PAGE A6, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 16, 2018
obituaries
Joseph Walter Riley Maxwell
February 15, 1933 – February 26, 2018
Joseph Maxwell died at
home, surrounded by family,
after a brief illness. He was 85.
Maxwell was born in Boone
County, Indiana, to Claude and
Doris Riley.
The fam-
ily moved to
California
when he was
3 years old.
On the way, a
high fever led
him into deaf-
J. Maxwell
ness.
At the age
of 6, he attended California
State School for the Deaf in
Berkeley where he graduated
in 1954. He went to Gallau-
det College, now University, in
Washington, D.C. and gradu-
ated in 1959 with a degree in
Physical Education. He joined
a fraternity Kappa Gamma and
participated in many sports,
such as football and track.
He earned a silver medal
in the high jump at the 1957
Deaf Olympics held in Milan,
Italy. He also met his wife, Sal-
ly, a fellow U.S. athlete, at the
games.
He started working at
Kansas School for the Deaf
as woodworking teacher and
coached football as well as
track for six years. In 1965, the
couple moved to Falmouth,
Maine, where Deaf School was
on the island. He taught wood-
working and coached soccer
and track from 1965 to 1978.
While in Maine, the couple’s
children, Janet and Don, were
born. Maxwell built two hous-
es in his time
in Maine, one
in Yarmouth
and other was
in Cumber-
land Center.
Joseph and
Sally moved
to Oregon in
1978 where Joe taught physi-
cal education until 1992. He
then transitioned to teaching
health, math and driving edu-
cation. He retired in 1994, after
35 years of teaching.
Maxwell was preceded in
death by his grandfather, his
mother, father, stepfather, older
brother, Claude, older sister,
Juanita, sister, Carol, and son,
Gary Lance. He is survived by
his wife; his son, Don (Elize);
his daughter, Janet; one grand-
daughter, Amanda; brother, Mel
(Arlene); three sisters, Barbara,
Rosie (Ken), Ellen; and many
nephews, nieces and cousins.
According to his wishes,
no services are scheduled, but
a Celebration of Life will is
slated for April 7 at the Oregon
School for the Deaf cafeteria in
Salem from 1 to 4 p.m.
In lieu of fl owers, the dona-
tions are requested for: Offi ce
of Development, Gallaudet
University, 800 Florida Ave NE,
Washington, D.C. 20002 in the
name of Joseph W.R. Maxwell.
and Oregon Association of the
Deaf, P.O. Box 8054, Salem,
Oregon 97303. Earmarked for
any Deaf Oregonian, that has
goals to go to the Deaf Olym-
pics in the name of Joseph W.
R. Maxwell.
Judith Ann
Roberts
May 31, 1942 –
March 9, 2018
Judith Ann Roberts, a
longtime resident of Avamere
Court in Keizer passed away
on Friday, March 9, 2018.
Roberts was born on May
31, 1942, in Charles Town,
West
Vir-
ginia.
She
moved
to
New
Or-
leans, Louisi-
ana, in 1961
and moved
to Portland,
Oregon, in
1977.
Her
husband,
James
Thomas Roberts, Sr., pre-
ceded her in death. She is
survived by two daughters,
Brenda Lee and Kim Lee,
and two sons, Vernon Lee and
Richard Lee, as well as three
grandchildren – John Henry,
Kriston Renee and Joshua
David Gutierrez – and four
great-grandchildren.
Perry gets glowing review at board meeting
By HERB SWETT
Of the Keizertimes
Christy Perry, superinten-
dent of Salem-Keizer Public
Schools, again received high
marks from the School Board.
The board Tuesday offi cially
approved its annual evaluation
of her performance. Director
Kathy Goss commented, “The
whole process has reminded
how lucky we are to have Su-
perintendent Perry.”
The board also held the fi rst
reading of a proposal for tax
exemption concurrence with
Salem and Marion County to
allow tax exemptions for low-
income housing owned by
non-profi t organizations.
A challenge to legislation al-
lowing the exemptions resulted
in a moratorium that started in
2012. Some cities and counties
in Oregon have adopted ordi-
nances to allow the exemptions,
but concurrence is required
from taxing jurisdictions equal-
ing 51 percent of the tax base.
In other business, the board
approved Curriculum Associ-
ates’ Ready Mathematics for
the Common Core as the dis-
trict’s new elementary math-
ematics instructional materials.
The vote came after Kelly Car-
lisle, assistant superintendent,
showed charts that revealed
higher district performance in
math at the high school and
middle school levels than the
state as a whole but the reverse
for district elementary schools.
However, he and Gabriela Are-
nas, a math teacher at High-
land Elementary School, told
of progress elementary schools
were making in math.
Paul Kyllo, board chairper-
son, noted that $5.2 million
crossword
would be needed for the math
materials. Perry said she hoped
to fi nd a way to make room for
them in the 2018-19 budget.
The budget committee will
hold its organizational meeting
Tuesday.
Two grants, both from the
Oregon Department of Edu-
cation, were accepted by the
board. One, amounting to
$6.986,458, covers special edu-
cation matters, mostly staffi ng.
A $337,999 grant will be used
for improvement of staff quality.
Speakers from the audience
included Cortney Clendening
of Keizer, elementary director
of the Salem-Keizer Education
Association and a Clear Lake
Elementary School teacher,
who said that meetings she
must attend on student needs
were taking away time to help
students develop skills.
The board proclaimed April
as Child Abuse Prevention
Month.
Personnel actions approved
by the board included the fol-
lowing in the McNary High
School attendance area.
• A licensed action for Ja-
vier Martin-Vinas as a fi rst-year
probation part-time teacher at
McNary.
• Resignations of Melissa
Anderson from Kennedy El-
ementary School; Jason Arthur
and Mary Anna Vera, Weddle
Elementary School; Justin Lin-
demann, McNary; and Amy
Torrance, Cummings Elemen-
tary School.
• Retirements of Gary Bu-
len and Kathleen Roberson,
McNary; Mary Alice Kruger,
Kennedy; and Jill Matiskainen,
Gubser Elementary School.
GRIFFIN: ‘Dirty hands give me
a sense of accomplishment’
(Continued from Page A3)
to calls the department must
also inspect all of the city’s
catch basins during the sum-
mer. A catch basin is usually a
grated reservoir that prevents
leaves and other matter from
entering the sewer.
This inspection helps Grif-
fi n create a list of repairs to the
system that will take place dur-
ing the fall and winter seasons.
Summer is often when street
maintenance and repairs take
place. This work begins with
evaluating roads and street con-
ditions, determining what type
of work is needed and then cre-
ating a work schedule.
Weather conditions can have
quite an impact on the depart-
ment’s schedule. An incoming
storm can mean making sure all
necessary equipment is ready to
go; vehicles have been fueled
up, chainsaws need to be sharp,
the vacuum truck needs to be
empty and ready to use.
Then there are all the other
things that need to be attended
to during any given day: re-
viewing work orders and work
logs, meetings, identifying as
well as planning and schedul-
ing of upcoming stormwater
maintenance, coordinating with
other supervisors, answering
crew fi eld issues and fi elding
emergency calls for immediate
action.
And while all of these things
are important, clean drinking
water is at the top of the list.
“We provide and ensure safe
clean drinking water through a
properly maintained water sys-
tem,” Griffi n said.
It’s enough to make him
run out of breath as he runs
down the list of what his job
entails, but then he smiles, this
is part of what he likes about
public works, no two days are
ever the same. He’s a problem
solver and takes great pleasure
in a job well done. He’s quick
to smile, somewhat soft spoken
and shy, and his desire to do the
best he can for everyone who
counts on him is wholehearted
and genuine.
At home, Griffi n keeps busy.
He enjoys doing yard work, or-
ganizing his garage, keeping his
truck clean and gardening. He
has a fondness for growing the
ingredients for salsa.
“Generally getting my hands
dirty gives me a sense of ac-
complishment and keeps me
calm, cool and collected,” he
said.
Though his daughters have
graduated from high school
and are making their own way
in the world the family remains
tight-knit.
“While our girls maintain
busy lives after high school we
still enjoy the occasional fam-
ily dinner and partaking in our
favorite TV shows,” he said.
“During the summers our fam-
ily’s home away from home is
the Metolius River Area where
we enjoy camping, hiking and
relaxing.”
“My eldest daughter is mar-
ried now and will be graduat-
ing from Marylhurst Univer-
sity this spring. She owns her
own photography business.
My youngest daughter recently
graduated from high school,
and currently works at the
Keizer Courthouse. Her cur-
rent plans are to adventure and
experience life to the fullest.”
He beams with pride at their
accomplishments and glances at
the mementoes scattered about
his offi ce as he talks about his
girls. While they are off pur-
suing their dreams, he and his
wife are enjoying simple plea-
sures and quiet moments to-
gether. They walk at Keizer
Rapids Park, grab a coffee to-
gether, ride their bikes or help
out the neighbors.
Rotary collecting food
The Keizer Rotary Club has
joined forces with Salem-area
Rotary Clubs to hold its annual
March food drive.
If you want to contribute
shelf-stable, unexpired food,
you can do so at these sites:
McNary High School, Keizer
Fire Station, Keizer Veterinary
Clinic, Oregon State Credit
Union, Home Fire Stove, Lo-
ren’s Sanitation, Boucher Jew-
elers, Willamette Valley Bank,
Willamette Lutheran Home,
and HomeSmart Realty.