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Donald W. Houser ’50

Donald W. Houser ’50, May 14, 2011, in Walnut Creek, California. Born and raised in Portland, Don served in the U.S. Army Air Corps before coming to Reed, where he studied physics and met Jane Furkert ’48. Later he transferred to Oregon State University, earning a BS and an MS in mechanical engineering. He worked at Standard Oil and Chevron, where he managed operations for the product engineering division in Europe for several years. Home and family were of utmost importance to Don; he, Jane, and their three daughters enjoyed camping and vacations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Don retired in 1984 and was involved in his community, including Friends of the Walnut Creek Library. In his public obituary, we read, “Don lived life as an adventure and loved to add humor to situations. He was a romantic and a poet. At the same time, he was also a man of deep integrity, reliable, disciplined, and organized.” He loved tools, machines, cars, trains, planes, garden landscaping, Broadway musicals, the symphony, board games, and baseball. Survivors include Jane; daughters Julie, Karen, and Diane; and grandson Joshua.

Appeared in Reed magazine: December 2011

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