A5
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2021
OBITUARIES
SPORTS
Dr. Ben Cockcroft
Yamhill defeats Knappa football
Seaside
Sept. 22, 1958 — Feb. 15, 2021
Dr. Ben Cockcroft, beloved husband, could always be found at his computer, fi n-
father, brother, physician and friend to many, ishing the day’s work while analyzing the
died Feb. 15, 2021, while snowboarding in surf. He passed this work ethic on to his chil-
Washington state.
dren, of whom he was very proud.
For nearly 32 years, Dr. Cock-
Ben was the pillar of the Cock-
croft has been a primary care
croft family near and far, always
provider in north Oregon coastal
checking in and taking care of oth-
communities. He served thou-
ers, exhibiting bravery in the hard-
sands of people and multiple
est of times. Ben has two brothers,
generations, from grandparents
Peter and Eric, whom he loved very
to babies.
much. He is preceded in death by
He was a skilled diagnosti-
his parents, Eva and James.
cian committed to whole person
Dr. Cockcroft was a member of
care, and dedicated his skills to
the American Academy of Fam-
serving those most marginalized. Dr. Ben Cockcroft ily Physicians. He earned his med-
Many of Ben’s patients speak of
ical degree from the University of
his non-judgmental nature, endearing hon- California, Irvine, School of Medicine and
esty and caring heart as he went above and completed an internship in Fresno, Califor-
beyond to serve their health care needs. He nia, before serving his residency in family
loved his patients and community.
medicine at San Pedro Peninsula Hospital in
Ben and his wife, Lindy, have been at the California.
heart of activities in the North Coast com-
He moved to Seaside 32 years ago, and
munities. They have three adult children, has been serving his patients in Clatsop
April, Lucas and Travis (and his wife, Janet). County ever since. He loved his patients and
Ben was also a proud “dog grandpa” to both Providence team members, whom he deeply
Travis’ and April’s dogs.
valued and enjoyed working with every day.
Together, the Cockcroft family had many
Additionally, he had the opportunity to
adventures traveling, surfi ng and being out- serve the community of Oaxaca, Mexico, as
doors. More than anything, Ben loved surf- a physician on multiple medical trips over
ing, studying with April and Travis and the years. Dr. Cockcroft is the past president
canoeing and playing chess with Lucas. Ben of the Clatsop County Medical Society and
spent lots of time coaching his children to a former chief of staff at Providence Seaside
victory in soccer over the years, and also Hospital.
played keeper for many seasons in a local
The Cockcroft family is grateful to
league.
all who have extended care and concern,
Those who know Ben know of his deep with particular appreciation to Detective
love of surfi ng and of the local surf commu- Ed Christian and the team at King County
nity. Ben placed fi rst in many surfi ng compe- Search and Rescue for their heroic efforts, as
titions up and down the coast.
well as the team of volunteers who endured
Of the memories being shared, so many severe weather during the search and always
speak of Dr. Cockcroft’s dedication to serv- took time to listen to and engage with the
ing his community and sharing his spirit so family.
generously. In his local community, he cre-
The family also wants to thank KSWB
ated a path at the Cove in Seaside, moving and John Chapman for broadcasting the
rocks to make the beach accessible to all.
memorial service, everyone who partici-
Ben inspired energy and greatness from pated, and the community, for their support.
all those around him, often exclaiming “”use
Online remembrances can be shared, and
it or lose it!” His quirky sense of humor the service heard (under Gallery/Audio) at:
always left people laughing (if they could forevermissed.com/ben-david-cockcroft/
fi gure out that he was joking).
about
Anyone who knew him would say he was
A future paddle-out in the spring or sum-
truly an 18-year-old at heart, but with a work mer, once conditions allow, is being planned
ethic that exceeded all others. At home, Ben for a later date.
Dorothy Brown LaPrairie
Springfi eld
Oct. 13, 1943 — Feb. 10, 2021
Dorothy Estella (Brown) LaPrairie, of
She will always be remembered by family
Springfi eld, loving mom and grandma, passed as a tomboy who loved to have fun! She loved
away peacefully in her home on Feb. 10, 2021. looking over old photos and her collections of
One of the six children of Ralph
angels and salt and pepper shakers.
and Ethel Brown, Dorothy was
Dorothy was small in stature,
born at home in Molalla on Oct.
and very large in her generosity to
13, 1943. She grew up in Molalla
other people in need. She opened
and then later moved to Gearhart in
her heart and home to so many, and
1951. She attended school in Gear-
impacted their lives in a tremen-
hart and high school in Seaside.
dous way.
Dorothy
married
Bernard
Dorothy was preceded in death
“Frenchy” LaPrairie in Novem-
by an infant daughter, Theresa; her
ber 1959. Frenchy was a logger
parents, Ralph and Ethel; along
and long-haul truck driver. Dorothy
with sister, Colleen Schinderle, and
and Frenchy, along with their chil- Dorothy LaPrairie brother, Ralph “Skeet” Brown.
dren, resided in Gearhart, Seaside,
She is survived by her children,
Kansas and Colorado. They later divorced; Debby Crawford, of Spokane, Washington,
Frenchy died in 1991.
Colleen (Nick) Blagaich, of Springfi eld, Joe
Dorothy was fortunate to have two loves LaPrairie, of Springfi eld, and Butch LaPrai-
in her life. Bob Langa, also from Seaside, pre- rie, of Springfi eld; grandchildren, Bran-
ceded her in death in 1984.
don, Rebecca, Stephanie, Taylor and Taiya;
Dorothy was a homemaker for most of and honorary grandchildren, David, Steven,
her life, but her fi rst job was at The Grill in Andrew, Tayler Quinn and Anna.
Seaside. She also worked at the Bumble Bee
She is also survived by two brothers and a
Seafoods c annery in Astoria, but quit the job sister, Vernon “Sonny” (Tess) Brown, of Tilla-
because the jitneys (small fork-lifts) scared mook, Ernie (June) Brown, of Marietta, Geor-
her.
gia, and Pat (Jim) Nichols, of Warrenton; and
Dorothy was a great mom to her children. numerous nieces and nephews who miss her
As a homemaker, her fried razor clams, fresh dearly.
from the beach, were everyone’s favorite.
An outdoor celebration of life will be held
Dorothy’s summers were spent with her during her favorite time of the year, sum-
children and family having blackberry pickin’ mer, with the date, time and location to be
parties with all the cousins, picnics and catch- determined.
ing crawdads at Klootchy Creek outside of
In lieu of fl owers, we ask that any dona-
Seaside and sitting in the sunshine visiting tion you can make be to your local hospice —
with family and friends.
these people are truly angels!
SEVENDAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
positions. We have two returning seniors that
have played key roles in the past.”
That would be Devin Hoover (receiver/
safety) and Cameron Miethe (running back/
middle linebacker), while junior Trevor Ogier
is the third all-league returner.
“We will be relying heavily on their expe-
rience and leadership to get us through this
season,” Jackson said. “Cameron Miethe will
be returning as our running back and mid-
dle linebacker while Devin Hoover will be at
wide receiver, safety and could end up seeing
some outside linebacker.”
Paul Miller (receiver/place kicker) is one
of just three seniors on the roster.
Logger juniors include Tanner Jackson,
Mark Miller, Jonny Lenhard and the Morrill
brothers (Carter and Logan).
“All have some varsity experience, but
will be stepping up into some very key roles
this year,” Jackson said.
Knappa has four sophomores and eight
freshmen who will all see action out of
necessity.
“We have been blessed with a great fresh-
men class this year who will be no strangers
to playing time. This year will present many
challenges, but I’m confi dent it will only
make us better in the years to come.”
Knappa plays at Gaston March 19.
The Astorian
WEDNESDAY
For the Knappa football team, playing a
reduced-game schedule this spring may just
help a program in a rare, but defi nite rebuild-
ing phase.
It showed Thursday night at CMH Field,
where Yamhill-Carlton defeated the Loggers
34-0.
Tiger running back Jacob Preston scored
three fi rst half touchdowns and Yamhill soph-
omore quarterback Jacob McGhehey threw
for two scores in the third quarter.
When players graduated in the past,
Knappa just reloaded and came out and kept
winning. But the 2021 spring season features
a total rebuild.
Key Knappa losses from the 2019 season
include the league’s offensive and defensive
players of the year along with the offensive and
defensive backs of the year, defensive lineman
of the year and coach of the year, as Aaron Bar-
endse stepped down following the 2019 season.
Chris Jackson takes over, and the cup-
board isn’t nearly as full as it used to be.
Only three all-league players return —
which for Knappa is unheard of.
“We are going to be both young and inex-
perienced,” Jackson said. “We have a lot of
new faces this year stepping into multiple
Valley Catholic tops Astoria girls soccer, 2-0
a pair of saves on one-on-one point blank
chances for the Valiants.
Astoria managed just three shots on goal
in the fi rst half. The Fishermen play at Rain-
ier/Clatskanie on Tuesday.
The Astorian
In their previous meeting at CMH Field
— Oct. 24, 2019 — the Valley Catholic and
Astoria girls soccer teams battled for 80
minutes in a 0-0 tie.
The Valiants were a little more lucky this
time, posting a 2-0 win over the Lady Fish-
ermen in a Cowapa League match Wednes-
day night.
Two fi rst half goals in a fi ve-minute span
was all the Valiants needed, helping Valley
Catholic to a 2-0 record.
The Valiants were coming off a 5-0 win
over Banks while Astoria drops to 1-1.
The Lady Fish controlled much of the
action for the fi rst 10 minutes before Val-
ley scored the fi rst goal in the 24th minute
as Quin Walker tapped the ball into the net
from close range off a corner kick.
Five minutes later, Valley Catholic’s
Mariella Gunther scored for the 2-nil lead.
Astoria goalkeeper Shelby Rasmussen
still turned in an outstanding game, making
Gulls 1, Mooks 1
Seaside scored just one minute, 15 sec-
onds into the game, but that would be the
lone goal for the Gulls, as Tillamook rallied
with a second half score for a 1-1 result in a
Cowapa League girls soccer game Wednes-
day at Doc Adams Field.
Seaside’s Caleigh Peterson took a short
crossing pass from teammate Dawnielle
Fenton just over a minute into the game and
scored from 15 yards out for a quick 1-0
lead.
On one of their only offensive chances of
the game, Tillamook scored in the 10th min-
ute of the second half, with Crystal Hernan-
dez scoring from the top of the box.
Two days earlier, the Gulls defeated
Rainier/Clatskanie 3-0.
We’ve gone ABOVE & BEYOND to make
sure you are COMFORTABLE & SAFE
at your next dental visit.
We have Infection Control Procedures
in place for your safety & ours.
** In addition to a filtration
system, external vacuum
systems, air purifiers,
and foggers, we have
added negative pressure
to all operatories. The
safety and comfort of
our patients has always
been a priority at Klemp
Family Dentistry. We are
very proud of these
innovations. Thank you
for your continued
confidence in all of us.
Thank you Diamond Heating and JJ
Electric Service LLC for completing our
negative pressure system.
Excellence in challenging conditions.
Diane G.
I saw the highest standard of health safety practices in effect
during my hygienist appointment today—much higher precau-
tions than I’d seen in a local hospital when having tests last
month. The new sanitation equipment and attention to patient
safety at Klemp Family Dentistry is in keeping with a dental
practice I consider cutting edge with respect to all my dental
needs. It’s wonderful having a world class dental practice here
at the coast, one where I can have procedures performed for
which I used to have to travel to a specialist in Portland. I have
been a patient of several local dentists in the past, but none
had the skill and, more importantly, the attention to patient
comfort that Dr Klemp provides.
KLEMP FAMILY DENTISTRY
1006 West Marine Drive, Astoria
(503) 468-0116
www.klempfamilydentistry.com
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
REGIONAL FORECAST
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Seattle
50 39
A passing
shower
49 35
Mostly cloudy;
chilly
51 36
50 36
Partly sunny
A passing
shower
49 37
48 37
Periods of sun;
Partial sunshine
chilly
51 38
Showers
possible
Aberdeen
Olympia
49/39
51/40
Wenatchee
Tacoma
Moses
Lake
50/38
ALMANAC
UNDER THE SKY
TODAY'S TIDES
Astoria through Thursday
Tonight’s Sky: Last quarter
moon (5:30 p.m.).
Astoria / Port Docks
Temperatures
High/low ................................ 52/40
Normal high/low .................. 53/38
Record high .................. 68 in 1937
Record low .................... 26 in 2019
Precipitation
Thursday ................................. 0.33”
Month to date ........................ 0.33”
Normal month to date ......... 1.05”
Year to date .......................... 28.25”
Normal year to date ........... 18.44”
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
Time
6:09 a.m.
8:11 p.m.
8.4 12:03 a.m. 3.1
5.9 1:45 p.m. 0.7
Cape Disappointment
5:50 a.m.
8:04 p.m.
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
Hammond
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today .................. 6:45 a.m.
Sunset tonight ............... 6:09 p.m.
Moonrise today .............. 2:28 a.m.
Moonset today ............ 11:06 a.m.
Last
New
First
Full
6:01 a.m.
8:05 p.m.
Warrenton
6:04 a.m.
8:06 p.m.
Knappa
6:46 a.m.
8:48 p.m.
Depoe Bay
Mar 5 Mar 13 Mar 21 Mar 28
5:03 a.m.
7:18 p.m.
8.3 12:53 p.m. 0.6
5.8
none
8.5 1:12 p.m.
6.0
none
0.3
8.8 1:29 p.m.
6.3
none
0.8
8.6 1:04 a.m.
6.2 2:46 p.m.
2.7
0.6
8.5 12:27 p.m. 0.4
5.9 11:59 p.m. 4.2
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Honolulu
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
Phoenix
San Francisco
Wash., DC
Today
Hi/Lo/W
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
56/37/pc
32/19/s
45/27/s
64/42/s
65/37/pc
80/69/sh
68/47/pc
66/51/pc
77/64/t
35/24/pc
86/58/s
61/47/s
47/29/pc
60/34/s
34/21/s
50/42/s
67/47/s
67/37/s
80/70/pc
69/48/pc
65/53/pc
75/60/sh
38/27/s
86/62/pc
60/46/pc
45/27/s
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy,
c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.
48/36
Hermiston
The Dalles 59/38
Enterprise
Pendleton 40/27
54/39
54/36
La Grande
45/32
52/39
NATIONAL CITIES
High (ft.) Time Low (ft.)
41/34
Kennewick Walla Walla
52/39 Lewiston
58/37
49/39
Salem
Pullman
55/34
Longview
50/39 Portland
53/40
46/33
Yakima 58/40
50/37
Astoria
Spokane
52/33
Corvallis
52/37
Albany
51/39
John Day
Eugene
Bend
53/39
51/34
45/31
Ontario
54/32
Caldwell
Burns
46/25
56/31
Medford
53/36
Klamath Falls
45/27
City
Baker City
Brookings
Ilwaco
Newberg
Newport
Today
Hi/Lo/W
46/28/pc
48/40/pc
48/41/pc
52/40/pc
48/39/pc
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
46/28/pc
49/38/c
48/38/r
50/30/sh
48/36/c
City
North Bend
Roseburg
Seaside
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Today
Hi/Lo/W
52/41/pc
55/38/pc
49/40/pc
54/40/pc
52/40/pc
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
51/37/c
53/33/c
49/34/r
52/31/sh
51/33/sh