.’

More than anything on the field, it was his human side, his sense of humor, and his ability to connect with anyone in the room and make them feel important. He was one of the first coaches I had who really saw the game in a different way and treated players in a different way. During my recruiting trip, he sat me down in his office and said, ‘Frenchie, I can’t promise you that you’ll make the national team, but I can promise you you’ll leave this university a better person.’ To have an impact on a student that lasts beyond what they can accomplish on the field says more than anything else.

I try to emulate him the best I can. He has impacted my coaching 100 percent. It’s a big responsibility, the role we play as coaches at a university.”

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TIFFENY MILBRETT ’95 UP VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH Olympic medalist, World Cup champion, National Soccer Hall of Famer.

Helped lead Pilots to first-ever College Cup in 1994. Three-time NSCAA All-American.

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UP ATHLETICS

I had gone to his Fred Meyer soccer camps. I had watched him play for the Timbers.

I started playing for him at 15, when he created the FC Portland Academy. I was an athlete and goal scorer from very young, dreaming about the Olympics, but it was just a dream at that point because Olympics for women’s soccer didn’t exist until 1996. I just knew I wanted to do whatever possible to get to the highest level I could be. And Clive just kept coaching me there.

Clive was a huge catalyst in helping me become the player that I was, but he wasn’t just a coach to me. He gave me unconditional support outside the game too.

He was always available and I felt like I could be myself with him. I would call him and he would help me through some difficult things, offering support and advice.

The important piece was he’d be part of your life.

He’s my biggest influence as a coach.

Everything he did I try to emulate. I reflect back on what I saw him do and what I heard him say, and I ask myself: What do I want to say to the players? How do I manage the situation? Am I being like Clive?”

UP ATHLETICS

“I’m fortunate Clive wanted to stay around Portland. That changed ever ything for me.

LINDSEY HUIE ’05, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR WOMEN’S SOCCER FOR UC IRVINE; STRIKERS FC COACH Member of UP’s 2002 and 2005 NCAA Championship teams, four-time All-American, former women’s national team player, and UP Hall of Famer.

“I remember he took us to the children’s hospital one night.

I thought it was just going to be one of the team-building things we’d sometimes do, like breakfast together or a ropes course. He had us look at the building of the cancer ward. Of course, none of us knew he had cancer at the time. He said, ‘The people up there have real problems. You need to live every day on purpose, like it matters.’ That was a moving moment for me. He made me stop and think and wonder: Do I really have a purpose? What is my calling? What am I going to do with my life after school? I decided to get a master’s in marriage and family counseling.

Tomorrow’s promised to nobody—and that’s a direct quote from Clive. I live every day like that, so that I know that I’ve lived today very much on purpose. And I try to impress those principles on the girls that I coach, the importance of giving full effort, because you never know when is that last game you’re ever going to play.

After he passed away, I got his name tattooed on my foot because I didn’t have him around anymore to call, and I wanted to be reminded.”

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DAVID RAMOS/GETTY IMAGES

Congrats to the Olympians PORTLAND PILOT ATHLETICS was well represented at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with five alumni athletes competing in three different sports. Woody Kincaid ’15 (pictured above) raced for the United States in the 5,000-meter and 10,000meter events in Tokyo. He finished in the top three of his 5K preliminary heat to reach the finals and placed 14th overall after crossing the line in 15th place in the 10K. Soccer alums Christine Sinclair ’06 and Sophie Schmidt ’10 (alternate) played for the Canadian Women’s National Team and brought

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home the gold—the first time Canada has won the gold at the Olympics in women’s soccer. They defeated Sweden in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Megan Rapinoe ’08, playing for the United States Women’s National Team, scored two goals in the 4-3 win over Australia, which earned the US team a bronze medal. And Hugh Watanabe, who started his collegiate career with the Pilots, got to experience his first Olympic games playing on Japan’s senior national basketball team.

Congrats to all the Pilots who competed!

CLASS NOTES

50s 1957

Chuck Wilber ’57, ’60 notes that he and his wife have been married for 66 years, with seven children, 20 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren. “My wife still gardens our one-acre yard,” he says. They help organize a Commonweal Local Community group, and Chuck published two books this year: Life as a Pilgrimage: Faith, Economics, and Social Justice and Was the Good Samaritan a Bad Economist?

1959

We recently received an update from Barbara Ann Svegel ’59: “I was hired by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during my senior year at school after an interview at, I believe, a federal building in downtown Portland. During this career I lived in cities in Ecuador, Argentina, Iran, Thailand, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Liberia, and the Philippines. I met and married my husband, a fellow employee, in Argentina. We had three children who were born respectively in Argentina, Iran, and Thailand. Their upbringing in a variety of cultures has led them to be very easy going with people

from any background.

I was widowed in 2009 after 45 years of marriage.

I now live in a senior housing village an hour south of Washington, DC. I use a UP lanyard for my apartment keys, so the university is still important to me every single day. Thanks for the education and preparation for a fantastic adult life.”

We are sorry for your loss, Barbara, and we so appreciate that you wrote to us.

70s 1973

We recently received a kind note from S. Celine Schumacher, SSND, ’73. She writes: “Having spent my life in education, I especially enjoyed reading the ‘Dear Educator’ series. I have occasionally been pleased to receive surprise letters from former students 30 to 40 years after they’ve graduated telling me how I have impacted their life choices. As teachers, we don’t think about the profound impact we can have on our students.

I decided to retire from teaching at the end of the 2019/20 school year. Little did I know when I made my decision in January,

SEND US YOUR NEWS If you are from the classes who graduated during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, we’d like to hear from you!

Don’t forget to fill us in on what you’ve been up to.

We know you’re out there, and we know you’re doing interesting things.

Write to portlandmagazine@up.edu

Right There, Right Here

Every fall, as students are settling in to new routines on campus, Cassy Esparza ’14, assistant director of admissions, hits the road in search of next year’s class. Her recruitment regions are Oregon, Utah, and New Mexico, and it’s not unheard of for her to have a day like she had a few weeks ago: visits with students at four different high schools in Albuquerque, then an hour-plus drive to Santa Fe for an evening meeting with students and parents. (She tries to remember to eat.) These trips involve long days and lots of miles, but the relationships she is building and the inroads she is making with students from historically marginalized populations make everything worth it.

It wasn’t that long ago that she was in their shoes. Cassy is from Utah, her parents immigrated to the US from Mexico, and she was the first in her family to attend college.

She remembers how much she had to navigate on her own.

She wants to tell students about University of Portland— what it offers, what it doesn’t—and she also counsels them and their families on college in general, things like how to apply and what to expect. Sometimes hers is the only table with admissions materials translated into Spanish, a change she initiated long ago when she translated a brochure with her mom and UP professor Marcela Cinta. Now, these communication pieces are created with institutional support.

That kind of clear communication and access, that transparent relationship-building not only with students but also with their families, are what she’s been working toward for seven years. And she’s seeing progress.

She often tells the students, “I’m right there with you.”

And this year she means it in a new way; she is getting her MBA at UP and will soon be a double alum.

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CLASS NOTES

that I would end that year with several months of virtual teaching—a new challenge as I ended my teaching career! After taking a sabbatical year, I am now again engaged with secondary students, tutoring them one-on-one in physics, chemistry, and math.” Thanks so much for writing, S. Celine, and warm congrats on your retirement.

80s 1983, ’85

Brenda Braxton ’85 from KGW and recording artist Julianne Johnson ’83— emceed the Volunteers of America 2021 DePriest Award for Excellence event televised by KGW. Board of Regents co-chair Kay Toran ’64 is President and CEO of Volunteers of America.

1986

The following is an update found in Clark County Today regarding the appointment of alum Nancy Retsinas ’86 to the Clark County Superior Court: “For the last six years, Retsinas has served largely as a mediator, helping families collaboratively navigate ante-nuptial agreements and marriage dissolutions. She has also had a lengthy career practicing in various areas of law, including consumer protection, family law, criminal law, and juvenile delinquency. In 2020, she moderated Clark County Council listening sessions on systemic racism, and has been a board director of the mental health agency The Children’s Center since 2002.”

Congratulations, Nancy, we wish you all the best!

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1987

We received the following update from Wade McJacobs ’87: “Wade McJacobs has published his second book, Dare to Read: Improving Your Reading Speed and Skills. After teaching special education for 31 years, Wade is currently lecturing with the Bureau of Education & Research. His lecture is titled ‘Helping Your Struggling Reader Be More Successful (6–12).’ His focus is to build confidence first then comprehension, with an emphasis on teaching students to be alert to their contribution to the exchange between reader and author. Wade lives in an empty nest with his wife in Beaverton.” Thanks for the update, Wade.

00s 2003

Sally Starker ’03 and her sister have opened a new rock climbing gym, Valley Rock Gym, in Corvallis.

The Corvallis Gazette Times recently featured the gym’s partnership with Corvallis Climbers of Color and monthly BIPOC Climb Nights. Their goal, according to their website, is “to create a safe and inclusive space for the BIPOC community to connect and support one another and to increase access to the sport of climbing.”

They have also started a scholarship fund to lower financial barriers for youth in the community and for summer camps. Congrats to Sally and to all of those working to make Valley Rock Gym a welcoming and accessible space to climb.

Electric Truckin’ For Ryan Szto ’21, the joy of engineering begins with the simple notion of being in the field. “I hated sitting behind a desk at school,” he says, “so I didn’t want to do that at work.” Ryan is a product validation engineer at Daimler, a truck manufacturer, whose offices are ten minutes away from campus. There, Ryan is working in the growing field of Daimler’s electric-powered semi-trucks.

Daimler’s electric vehicles will reduce fuel waste and costs, particularly when it comes to local transport and stop-and-go traffic. Where gas-powered vehicles waste fuel when stopped, electric vehicles regenerate their batteries.

Daimler currently has a fleet of generation-one electric trucks already on the roads and in testing.

Ryan’s team tests the thermodynamic and mechatronic—which he describes as “anything electrically controlled within a vehicle”—features of electric trucks with a focus on weather-condition tests. The trucks are tested at the Swan Island office, but the team also travels to see how the vehicles perform in different environments.

This summer the team traveled to Las Vegas to perform “hot weather tests” in temperatures as high as 113 degrees.

Soon Ryan plans to be behind the wheel himself. He is currently working on getting his Commercial Driver’s License so that he can drive the trucks he tests.

—Murphy Bradshaw, Portland magazine intern

2004

Christy Spielman ’04, currently principal at Meadowlark Elementary, took the reins at Sheridan Junior High School this summer.

Under Spielman’s leadership, Meadowlark Elementary earned its second National Blue Ribbon and has maintained its status as a national model Professional Learning Communities site.

In addition to her leadership roles, Spielman has coached youth sports for years and currently serves as the assistant girls’ basketball coach at Sheridan High School. Good luck, Christy!

We can’t wait to see what you do next.

2007

We received the following update from Luke Raynor ’07 and Hannah Wentz: “Luke Raynor and Hannah Wentz were married in September 2020 at the Oregon Coast in the presence of their parents and closest friends. They met on a mountain and celebrated their love out in nature, despite a change of plans due to wildfires, floods, and COVID-19.” Congratulations, Luke and Hannah!

10s 2010

The Bonneville Power Administration presented Kevlyn Baker ’10, with the BPA Workplace or Technology Innovation award as part of its 2021 Administrator’s Excellence Awards program.

Baker graduated from St. Mary’s Academy, Portland, in 2006 and earned a BS in electrical engineering from University of Portland in 2010.

The award recognizes Baker’s remarkable development of BPA’s COVID-19 tracking tools through the application of cutting-edge data visualization software known as Power BI. Pulling from publicly available information, she created automatic data feeds that update the agency’s COVID-19 dashboards.

2012

Katie Doyle ’12, ’15 and Kurt Berning ’12 are ecstatic to announce that they were married this summer in Vancouver, WA. Education professor Eric Anctil officiated, and the couple was joined at the altar by eight other beloved Pilots.

They afford special thanks to UP’s Alumni Weekend for reuniting them one summer. Warm congrats to the newlyweds!

2013

We received the following note from Gabriel DellaVecchia ’13: “I earned my PhD in educational studies with a concentration in literacy, language, and culture from the University of Michigan. Although I never imagined five years ago that my successful dissertation defense would be via Zoom, being virtual allowed family and friends from all over the world to be part of the audience. I was cheered on by two UP professors who influenced my journey: Dr. Karen Eifler, who inspired me as a teacher, and Dr. Jacqueline Waggoner, who supported my initial efforts with research in education. My wife and I currently live in Detroit, and we will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in January.”

Congratulations and thanks for the update, Gabriel!

Francis Finnegan ’13 completed his second master’s degree in May of 2021, receiving a MS in database management and business intelligence from Boston University. He has been working in the Washington, D.C., nonprofit field since 2014 as a legislative analyst and a data analyst.

He is currently with the Center for Legislative Accountability wherein he is solely responsible for all the data in the largest and most extensive legislator ratings program in the country. He just finished traveling the country with his fiancée, Allison, who was a travel nurse and has settled in Washington State. Welcome back to the Northwest, Francis! We look forward to seeing what you do next.

2014

We received the following note from Lesley Anne Dawson Albert ’14: “I took advantage of work-fromhome life during the early months of the pandemic and wrote a children’s book about my dog, Tilly! It came out in June and info can be found at doubledanepress.com.

Definitely excited to share this with the UP community!”

Well done, Lesley!

Genevieve (Paul) Wallenburn ’14 and Kevin Wallenburn ’14 welcomed twins, Penelope Rose and Bonnie Anne, into their family in December 2020. Genevieve is an accountant for Lovevery, a Montessori toy company. Kevin is accounting manager for Griffin Underwriting Services.

2015

Kim Turner ’15 has been teaching abroad in Thailand for three years after three years teaching in the Portland area. Kim reports

that her time at UP, along with Fr. Art Wheeler’s encouragement and support, have been hugely instrumental to her teaching success.

She has started a YouTube channel about teaching.

2017

Malika Andrews ’17 is now host of NBA Today, a new ESPN studio show which will provide daily coverage of the NBA. Malika will be joined by ESPN NBA analysts Kendrick Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Vince Carter and ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe to form the NBA Today panel.

20s 2021

Katie Wojda ’21 and Sage Taylor ’21 were awarded this year’s Gerhardt Awards for their leadership, dedication, and service to God and community. Katie engaged with the Moreau Center and Campus Ministry during her time on The Bluff, and she invited others to work alongside the community at St. Andre Bessette as the campus volunteer coordinator. Katie is now working with Jesuit Volunteer Corps with a Spanish-speaking community in Chicago.

Sage was the president of ASUP during his senior year and showed his commitment to his fellow students by serving on multiple COVID-19 protocol committees. Sage is now a Jesuit Volunteer in New York City.

Congrats, Katie and Sage.

Be sure to check in!

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CLASS NOTES IN MEMORIAM

Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to the families of the following individuals. Requiescat in pace.

Clarissa Weber Huffman ’48 passed away on May 15, 2021, at the age of 95. She attended the University of Idaho for one year before transferring to the School of Nursing at UP. In 1948, she married W. Wayne Huffman and later had two children. She worked as a nurse in various locations for over 30 years. She is survived by her two children, one granddaughter, and three great-grandchildren.

J. Eugene Popma ’48 died on June 11, 2020, at the age of 97. He married his wife, Lorraine, in 1943. They were married for 67 years, and he would often say they had a 67-year love affair. They were avid skiers at Mt. Bachelor, they traveled around the world, and they enjoyed hiking, tennis, and playing bridge with close friends.

He would often sing to his wife. His favorite tune was the Nat King Cole song “Sweet Lorraine.” Gene began his professional career as a CPA in the Portland area.

He was a loving husband to Lorraine and a good father to his four children.

John W. Murray ’49 passed away January 30, 2020, at the age of 93. During his senior year of high school, John was drafted into the Army, serving his country in the Philippines and in Japan during World War II. He continued his education at Loras College, UP, and University of Illinois, earning his bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. After 34 rewarding years in the field of physical education, he retired. John was a true

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patriot, a man of high ideals.

Honesty, integrity, kindness, and caring were his strongest qualities. Loving husband, devoted father, and fond grandfather and great-grandfather.

James Brady ’50 passed away on June 15, 2021, at the age of 93. A longtime Vancouver resident and first-generation Irish-American, he grew up in Portland where he attended Holy Redeemer, Columbia Prep, and the University of Portland. After serving in the army during the Korean War, Jim moved to Vancouver with his wife, Gloria, where they raised four children.

He owned O’Brady’s DriveIn for many years and sold it to his daughter Susie upon retirement. Jim is remembered as a beloved father and grandfather and a man who never knew a stranger.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, his two daughters, and seven grandchildren, and is preceded in death by his son, Tim. Gene Feltz ’50 passed away on July 25, 2021. After attending Columbia Prep and serving in the US Navy, Gene attended the University of Portland for two years until 1948 when he enrolled in law school at the University of Santa Clara. He was one of the founders of Portland’s Blanchet House.

Gene met and married Elizabeth “Betty” Louise Altstock in 1952. Together they raised nine children, and enjoyed an active social life both in Portland and their beloved Cannon Beach.

Gene and Betty were married 66 years at the time of her

death in 2018. He will be missed by his many beloved family and friends.

James Robbins ’50 died on April 24, 2021. A veteran of World War II, Jim served in the Navy and was stationed in Iwo Jima during the invasion of Okinawa.

He chronicled this time with letters held dear by his family. A member of the University Club of Portland, where he served as president in 1988, Jim’s stories and memory will forever remain a part of the club’s history. He is survived by his sisters, his daughter, two grandchildren, and his great-granddaughter.

Richard L. Wells ’50 passed away on May 3, 2021, at the age of 95. He served in the US Army Infantry during World War II. He later graduated from UP with a degree in business administration.

He met and fell in love with Joan Harmon whom he married in 1952. He worked for 35 years at the Bank of California and an additional seven years with various Christian organizations.

He is survived by three daughters, nine grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren.

Francis Reichert ’52 passed away on April 5, 2021, at the age of 90, with his wife at his side. After graduating from UP with an engineering degree, he was hired by the US Army Corps of Engineers, where he worked for 33 years.

In 1952 Frank met Helen Bernice Wallace, whom he married in 1955. Together they raised four children.

A devout Catholic, Frank was

active in church activities.

He is survived by his brother, sister, wife, four children, and three grandchildren.

James Givnan Jr. ’53 passed away on June 15, 2021.

Born in Seattle in 1930, Jim attended both the University of Oregon and the University of Portland.

He served in the US Air Force where he attained the rank of captain, flying C-130 aircraft. After working for Boeing, Jim established a practice as a patent agent.

He lived in the Sunset Heights neighborhood of Portland for more than 50 years, his greatest joy being time spent with his wife, children, grandchildren, and loyal dog Doodles.

Jim is described as “ever one to see the bright side of life” and will be missed by many.

John A. DeBenedetti ’57 passed away peacefully on April 29, 2021, at the age of 85. Following graduation from UP, he became an accountant. He was blessed with a large and loving family and was married for 58 years. He is survived by his wife, five children, five grandchildren, and his sisters. He will be greatly missed for his silly sense of humor and remembered for his love of the Oregon Coast and enjoyment of a good game of bocce ball.

Jack B. Scrivens ’57 died on April 22, 2021, at the age of 87, in the home he shared with his beloved wife, Shirley. Jack was an educator and coach at Reed College from 1961 until his retirement as the

assistant director of physical education in 1999. Jack is survived by his wife, his sister, nieces, nephews, stepchildren, and step-grandson.

Neil Franklin Woolsey ’57 passed away on June 20, 2021, at Valley Senior Living in Grand Forks, ND. In his early life, Neil’s family worked the fruit industry jobs in Washington. His family settled in Vancouver, WA. While at UP, he earned a bachelor of science in chemistry, followed by a graduate degree in organic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Neil was hired in 1965 as a professor of organic chemistry by the University of North Dakota where he spent his teaching career researching chemistry and advising students. He is preceded in death by his son, Spencer.

Neil is survived by his siblings; his beloved wife, Marilyn; and his daughters.

John Bukovi Jr. ’58 passed away on March 1, 2021, at the age of 86 in Vancouver, WA. Early in his career he had a one-year position with the District Court of Oregon, followed by a 37-year banking career, working in Oregon, Utah, Montana, and lastly in the Vancouver area.

He married Donna Carlsen and had a blended family of five adult children and seven grandchildren.

Survivors include Donna, one son, four grandchildren, one stepdaughter, and three step-grandchildren.

Richard J. Decker ’59 died on April 20, 2021, of complications from pneumonia.

Upon graduating from high school in 1952, he enlisted in the US Army. Later, he returned to Vancouver and

enrolled at UP, graduating with a degree in economics.

He married Arlene Cooper in 1956 and raised their family together. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, son, grandfather, greatgrandfather, and friend to many. He is survived by his wife, his two children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Judith Ann (Sweeney) Jenny ’59 passed away peacefully on July 11, 2021. A proud Pilot, Judy graduated with her BA in nursing. She met her husband, Duncan, in Hawai'i while on a blind date, marrying him in Honolulu in the autumn of 1963. They raised two sons, Patrick and Paul, in Hawai'i.

After moving to Washington in 1981, Judy worked as a medical assistant until retiring in 1999. She loved garage sales and gardening and had a knack for beautifully wrapping Christmas presents. A loving mother and grandmother, Judy will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.

Hugh Henry Kalani ’59 died on April 29, 2021, at the age of 86. He attended both the University of Portland and Portland State University.

He married Ramona Falk, and they had three children together. In his spare time, he enjoyed participating in many activities including playing soccer, exercising, camping, spending time with his family, and even skydiving with his grandsons.

Hugh is survived by his wife, children, and grandsons.

Steven Pongracz-Bartha ’60 died on April 6, 2020, at the age of 81. Steven was born in Hungary and lived there until 1944 when his family CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

June 24, 1929–April 21, 2021 Jackson Winters ’51 died peacefully in Portland, OR, on April 21, 2021. Considered by many to be the Jackie Robinson of Portland amateur basketball, Jackson was one of the first African Americans to make the Portland High School All-City basketball team, and the first African American to play basketball at the University of Portland, where he was a four-year letterman for the Pilots. By the end of his college career, he’d scored 1,033 points (and this without the three-point line). After Jackson finished playing basketball for the Pilots, he played for the Original Harlem Globetrotters. In 1954, Jackson married his high school girlfriend, Marilyn Whaley, and together they raised two children. Jackson also played and coached basketball in Montreal, Canada, for the Montreal Coutu Huskies and, as a player-coach, with the Northern Oilers; additionally, he coached the Loyola University Warriors of Montreal to the Ottawa Valley–St. Lawrence Athletic Conference Championship. After moving with Marilyn and their children to Southern California, Jackson worked for more than 30 years as an investment advisor and in the oil industry. He founded his own investment firm and an oil company—Great Western Drilling. Jackson is predeceased

by Marilyn and survived by their children, Jackson and Lauren; three grandchildren; one sister; and a host of family, relatives, and friends.

Jackson Winters

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ADAM GUGGENHEIM

CLASS NOTES IN MEMORIAM

Marcus Covert July 22, 1960–July 4, 2021 Marcus Covert ’93, ’97, senior writer and associate editor of this magazine, passed away surrounded by family on July 4, 2021. He was a wonderful colleague, a kind friend, a devoted family man, and an immensely gifted writer and editor. As the story goes, Brian Doyle, the late editor of Portland magazine, published a piece of Marc’s writing and then promptly had the good sense to steal Marcus away from the registrar’s office to come work for him. And so, Marcus became a part of the history and scaffolding and legacy of Portland magazine.

Marcus came to the job with a lot of writing experience, having worked for the River City Sun (a North Portland community paper) where he was a cartoonist and photographer and wrote a regular fishing column. (When I reached out to a writer in Montana to convey the sad news of Marcus’s passing, the writer responded that he has caught more trout with the trout flies that Marcus tied for him than with any other. I loved that detail.)

Like Marcus’s dad, the late James T. Covert, who chaired the history department at UP, Marcus loved history. On my first day on the job, Marcus gave me a copy of his dad’s book, the definitive history of UP, A Point of Pride. It couldn’t have had a better title. I could sense the pride Marcus had when he gave me the book. It made sense, this pride. UP was one of the homes where Marcus grew up. Both his parents were alums, as is his wife Julia ’99. All five of his siblings attended UP as well. Marcus always wanted the best for this place. He believed in it. And that showed in his work.

Under his pen, people, stories, and histories came alive.

Marcus could focus his curiosity and love for a good story toward any assignment that came his way. That early essay, which won a silver award in higher-ed publications, was about an archaeologist who studied ancient histories in Peru.

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Marcus recently won an award for a profile of an alum who builds affordable housing in Portland. He always came back beaming from an interview, no matter who the person or what their expertise may have been. He loved talking to people, hearing what made them tick, waiting for the moment of the interview where a person most revealed who they are.

Most important, Marcus was a loving spouse and dad.

He loved his family so much. They were his priority. This was clear. He spoke of his wife, Julia, and his kids, Ollie and Sally, all the time.

Marc was also funny. Oh, his quick wit. It was always at the ready. A story to illustrate: About three weeks before Marcus’s death, my car got stolen in the morning and then found in the afternoon. A bit of a headspinner of a day. We lost our bike rack and our children’s car seats. But on the dashboard, we gained a pair of reading glasses and a pair of brass knuckles. Marcus had been on leave for a couple of months by this point, but I just had to tell him about it. I mean, it was unfortunate, but it was a story. We loved stories. So I texted him the details.

His response—so brilliant and quick—came via text moments later: “I think every editor should have brass knucks displayed prominently in his or her office.”

Oh, I laughed and laughed.

I miss you terribly, Marcus. You were a wonderful colleague and friend, and I learned from you. I learned about the deeper meaning of this place. Thank you for selflessly welcoming me into the fold. And now that I’ve finished writing these lines, I really just want to show them to you, so you can suggest, in your gentle editorial way, how I might revise and improve.

—Jessica Murphy Moo

escaped from the advancing Russian forces. As displaced persons, the family was granted permission to immigrate to the United States in 1951 and eventually settled in Portland.

After graduating from UP, he went to work for the US Forest Service as a road design engineer. Steven is survived by his wife of 56 years, his three children, and three grandchildren.

James R. Brady ’62 passed away peacefully on June 6, 2021. Jim graduated from UP with a bachelor’s degree in engineering science. After serving in the United States Air Force for 20 years, he worked as a systems engineer until retirement. An active parishioner at Holy Apostles Catholic Church, Jim celebrated a life filled with faith, family, and friendship. He leaves behind his beloved wife, five loving children, and 17 grandchildren.

Kenneth E. Handel ’62 and Sally C. Handel passed away April 17, 2021 and April 20, 2021, respectively. Ken and Sally were married for 69 years and grew up in the same Portland neighborhood.

Both were active members of the community. Ken attended Lewis & Clark College, obtained an MBA from UP in 1962, and worked for numerous savings associations. Ken was a talented painter of landscapes, and Sally excelled at needlepoint and was a voracious reader of fiction. They are survived by their two children and three grandchildren.

John F. Lawler ’62 passed away on May 31, 2021.

John was a UP music major and during his time at the University, he built a harpsichord alongside

Holy Cross priest and music professor Br. Remy Amdt, CSC. Before his passing, it was John’s wish for his harpsichord to be donated to the University’s music department, where it now resides, for UP students to enjoy, admire, and play.

Larry Mason ’63 passed away on April 30, 2021, after a six-month battle with cancer at the age of 80. Larry graduated from UP and later received his medical degree from University of Oregon’s School of Medicine in 1967. He served two years in the US Air Force and then spent his 43-year career as a pediatrician.

He gave his whole heart to many and in so doing inspired us to be better people. His spirit is carried on by his wife, children, grandchildren, brothers, and hundreds of relatives, patients, and friends.

Joseph McGinley ’63 died on February 1, 2021, his wife at his side. Joe earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from UP and was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. While serving in the US Air Force, he met the love of his life, Maureen. Joe is remembered as a respected businessman, a beloved friend and neighbor, an avid racquetball player, and the type of man who could be counted on to make those around him laugh. He is survived by his wife, his daughters, and four grandchildren.

Walter “Wally” Shepard ’63 died on July 31, 2021 with his wife, Mary, by his side.

After graduating from UP with a bachelor’s in education, he completed a master’s of education at

Lewis & Clark. In the early 1960s, Walter began what would be a 50-year career as an eighth-grade teacher, coach, and athletic director at All Saints School in Portland. Walter is described by his family and friends as kind, gentle, thoughtful, honest, and humble.

He is survived by his loving wife, Mary; sister, Helen Greenan; 11 nieces and nephews; and 21 greatnieces and nephews.

Joseph Simone ’63 passed away on May 13, 2020, at the age of 83. Joe graduated high school in 1954 and enlisted in the Navy. In 1958 he married Christine Brolliar and started a family while attending UP, where he received a degree in business administration.

He ran several businesses in the Portland area while raising five children. Joe was a devout Catholic, a beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, a caring brother, and a loyal friend.

He is survived by his three sons and two daughters.

Kevin Sullivan ’63 died on July 3, 2021. He was a major in the US Army at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI, from 1971 to 1974 and practiced neurology in Medford, OR, from 1974 until his retirement in 2015. In his free time, Kevin enjoyed playing his guitar and never passed up an opportunity to play with family or friends. He also relished decorating for Halloween, his favorite time of year. Kevin is survived by his wife of 38 years, Sandra; his three children from his first marriage; his three stepchildren; eleven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and best friend of 44 years, Michael.

Steven Hendricks Lieser ’64, ’68 passed away on February 2, 2021, at the age of 80.

Steve graduated from UP with a bachelor of science in industrial engineering and, later, an MBA. On a blind date in 1967, he met the love of his life, his wife, Kathy Christensen. Steve is survived by his wife, son, daughter, and granddaughter.

James Nahorney ’65 passed away on May 24, 2021.

Jim grew up surrounded by a large family. Working in the summer pitching hay and hoeing weeds, he quickly developed a knack for challenging work. After graduating from UP, he served in the US Air Force and, later, enrolled at the University of Oregon to become a teacher. Once there, he met his wife, Kathleen, a fellow teacher with whom he spent the rest of his life. In retirement, Jim and Kathleen found joy in travel, gardening, and watching football together in their warm home. A beloved husband, father, and grandfather, he will be deeply missed.

David Frank Fisher ’66 died peacefully on March 12, 2021, at the age of 76.

He attended UP and earned a degree in engineering science. He spent almost his entire career at NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force in California as a research engineer. He married Patsy Janora Fisher in 1970 and raised his family. He enjoyed traveling and playing golf.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, two granddaughters, and three sisters.

Sr. Joyce Ann Kennedy ’68 died on May 5, 2021.

Shortly after graduating

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from St. Ann’s Academy in 1945, she joined the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Ann in 1947 and began a teaching career that would span almost 40 years. She received a master’s degree in education from UP and a master’s in history from Western Washington University. She was devoted to helping students thrive despite challenges, teaching students with special needs for 12 years. She is survived by members of her religious community, her sister, and many nieces and nephews.

Michael Allen Raschio ’69 passed away on April 11, 2021, at the age of 73. He was a very social person who loved being with his friends and family.

At mealtime he would say, “Mangia! Mangia!”, words that will forever be a reminder of his vivacious personality and his joy of experiencing good food with family and friends. Mike is survived by his high school sweetheart, Patricia Raschio, and their son, daughters, and four grandchildren.

Velda Virginia Werner Sutton ’70, ’72 passed away on June 28, 2021. The youngest of seven children, Velda grew up working on her family’s dairy farm. Upon marrying her husband, Keven, she continued to work, doing everything from driving trucks and hoeing mint to picking berries and beans.

In 1965 she began driving a school bus and, within a few years, realized what she wanted to do: teach. She went on to teach at Kenton and Ascension Schools in Portland, and in Washington worked as a principal at Lewisville Middle, Amboy Middle, and Prairie High School. She is described by

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family as “a pistol” and will be tremendously missed.

She is survived by three children, her seven grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.

Michael M. Broun ’71 died on February 13, 2021, at the age of 74. He graduated from UP with his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Mike served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. He went on to have a career in mechanical engineering and raise three daughters with his wife, Linda. Mike enjoyed traveling, backpacking, horseback riding, camping, woodworking, and golfing.

He is survived by Linda, their three daughters, and three grandchildren.

Jay Emerson Decker ’71 passed away on June 28, 2021. Jay graduated from the University of Iowa in 1965 and became a smokejumper in the backcountry of the Pacific Northwest.

He received a master’s in education from the University of Portland in 1971. He was an avid hunter, traveler, motorcycle enthusiast, and lover of dogs. Having lived a life full of adventure, he would tell you that some of his happiest moments were spent sitting in the sun in his own backyard, enjoying the company of his loved ones. Jay is survived by his wife, Sue; his daughters; and his six grandchildren.

Bernice Senti Pluchos ’72, ’78 passed away at her home on July 15, 2021.

Bernice married Edward Sullivan in 1953, and together they had four sons. Ed passed away in 1971. Bernice remarried to Gus Pluchos, and together they were parents to eight

children (Bernice’s four boys and Gus’s two girls and two boys). Bernice completed her BA in communications from UP in 1972 and her masters in reading. She was a high school and elementary school teacher in Washington’s Washougal and Evergreen school districts. Bernice is survived by six of her eight children.

One son, George, and one daughter, Patricia, preceded Bernice in her death.

a master of science in administration of justice from UP. He married his wife, Hermogena Salvaterain, in 1965 and became a Clark County Deputy in 1972. He was a veteran for the US Air Force and the Army Reserves. His hobbies were fishing, working on vintage cars, and telling dad jokes. He is survived by two siblings, three daughters, two stepsons, 15 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

William “Scott” Lake Jr. ’73 died Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Duluth, MN, surrounded by his wife and daughters.

Scott spent the majority of his adult life in Portland, where he taught middle school math and science for 28 years. Scott remained a lifelong Portland Pilots fan.

He was a dedicated ‘Pepa’ who loved teaching his granddaughter to identify plants and flowers. In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by his previous wife and the mother of his children, Janet Stuart.

He is survived by his wife, Diane Koosed; his daughters; and granddaughter.

Stephanie Templeton ’80 passed away on May 17, 2021, at the age of 65.

Stephanie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from UP. She was employed as a hospice nurse by Portland Adventist Hospital, where she worked for 37 years until a stroke took her out of the workforce.

She will be remembered for her laugh and always putting others before herself. She is survived by her mother, brother, and nephew. She will be deeply missed.

Frederick “Mickey” Preymak ’76 passed away on March 25, 2021. He completed his master’s degree from UP. Mickey started his teaching career at Brocklehurst Junior Secondary School in Kamloops, BC, then moved to Westsyde Secondary, where he spent the remainder of his teaching years.

Mickey enjoyed the outdoors, especially activities such as skiing, hiking, fishing, and hunting. He is survived by his two sons and four grandchildren.

Mike Wilson ’80 passed away unexpectedly on July 12, 2021, from a tragic car accident in Eastern Oregon.

He was a well-loved father, son, brother, uncle, grandpa, and friend. Mike attended University of Portland and University of Oxford, graduating with a degree in political science and business. Mike loved regaling his friends and family with tales of travel adventures and antiquing treasure finds. He leaves behind his beloved daughter, treasured mum, sister, nephews and nieces, grandchildren, and loyal canine companion, Oscar.

Keith Spindler ’77 peacefully passed away May 25, 2021, at the age of 79. He received

Lisa Ann Malcom ’81 passed away on April 1, 2021, at the age of 62. She graduated

from UP after transferring from Clark College. Lisa was a talented singer and competitive athlete, enjoying basketball, tennis, and bowling. She worked many office jobs but most enjoyed working with elementary children, who were often the bright spot of her day. She is survived by her parents, her two brothers, and her nephew.

December 31, 1946– March 11, 2021 Judith Montgomery ’68, ’84 died on March 11, 2021, at the age of 74.

She had been in intensive care following a stroke. Judith grew up in Portland and never left. At UP, she got her bachelor’s degree in music and her master’s degree in musical performance. Judith was a marvelous soprano who captivated audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest with her rich, warm, sensitive voice. In the late 1980s, she performed in several Mock’s Crest productions. She was also a featured soloist with The Choral Arts Ensemble of Portland for more than two decades. For 28 years, she taught classical singing, offered musical theater and opera workshops, and taught the intro to fine arts at UP. As the head of the vocal performance department, she trained and coached hundreds of loyal students to be better singers. She loved her students and they loved her. (She even taught her cockatiel, BooBoo, to sing the Queen of the Night aria on key!) Judith and her first husband, Michael Sagun, adopted two children at infancy, Emily and Geoffrey. Judith and Michael were married 26 years before the two decided to divorce. She later married Kerry Montgomery, a friend and fellow UP performer and the lawyer who drew up her divorce papers.

Judith loved her children, music (but not country or anything with saxophones!), reading, traveling, puzzles, painting, dogs, good wine, dry martinis, and her husband.

Not necessarily in that order, says her husband Kerry. Judith was smart, kind, loving, gentle, talented, caring, sensitive, and wise. The loss of Judith has left many lives with a gaping, unfillable hole. She is and will be missed.

Judith Montgomery

Joan Roberta (Pink) Chaichi ’82 died on May 14, 2021.

Growing up in The Dalles, Joan spent her childhood on her family’s cherry orchard learning the values of hard work and tenacity that she would uphold throughout her life. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting at UP. Joan was both a loving parent and a hard worker, raising two children while establishing herself as a respected member of Consolidated Freightways’ accounting and management team. She is remembered by loved ones as “the glue keeping us connected” and will be greatly missed by her husband, daughter, son, siblings, and beloved “granddogs” Azzurri and Lilly.

Larry Meneghin ’82 passed away on April 5, 2020. Larry served in the US Air Force after graduating high school in 1964. In 1972, he married his wife, Judith, and moved to Oregon. Soon after, their two sons, Anthony and Jeffrey, were born. He began taking classes at UP while working for Tektronix and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. Later, he taught in UP’s electrical engineering lab. Some students became lifelong friends. After retiring in 2004, he moved to Hawai'i.

He was deeply connected to music and loved to perform

for those around him. Larry is survived by Judith, their sons, two grandchildren, and his sister.

Lori Wallace Miller ’82 died on March 1, 2021, at the age of 62. She passed away peacefully at home with her children and eldest grandson at her side. She took her UP nursing education and found one of her biggest passions: being a labor and delivery nurse. Lori had over 37 years of dedicated experience in the nursing field and finished out her working career as a school nurse before retiring in 2017. Survivors include two siblings, two children, and six grandchildren.

William “Dean” Thompson ’87 passed away on May 2, 2021, at his home in Vancouver, WA, at the age of 61. After graduating from high school in 1979 he enlisted in the US Air Force. After his time in the service, he returned home and completed a bachelor’s degree at UP. Dean enjoyed skiing, hunting, and spending time with his wife, Lynn, and his grandchildren.

He will be missed dearly by his wife, his children, and his grandchildren.

Peter Kwong ’92 passed away on June 16, 2021.

A director of assurance for Portland accounting firm Perkins & Co., Peter was well-loved and respected by his friends, colleagues, and community. He was a Portland Business Journal 40 Under 40 award winner and named a “significant alumni” by the University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business. He was also a huge soccer fan of both the Portland Timbers and Thorns. In his honor, Perkins & Co. will be setting up a

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CLASS NOTES IN MEMORIAM

UP scholarship for accounting majors. He is survived by his wife and two children.

He will be deeply missed.

Cynthia Lee Armstrong ’93 passed away on May 22, 2021. After graduating with her associate’s degree, Cindy went on to earn a degree in music education.

Later, she earned her master’s from UP and taught for 29 years in the Kelso School District as an elementary music specialist. She also taught piano and flute lessons in her home and was a proud member of her church’s choir and a former flutist in the SW Washington Symphony. Cindy is survived by her mother, Colleene, and many cousins.

January 11, 1998– April 3, 2021 Isley Cachero ’20, of Honolulu, passed away peacefully on April 3, 2021, at the age of 23. Isley will be remembered as a hardworking, determined, fun, and easygoing guy who could make a friend anywhere he went. Among his passions were paddling for Saint Louis and for Waikiki Surf Club, travel (especially to Japan), all-things-sports, and good food (he was a foodie at heart). And he also loved University of Portland and his tight-knit friends in the Villa Maria dorm. In 2019, Isley was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare and aggressive tumor on the brain stem. He fought every single day not knowing when it would be the last, and he became a support to others who had the same diagnosis and were walking a similar path. Isley was able to accomplish his dream of graduating from UP alongside his friends, with a bachelor in business administration in operations and technology management in 2020. The last few weeks for Isley were difficult, but his spirit never faltered. As one Villa-friend noted: “Isley’s work ethic and grit inspired many not to give up when life gets tough.” In his final days, Isley had time to say goodbye to friends and family, and he passed while surrounded by loved ones. His family feels Isley will be watching and guiding us from heaven. Isley will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his parents, siblings, and extended family.

Isley Cachero

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Colonel Michael Warren Moyles ’94 passed away on March 27, 2020, at the age of 47 after a battle with brain cancer. Upon graduation, he received his commission to the US Air Force and was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base. His 23-year career took him around the country, and Mike was most comfortable speaking and teaching. His favorite places to speak were Officers Christian Fellowship, Young Life, bible studies, and the many churches that hosted him. Survivors include his wife, their daughter, his mother, and one sister.

He will be sorely missed.

Justin Douglas Ward ’00, ’02 died unexpectedly on March 7, 2021, at the age of 43. He moved back to Bend after graduating from UP and worked in his family business. Later, he built a successful business with his brother-in-law. He enjoyed working the land on his farm with his three young sons and looking for new adven-

tures. Survivors include his parents and sisters; numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins; his wife, Amy; and their boys.

Suzanne Zeitouni ’02 passed away on May 12, 2021, at the age of 41, surrounded by her husband and daughter, after a three-year battle with cancer. She attended UP where she majored in biology, and later got her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Tulane University.

She worked as a research scientist at the department of molecular and cellular medicine at Texas A&M University. Her unmatched generosity and zest for life attested to the beautiful person she was, inside and out. She is survived by her husband and their daughter, her father, mother, sister, and brother.

FACULTY, STAFF, FRI EN DS Elizabeth Cebula passed away on September 9, 2021.

Elizabeth grew up in Northeast Portland and attended The Madeleine, Holy Child Academy, and Marylhurst College, where she earned her education degree.

Her husband, Leonard, graduated from Columbia Prep in 1948, then earned a business administration degree from UP in 1953, and returned for his MBA in 1975. All four of their children attended and graduated from UP: Mike ’81, Phil ’81, Eileen ’82, and John ’86. Two of her grandsons, Daniel ’13 and Ryan ’16, also graduated from UP. The Cebula Family Endowed Scholarship was established in 1999 by Leonard and Elizabeth. Elizabeth attended the annual scholarship luncheon each year, and she loved connecting with students.

FOR THE LOVE OF IT

Alright Dog People, I Get It! RILEY IS A one-year-old, medium-sized jet black standard poodle with a little white tuxedo stripe on his chest and that lanky adolescent way about him. And he’s ours. Well, actually, he’s our oldest son’s.

COVID had the opposite impact on our son’s job than it had for many people. He was called into the office to cover for coworkers stuck working from home with school-aged kids. So, Riley came to stay with us for what was going to be a few weeks until schools re-opened last year, but that plan never happened. Riley is now a permanent resident in our home.

As the weeks went on, my wife and I felt latent parenting skills awakening in us. I tricked out the garage with a kennel large enough to raise a calf, and she assembled a set of shelves for dog food, treats, toys, and harnesses—not unlike the set-up in the baby room that each of our three kids rotated through. These days, we talk about him, we laugh, we discuss his future, and we think hard about dog-sitting options.

What I didn’t know about dog-people is that they are actually people-people.

Through the most frustrating days of COVID, Riley needed to be let out, and it was those long outdoor walks in our new neighborhood that kept me sane, introduced me to our new neighbors, pushed smiles around, created spontaneous conversations, and injected joy into what felt at times like a joyless world.

We’re doing our best raising Riley. We really don’t know what we’re doing, but guess-and-check techniques that worked on our kids seem to be working pretty well on him, so we’ll stick with that plan for now. When all else fails, we just smile, nuzzle into his hypoallergenic sort of smelly furry neck, rub his ears, roll him over, scratch his belly until that leg starts kicking, and look forward to meeting more and more of our neighbors.

Riley is love to me. A different kind than people-to-people love, but a catalyst to it that I never saw before. I get it now.

TOM HOBAN is a proud father of two UP grads and currently serves as a trustee on UP’s Board of Regents.

FALL 2021

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UP’s Outdoor Pursuits is up and running, and our students are taking full advantage of living in such a breathtaking corner of the planet.