The BulleTin • Sunday, June 13, 2021 A9
OBITUARY
PULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE
Victims remembered 5 years later in Orlando
A visitor looks
over a display
with the photos
and names of
the 49 victims
who died at the
Pulse nightclub
memorial
Friday in
Orlando,
Florida.
Saturday will
mark the fifth
anniversary
of the mass
shooting at the
site.
Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. — The 49
people killed in a mass shoot-
ing at a gay nightclub in Flor-
ida were honored in Orlando
and around the world on Sat-
urday, the fifth anniversary of
the attack.
City of Orlando officials say
more than 600 places of wor-
ship worldwide tolled their
bells 49 times to honor each
victim who died in the Pulse
Nightclub shooting. The First
United Methodist Church of
Orlando gathered loved ones
and community members and
read the victims’ names.
Elected leaders and activists
said throughout the day that the
people who died need to be re-
membered not just with words,
but with actions. U.S. Rep.
Stephanie Murphy, a Democrat
who represents Orlando, said
during a livestreamed national
discussion hosted by a coalition
of human rights and gun safety
groups that she was inspired to
run for public office following
the tragedy.
“After five years, I still can’t
fathom why someone would do
this. How could their hate be so
strong?” Murphy said. “But to-
day I have an even harder time
understanding why some pol-
iticians still refuse to take the
most basic steps to prevent the
next shooting.”
President Joe Biden said Sat-
urday he will sign a bill nam-
ing the nightclub as a national
memorial. He emphasized in
a statement that the country
must do more to reduce gun
violence, such as banning as-
sault weapons and closing
loopholes in regulations that
enable gun buyers to bypass
background checks.
Brandon Wolf, media rela-
tions manager for the LGBTQ
John Raoux/AP
rights organization Equality
Florida, recalled being at Pulse
the night of the massacre and
losing two of his best friends.
He said during the panel dis-
cussion that he has since ded-
icated his life to making sure
they didn’t become a statistic.
“My job every single day is to
defend our community against
violence and hatred in every
form it takes,” Wolf said. “This
work is a constant reminder
that the shooting at Pulse was
not an aberration. LGBTQ peo-
ple are still under attack.”
The deadliest attack on the
LGBTQ community in U.S.
history left 49 people dead and
53 people wounded as “Latin
Night” was being celebrated
at the club on June 12, 2016.
Gunman Omar Mateen was
killed after a three-hour stand-
off by SWAT team members.
He had pledged allegiance to
the Islamic State.
Dozens of survivors, family
members of those who died
and first responders were in-
vited to a ceremony Saturday
night on the grounds of the
former club, south of down-
town Orlando.
OBITUARY
Susan Lee Hillesland
August 28, 1953 - May 27, 2021
Susan Lee Hillesland,
age
67,
passed
away peacefully in
her home in Bend,
Oregon on May 27,
2021. Susan was
born in Eugene,
Oregon on August 28,
1953. She graduated
from
Portland
Episcopal
School,
then completed a
Bachelors in business
and a Masters in
special
educati on
from Lewis and Clark
College. She moved to Bend in 1975 with her husband
(Jed Langley). She excelled as an escrow offi cer (Bend
Title Company), cabinet designer (Jed’s Woodworking),
and teacher with experience managing 6-12 graders in
math, business, and special educati on. She volunteered
for the Cascade Cycling Classic and served on the Bend-
La Pine School Board.
Susan was outgoing, humorous, generous, adventurous,
creati ve, quirky, cherished, and FUN! She was a debater,
prankster, and self proclaimed rule breaker. She loved
dog walking with her friends, traveling, trips to the coast
for sunsets, fairs with squealing pigs, rocks, fi sh ponds,
tennis, hiking/skiing (Todd Lake), pet parades, pumpkin
carving, painti ng, egg dying, cooking (Bar-B-Que Crab
and Dim Sum), food (butt er, bacon, potatoes and Jello),
Broadway Musicals, magazine subscripti ons, statuary,
golden retrievers, GoodWilling, chandeliers, canning,
collecti ng, ice cream, wool, rug hooking, excessive
gift ing, treasure hunti ng, fl ower pots, parti es, and lemon
drops. Our Su lived life with a free spirit of curiosity and
the wonder of a child... always seeing the best side of a
situati on with joy. She is missed already, but remembered
with a goofy smile and a hearty laugh.
She is survived by: daughter Kory Langley (Bend, OR), son
Werner Langley (Portland, OR), granddaughter Veraina
Langley, brother Steven Hillesland (Portland, OR).
She is preceded in death by: Jed Langley (spouse), John
Hillesland (brother), Julie Hillesland (sister), Linton A.
Hillesland (father), Grace S. Olsen (mother).
The memorial service will be for both Susan Hillesland
and Jed Langley (husband who passed in January) on
Saturday, July 17th at 2pm at Nati vity Lutheran Church
in Bend, Oregon. She threw the best parti es, so there will
be a celebrati on of life at The Hilliards: 20561 Dorchester
East in Bend. (Su requests that you bring whatever it is
that you want to drink).
Memorial Contributi ons: In lieu of fl owers, please
consider donati ng to: The Humane Society of Bend,
The Deschutes Children’s Foundati on, or The Nati onal
Wildlife Federati on
Funeral Home: Niswonger-Reynolds
Choicey Condley
of Bend, OR
Sharon Marie Suydam
of Sisters, OR
Dec 1, 1921 - March 21,
2021
Services:
Memorial services for
Choicey Condley will be
held Thursday, July 1st
at 11:00 am at the First
Missionary Baptist Church
in Bend, 21129 Reed Mar-
ket Road. Burial will be in
Monument, OR for family
members
May 16, 1960 - June 4,
2021
Arrangements:
Autumn Funerals,
Redmond
541-504-9485
www.autumnfunerals.net
Services:
Private family services will
be held at a later date.
Charles Blackshear
May 14, 1934 - May 19, 2021
Charles Blackshear
passed away on
May 19th, 2021. He
is survived by a son
Mark Blackshear of
Las Vegas, Nevada
and a daughter
Shannon Martelli of
Appleton, Wisconsin
and a sister Dolores
Walter-Ford of La
Pine, Oregon. He is proceeded in death by his
father Earnest Blackshear, his mother Clara,
brothers Ernest Edward and Ronald and by his son
Paul Blackshear. He was an amazing man, kind,
generous, with a huge heart and a great sense of
humor. He was loved by many and will be missed
greatly. He will be singing in the angels choir. There
will be a Celebrati on of Life on Saturday June 26th
at 1:00 pm at Journey church at 70 NW Newport in
Bend Oregon. In lieu of fl owers contributi ons may
be sent to Partners in Care Hospice 2075 NE Wyatt
Ct. Bend, Oregon 97739
OBITUARY
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OBITUARY
Robert Breen
July 1, 1953 - June 3, 2021
Robert Breen was born and
raised in Bend, Oregon. He
passed away peacefully
in Bend as well, on June
3, 2021 at the age of
67. Robert batt led colon
cancer for 7 years; he
was extremely tough and
lived life on his own terms
despite his illness. Robert
was a man of integrity, he
was pati ent, kind, honest,
and had a great sense of
humor. He loved animals,
especially dogs and cats,
and every animal he met loved him back. He had a
lot of love for his family and close friends who he
considered family.
Robert and his wife, Donna, had been married since
1983. They spent a lot of ti me in the desert east of
Bend, and in recent years got into e-biking out there.
They also travelled to Hawaii, Disneyland, Ireland,
England, the Oregon Coast, went to Mariners baseball
games in Seatt le, and had many family camping trips
over the years. Robert loved fi shing and hunti ng and
also loved to go work on his ‘farm’ in Mitchell, OR.
From his teenage years, Robert spent a lot of ti me
in Jeeps and on four-wheelers out in the Badlands
and the China Hat area. He knew every road, every
landmark, and the name of every butt e around.
He was prett y close to being a live encyclopedia of
Central Oregon.
Robert att ended St. Francis of Assisi school and
church through his childhood, and graduated high
school from Bend Senior High in 1971. He then went
on to obtain an Associate’s Degree at COCC and
became a journeyman electrician. His father, Mike,
opened Breen Electric in 1968 where Robert was
employed, and eventually ran the company. Robert
loved complex electrical work and worked on large
electrical programming projects from here in Oregon,
to Alaska, all the way to Georgia. He was a hard worker
and always provided quality work.
Robert is survived by his wife Donna, his daughter
Kati e Jalo (and son-in-law Adrian), his son Greg Breen
and (and daughter-in-law Adrianna), two sisters Julie
Breen and Peggy Scofi eld, two grandchildren, Paige
Breen and Aiden Breen, brother-in-law John Campbell
and family, and many wonderful cousins.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents, Michael
and Shirley Breen, his cousin, Cindy Ogle, as well
as many loving aunts and uncles. The loss to those
close to Robert is devastati ng and he will be severely
missed, but we are honored to have known this great
man.
The family would like to give a special thanks to the
caring nurses and doctors at Partners in Care. Robert
spent his fi nal days at the Hospice House which
was full of compassion and excellent care. In lieu
of fl owers, the family asks for donati ons in Robert’s
name to go to Partners in Care or the Central Oregon
Humane Society.
A funeral service will be held on June 19, 2021 at 1pm
at Pilot Butt e Cemetery.
Nancy Anne Hill
May 30, 1955 - June 1, 2021
Nancy Anne Hill, 66, of Bend, Oregon passed away on
June 1, 2021 surrounded by her family.
Born in Portland, Nancy grew up in Tigard, Oregon,
with a brief stay in Redwood City, CA. In sixth grade,
she discovered a natural affi nity for riding when the
family bought their fi rst horse. Preferring the view from
between the ears of a horse to any other, she never
spent another year of her life without one.
Nancy graduated from Tigard High School in 1973.
During her summers at Foxfi eld Riding Academy, Nancy
spent ti me as a counselor teaching young equestrians,
and this is where she fell in love with her second major
passion: teaching.
While studying science at Portland State University,
she worked as a groom for Joan Carron to earn the
opportunity to ride as an amateur equestrian, winning
top prizes in hunter-jumper events with her horses Filly
and Annie.
Aft er graduati ng from Portland State University in 1980,
she began her career as a science teacher, sett ling at
Mountain View High School in Bend, Oregon, where
she taught chemistry and physical science from 1984 to
2013. She enjoyed exciti ng chemistry labs, oft en ending
with shatt ered objects and blown-up garbage cans, and
was popular with her students. An engaging and much
appreciated educator, she received several awards
for teaching excellence: the Oregon Science Teachers
Associati on Science Teacher Award in 1991-1992, and
the Tandy Technology Scholars Outstanding Teacher
Award in both 1992-1993 and 1993-1994. She was also
a 1993-1994 GIFT Fellow. In 1998, she parti cipated in an
educator exchange, traveling to Japan and teaching in
the classroom there.
She loved teaching, talking oft en about the “lightbulb
moment” where her students grasped a concept, even
if that moment was how to prove Darwin right. She
helped multi ple students achieve careers in medicine
and research or att end presti gious military service
academies. Teaching also taught her why some ti gers
eat their young.
Att racted to cowboys and fi ghter pilots, she wisely
married neither. She focused her att enti on on riding
fast horses, being everyone’s favorite aunt, and raising
hundreds of young scienti sts. It was impossible to go
anywhere in Bend without meeti ng a student who loved
her. Her irrepressible curiosity, dry wit and agile mind
were invaluable to science educati on and memorable to
generati ons of students.
Nancy had a way of telling you exactly where your head
was stuck and why you should fi x it without making you
feel bad about it.
Aft er a long batt le with primary biliary cholangiti s and
a successful liver transplant, Nancy passed away from
complicati ons of liver cancer occurring from her original
liver. An educator to the end, Nancy donated her body
to OHSU.
Nancy is survived by two brothers, Marti n and Thomas
Hill, one sister, Margaret Smith (Betsy), and her nieces
and nephews. She leaves behind her horse, Woody, her
dog, Jackson, her cat, Leonie, and a deeply connected
community of friends. She enriched all of our lives.
In lieu of fl owers, donati ons in her name to the OHSU
Foundati on and Healing Reins would be appreciated.
Dearly loved, she will be sorely missed.