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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2020)
2A | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS On The Record OBITUARIES READE—Thomas Mi- chael Reade (aka Tom), 74, born May 23, 1946, passed away Dec. 18, 2020, at his home in Florence, Ore. While he had sever- al medical issues, it was a quick and unexpected event, with his wife, N a n c y present. He was born and raised in Chicago, Thomas Ill., the Reade youngest of four children of William Dud- ley Reade and Helen Alice MacMullen. He is predeceased by his sister, Mary Alice George, and his beloved first wife of 38 years, Judith “Jody” Crinion. He is survived by their children: Thomas Patrick Reade of Naugatauk, Conn., and Kimberly Reade of Salt Lake City, Utah. He is also survived by his sisters: Margo Divenere of Mich- igan City, Ind., and Diane Kolosh, of Tinley Park, Ill.; two stepsons: Brian and Kevin Bumgartner, of Reno, Nev.; six grandchildren: Stacy, MacKenzie, Haedyn, Corbin, Riley and Karma; and two great-grandsons, Daemyn and Brenden. Tom was born with club feet, and a cleft palate, which involved him in a childhood full of surgeries. His best early memories were of the times his father massaged his feet every night. Along with playing in the yard with walking casts, he often told of trying to help other children in the hos- pital forget their fears and pain. Those years he was small, and often bullied some in school. He said that those experiences led him to learn to defuse situations with humor. Later, he be- came strong and healthy and loved playing football! His dad had a market, and later an A&W Rootbeer stand. Tom’s favorite stories of those times included his dad saying “Whatya work- ing on Reade?” He taught him to work hard and be fair. Even when Tom was a teenager, his dad gave him a lot of responsi- bility. He hauled produce and worked in the market. Every few years, Tom got to research, and negotiate buying the family car — He loved cars! Spending time at the an- nual Car Show in Chicago was an essential event. He was accepted to and attended St. Ignatius Prep School and completed his diploma at age 16. His at- tending there required him to bus across town more than an hour each way. He also bussed down to the Chicago Museum of Sci- ence and Industry and the Natural History Museum as often as he could. Not to be forgotten was his lifelong love of the Chi- cago Bears. Tom affected all who knew him, and no one was a stranger. He loved to sur- prise people with a pun. His very sharp wit was some- thing he always tempered with kindness and love. His life decisions were based on what would be best for those he loved — and he loved very well! Many years he worked more than one job to pro- vide what was needed. When his wife Jody had job opportunities, they moved to where those were — even across the country. When she was working for her doctorate, he pro- vided support in every way. He was devastated by the loss of Jody. He had moved them to Ogden, Utah, to be more accessible to medi- cal treatment for her (from WY). It was difficult, but his innate strength and pur- posefulness led him to ex- plore the area. He volunteered at a mu- seum, cleaning fossils, and developed his skills in pho- tography. In 2009, he met Nancy Arnold, who was teaching in a tiny town on the Utah/ Nevanda border. They married in 2010, and he moved once again, to allow her to continue teach- ing there. In no time, he had made friends and often vol- unteered in her kindergar- ten class. A favorite memo- ry was getting to play Santa at the school fundraising Christmas Craft Show. Living close to the Bon- neville Salt Flats, he loved watching the races as well as taking his Chrysler 300 hemi out for a blast himself. While in Wendover, Tom became a caretaker once again, when Nancy had lymphoma. His positive and amazing encouragement on a daily basis for five months, brought healing to her. Two years later, in 2016, she re- tired, and another big move was made. This time, as all the family was spread across the coun- try, the decision was made to find a big adventure. The lure of fishing, green trees and the ocean brought him to Oregon. At first, to a beautiful home on the Alsea river. This was in the heart of the coast mountains, more than an hour to a city. A year later, it was clear that Tom was needing more access to medical care himself; so the last move to Florence in July of 2017 was made. Tom loved the ocean and relished the times when family could come and fish with him! He adored his grandchildren and great- grands. His interest in them, and in keeping his family close to his heart never dimin- ished. A Virtual Memorial Service will be held Satur- day Jan. 9, 2021, at 10 a.m. (PST.) Email treade1968@ hotmail.com to request ac- cess information. Visit Tom’s online me- morial site. Look at and share photos, stories and memories of Tom atwww. mykeeper.com/memorial/ ThomasReade/. A memorial fund has been created for St. Jude’s Children’s hospital. Search Tom Reade at St. Jude Gift Funds. Arrangements are under the direction of Nelson’s Bay Area Mortuary, 405 Elrod Ave., Coos Bay, Ore. TIMBERLAKE—While she worked for the phone company, a neighbor of Ginger Ruth Timberlake who knew where she worked started hanging up and calling her in the wee hours of the Ginger Ruth morning Timberlake in a battle over their dog pooping in her yeard. Of course, Ginger put a trace on her own line and ended up winning that war. She laughed at the craziness of it and said, “If I had to get up to answer those calls, they have to get up to make them!” She was a fighter. If not the first, Ginger was one of the first women given a “man’s job” in the switch- ing system frames of AT&T by lobbying for it with nu- merous letters to manage- ment while working as an operator. At the time, men were making twice what women made. She eventually ran her own telephone office in Belfair, Wash., before relocating to Oregon and assisting in the changeover from mechanical switching to computerized before re- tirement. During the Korean War, she served in the U.S. Navy as an instructor on link trainers teaching navigation to pilots who had to make it across the Pacific Ocean without the aid of today’s GPS system. She also held a job for a time operating the world’s first glass elevator outside the El Cortez Hotel in San Diego. Ginger was an only child who spent some of her formative years in a cab- in that her father shingled with cedar in the woods behind Humbug Mountain near Port Orford; she al- ways thought of the Oregon Coast as home. She was also an artist who studied at Ohio Uni- versity and then also took woodworking at the Oregon School of Arts and Crafts after retiring. She expressed herself in sewing, quilting, gardening, beading, wood- working, photography, her exquisite handwriting and in many others way. Two-and-a-half years ago, dementia made Gin- ger’s world a confusing place. Her daughter and son-in-law moved in with her to take care of the things she couldn’t anymore — but she continued to laugh, find joy in her garden and cud- dle with her kitty. Ginger died peacefully in her home of complications following a heart attack she didn’t know she had shortly after her 88th birthday. She is survived by a ton of cous- ins in Coos Bay; her son, Eric Timberlake; daughter Tanya Timberlake and hus- band Rick Beale; all of Flor- ence. The family appreciates any remembrances be dona- tions to either Oregon Pub- lic Broadcasting or the Ore- gon Coast Humane Society; she treasured them both. Delivering Peace Of Mind From Day 1, parenthood is filled with cherished moments including the baby’s first trip home. Each year, Florence’s first born arrives home in the comfort and protection of a new child safety car seat donated by PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center. This annual tradition is among the many ways in which the PeaceHealth team is ded- icated to keeping all of our precious moms and babies healthy and safe throughout the birthing journey. Labor and Delivery Tours Lactation Services Expert Maternity and Neonatal Care Childbirth and Newborm Care Class Our Women’s Services Physicians Now accepting new patients. To schedule your appointment, call 541-902-1634. Yvonne Sculley, MD, OB/GYN Justine Parker, DO, Family Medicine, OB Jacquelyn Serrano, MD, Family Medi- cine, OB peacehealth.org/birth-florence