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Ronald J. Floyd ’59

Ronald J. Floyd '59, June 24, 2008, in Port Angeles, Washington, from cancer. Ron received a BA from Reed, an MA from Washington State University, and a PhD from the University of Washington in German. He served in the army as a medic (1959-61). In 1960, he married Hannelore Rudolf; they had two children, and later divorced. He married Jane Moty in 1971. Rpm lived in Portland from 1972 to 1998, and taught German at the University of Portland and at Lewis & Clark College. He also worked as a translator and editor of technical literature for Freightliner Truck Company in Portland, a position he retired from in 1996. In 1998, he moved to Port Angeles. Ron was an accomplished artist. He enjoyed hiking, climbing, scuba diving, and kayaking. He was a member of the Olympic Peninsula Paddlers and a volunteer for the Olympic National Park and the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center. In a letter to the editor of Reed magazine in 1994, he said the college “was all it claimed to be—and more—and it gave me what I had come for. After Reed, getting an MA was anticlimax, and the PhD came naturally. So thank you, Reed College, for the education, thank you for the challenges, and thanks for the memories.” Survivors include his wife, two daughters, three grandchildren, and his brother.

Appeared in Reed magazine: November 2008

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