Carl "Nick" Squires

Carl (Nick) Squires was born at Sacred Heart Hospital, Eugene, Oregon, in 1938. He passed away peacefully on January 2, 2026, at home at the age of 87. His early years were spent in Wendling, a long-abandoned Booth Kelly Sawmill town in the hills past Marcola, Oregon. His closest companion growing up was his cousin, Gordon Wright. But after WWII when their fathers returned from their tour of duty in the Pacific Theater, the sawmill closed and the cousins were taken separate ways.
Nick's family settled in Eugene where he attended Edison Grade School, followed by Roosevelt Junior High School and then Eugene High School. He went on to study at the University of Oregon, where he majored in English and was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Each summer he pulled green chain at the Booth Kelly Mill in Springfield to supplement his college tuition.
Upon graduating, Nick went to Newport, Rhode Island to enlist in the U.S. Navy's officer training program. While there he spent three years aboard the USS Newell, which was a radar picket ship assigned as part of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line in the North Pacific that was critical to the country's defense during the Cold War.
Nick went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Oregon in 1967. After five years of hedonism, earning a living as a ski patrolman in Aspen, Colorado Nick returned to Eugene, Oregon for a visit. During that visit Nick met Jane Ingersoll of Des Moines, Iowa. Leaving scores of lady friends to fend for themselves, Nick married and stayed faithful to Jane until his death, more than 54 years later.
Nick and Jane skied, climbed mountains and socialized in Aspen until their daughter; Alexandria was born. They decided to move back to Oregon to settle in Beaverton where they raised Alexandria and their son Zachary.
In retirement, Nick and Jane traveled for a month in China where Alexandria was teaching English. In Europe they climbed the Swiss Alps and swam in the Mediterranean Sea. Wherever their travels took them, from Puerta Vallarta, Mexico to Montreal, Canada, they always had a knack for finding the best places to eat.
They moved to the Eugene area in 2015, where Nick enjoyed playing golf, following the seasons of the Oregon Ducks and reconnecting with childhood friends.
Nick is survived by his wife Jane, his sister Cynthia (Fred) Flippance of Burns, Oregon, his children Alexandria (Mark) Grodzinsky of San Jose, California and Zachary (Anne) Squires of Webster, New York, and 4 grandchildren, Samuel, Molly, Benjamin and Olivia.
The family has asked that memorial contributions be made in Nick's memory to the Mount Pisgah Arboretum, which was one of his favorite hiking locations. A link can be found on Nick's tribute page at www.majorfamilyfuneralhome.com. Funeral services are in the care of Major Family Funeral Home in Springfield, OR.